Channel Islands M23 - Al Merrick - X-Lite - Futures - 3 Fin

The M23 comes from the storied M13 bloodlines, a favorite hybrid board Al Merrick made for himself and rode variants of for decades from fun Rincon to maxing Sunset. A true high performance hybrid that caters to the widest possible type and size of surfer - and for the widest range of wave conditions.

Not to be confused with the CI Mid, the M23 carries more foam, boasting a fuller rail and sleeker nose outline. It paddles like a champ while still riding more like a shortboard.

Fin(s) included: None

Construction - X-Lite Technology by Torq Surfboards

X-Lite is our TET molding process with a performance tweak for our Channel Islands colab models.

X-Lite starts with a model blown blank –EPS blown to completed size and shape for perfect shape reproduction, no shaping, waste or inaccuracy. The fin box recesses are already included in tis process.

The Blank is wrapped in Biaxial fiberglass cloth, Impact Mesh for dent resistance, Carbon strips on the base for responsiveness and a Shield Skin for scratch resistance.

A second press mold – precision CNC cut from a single block of aluminium – is used to cure the resin, heated for perfect resin distribution.

What are the benefits?

Accuracy – there’s no shaping, sanding and guess work. The whole process is controlled; foam density, resin content, fin inserts.

Low waste – no shaping means no shaping waste. The cloth is laid up dry so off-cuts can be recycled. Resin is measured by weight and applied with no waste dripping on the floor.

Durability – Biaxial cloth is stronger than plain weave and we can use a lot due to the efficient lay-up. Our blanks use high density EPS and epoxy resin is stronger than Polyester.

Sustainable – A low waste process and a long lifespan = less impact. The production is run on solar power. All materials are sourced locally. Shipping is in slim fit, bleach free boxes with plastic free packing. We make the fin boxes from GRS and UL certified recycled plastic.

How do they surf?

Surf fast and built to last.

The feel is similar to a PU with less of the light weight directness of a vacuum EPS/Epoxy. They have good dampening but not a flat feeling – the carbon keeps the stiffness for response.

Overall they’re fast and take very little time to get used to when moving from any other board tech.