Looking for a board that combines high performance surfing, with plenty of paddle power?

Well the Harley Ingleby Mid 6 might be exactly what you’ve been looking for!

Here’s my full hands on review of one of the most talked about mid length surfboards on the market…

 

REVIEW: Harley Ingleby Mid 6 – The Ultimate High Performance Midlength?

Who’s It Aimed At?

The Mid 6 is a mid length surfboard, but it is definitely not the type of board most people associate with the mid length category!

The Mid 6 combines an epic amount of paddle power with some performance based tweaks – including performance entry rocker and 6 channels running through the fins to boost the higher end performance and allow for faster, more critical turns, even on a board 7 foot plus!

For this reason the board is certainly going to appeal to shortboarders wanting something a bit longer in their quiver, longboarders  looking to drop in size without loosing heaps of paddle power or anyone who loves a mid length and wants it to be able to handle some size!

One thing I would say is that this board isn’t going to suit lowwer end surfers as much, so if you’re beginner to mid range intermediate check out my full mid length surfboard guide for a few more options that will suit.

 

Board Breakdown & Dimensions

Currently the Mid 6 is available in 3 sizes:

• 7’0 x 21 x 2 5/8 = 40.3L
• 7’6 x 21 x 2 3/4 = 47.9L
• 7’10 x 21 1/4 x 2 3/4 = 50.6L

The board I tested out was the 7’6 and although I would’ve ideally liked to blast around on the 7’0 it still felt great underfoot and still performed really well.

When it comes to the overall specs of the board, you have plenty of entry rocker (for those steeper, hollower waves) and medium exit rocker. Usually this would restrict paddle power, but with the wide point just forward of centre and a flatter rocker through this section, the board still has all the paddle power you’d want from it!

Obviously the most visual part of the boards construction are those distinctive channels, 6 of them in fact!

Unlike some other popular channel bottom boards these channels run quite far up the board, really added to the speed and control of the board, without being too deep and feeling like you’re locked into a line.

 

 

Thunderbolt Construction

When it comes to the Mid 6 boards construction, it’s only available in the Firewire Thunderbolt technology – which is a favourite of their high performance and longboard models.

Thunderbolt Red  has plenty of strength, so it can handle everything you can throw at it, but without compromising on the flex and weight of the board.

In fact the Thunderbolt construction has panned out so well for the Skindog, Harley Ingleby and Taylor Jensen models it’s now being rolled out as the build of choice for most of the longer Firewire range for 2023 – including the Machado Seaside and Beyond – as a replacement for LFT construction.

 

 

Fin Setup

The Mid 6 comes with a 5 fin setup so you can ride it as either a quad or thruster depending on your personal preference.

However, having spoke to Harley, the Mid 6 is certainly optimised to be ridden as a quad setup.

And the ideal fins for that are Harleys FCS2 HI Quads of course!

One thing I would say about the HI Quads is they’re pretty large, so if you want a looser feel, or are of smaller/lighter stature then it might be worth looking into a set with less surface area, and you can always load in your go to quads to get started with anyway.

At my height and weight (6 foot and 82kg) the HI Quads felt great in this board though and I wasn’t inclined to swap them over for anything else.

 

 

Ideal Wave Conditions

When it comes to the optimal conditions for the Mid 6, as you’d expect from a performance mid length it definitely works better in bigger conditions and can handle some hollower stuff too.

Anything up to 8 foot with a bit more wally face or the 3-5 foot range for punchier, hollower conditions.

One thing I would say with this board is that if you’re looking for a small wave mid length, this isn’t going to really tick those boxes and it really start to come into its own in bigger or punchier conditions rather than super mellow summer waves.

If you’re looking for a small wave mid length something like the Cape Collective Midway, the Harley Ingleby Moe or the Firewire Sunday would all be much better choices.

 

 

What’s It Like To Surf?

I’ll be totally honest, my first few sessions on the Mid 6 didn’t go to well and I was trying to figure out if I just wasn’t surfing in the right conditions or even if channel bottom boards just didn’t suit my surfing style.

Then I took it out on a chest to head high rolling day at Wategos, where the inside section had a really fun little bowly section and the Mid 6 flew down the line and made short work of it and it totally changed my whole opinion of this board and showed me what it was capable of!

Despite the boards length, quad fin setup and the added friction of the channels the Mid 6 turns like an absolute dream and that refined, pulled in pin tail makes for some really smooth and fast pivoting.

Fast, fun and with heaps of flow – it’s an absolute blast to surf this mid length, stroking in early and setting up some super fun turns.

When it comes to the range of mid lengths I’ve surfed, this certainly tops the list when it comes to speed and overall performance.

 

 

Final Verdict

It’s not hard to see the Mid 6 is widely regarded as one of the best high performance mid length surfboards out there and you can quickly see how someone like Kevin Schultz or Harley Ingleby can smash some crazy tight turns and airs on this board!

For shortboarders wanting to add something a little longer to the quiver, this will be an absolute no brainer – all the benefits of the paddle power, but not holding back when it comes to performance.

And for that reason it’s also a great option for performance longboarders dropping down in size too.

Sure they don’t come cheap (starting around AU$1,700) but the combo of a solid Thunderbolt build and world class performance makes the Mid 6 a great investment if you’re hunting for a great performance middie.

Have your surfed the Mid 6?

How did you get on with it?