The Lost Retro Tripper certainly has plenty of aesthetic appeal and promises a combo of “fast, wide and plenty of glide” – so how does this retro all rounder handle in the surf, who’s it aimed at and most importantly should you be adding one to your own quiver?

Well here’s my full Lost Retro Tripper review….

REVIEW: Retro Tripper By Lost Surfboards

Who’s It Aimed At?

When it comes to the level of surfer that will get the most out of the Retro Tripper, I’d say higher end intermediates and upwards are going to enjoy this one.

Lighting up a bit more in punchier conditions, it’s not going to be forgiving enough for beginner and lower end intermediates – but if you’re looking for a daily driver with an alternative, retro feel, then this one is certainly going to be a solid addition to your quiver!

From my pre purchased research they’ve aimed it at those looking for an alternative to a fish style board which you can comfortably add to your board bag for a trip covering a variety of wave conditions, and I’d agree that that’s exactly what it can offer!
 

 

Board Breakdown & Dimensions

I’m 185cm and 82kg and opted for the 5’11 model, which comes in at 35.2L. Having surfed it for the last few weeks it seems spot on, so I’ve got no regrets with that sizing.

A buddy of mine upsized his a couple of litres from his standard daily driver and he has no regrets either, so I would probably say adding an extra litre or inch to your current shortboard would be a good shout.

In terms of sizing and volume they run from a 5’2 version right through to a 6’6 option:

• 5’2 x 18.50 x 2.25 (24.25L)
  5’3 x 18.75 x 2.27 (25.25L)
  5’4 x 19.00 x 2.30 (26.25L)
  5’5 x 19.25 x 2.34 (27.50L)
  5’6 x 19.50 x 2.38 (28.75L)
  5’7 x 19.75 x 2.42 (30.25L)
  5’8 x 20.00 x 2.44 (31.25L)
  5’9 x 20.25 x 2.46 (32.25L)
  5’10 x 20.50 x 2.50 (33.75L)
  5’11 x 20.75 x 2.54 (35.25L)
  6’0 x 21.00 x 2.56 (36.50L)
  6’1 x 21.25 x 2.63 (38.25L)
  6’2 x 21.50 x 2.66 (39.75L)
  6’3 x 21.75 x 2.70 (41.25L)
  6’4 x 21.88 x 2.75 (42.75L)
  6’5 x 22.13 x 2.77 (44.25L)
  6’6 x 22.25 x 2.80 (45.50L)

When it comes to the board breakdown the Retro Tripper it has a lot of throwbacks to the past – with a pretty low rocker, flat deck, beak nose and the aesthetically pleasing winged rounded pin tail.

The wing in the back, along with the flat deck allows extra volume to be carried through to your back foot but the added pivot point and quick step down in width means performance isn’t sacrificed as a result. Plus, I personally find rounded pins give my rail to rail game a lot smoother flow, which certainly feels great underfoot!

There’s a little extra exit rocker v the Evil Twin (I’ll talk more about that comparison in a bit) which allows the Retro Tripper solid performance and stability in bigger, punchier conditions too.

Essentially all the elements of the Lost Retro Tripper make is an epic, alternative daily driver for a lot of surfers.

 

 

Fin Setup

When it comes to fin setup the Retro Tripper is designed to be ridden as a twin with trailer – with the MRs being the go to on the FCS2 version.

It is also available in Futures as well – although they seem to have a very limited quantity available and at the moment in Australia it’s custom order only. I managed t get hold of a Futures model and have been surfing it with my Project Blank Twin + Trailer and it goes great.

I’ve yet to test it out but the Futures T1 looks like it would also be a great fit and the Son of Cobra could also be a very interesting match up, but I’m yet to explore those options.

You can of course experiment with it as a twin only, but I’ve yet to feel any need to do so!

 

 

Ideal Wave Conditions

When it comes to wave conditions the Retro Tripper certainly isn’t a full on grovellor (unlike the Evil Twin, which shares a similar outline and excels in smaller conditions) unless the wave has a bit more shape to it. I mean, you can surf it in smaller waves, but you’ll have to work the board a lot harder to keep your speed.

But, from waist/chest high upwards, the Retro Tripper really lights up and so far I’ve surfed it to just overhead and I can feel that it’s not going to struggle in bigger conditions either.

From chest high the ease of paddle power means it can glide into slightly fatter waves – but you’ll find its even more fun when the wave has a good bit of shape to play with.

 

 

What’s It Like To Surf?

Well the marketing tagline for the Lost Retro Tripper is “fast, wide and plenty of glide” and to be honest they’ve summed it up pretty well with that!

You’ll find yourself catching heaps of waves, and that extra bit of foam under the chest really boosts your paddle power, without sacrificing performance.

Once you’re up and riding the Tripper generates heaps of speed and even on your backhand you’ll find it super fun – with that trailer fin tightening things up just enough to make it easier to generate speed and push your turns.

In fact at the moment I’d go as far as saying I prefer it on my backhand!

My main takeaway from the Retro Twin is it’s a fun board to ride and provides really good flow – both down the line and rail to rail. More advanced surfers are going to love the smooth rail to rail transitions and release, whilst higher end intermediates will find a solid balance of forgiveness and progression.

 

 

Retro Tripper v Evil Twin

One of the main reasons I was drawn to the Retro Tripper was the fact the outline was super similar to the Lost Evil Twin – which has been my go to small wave shortboard for a while now and is just great fun to ride.

They have both got almost identical dims too which on first glance can make it hard to figure out the difference, but it’s the contours in the both that really seperate them in terms of feel and performance.

If you’re looking for a board that will excel in anything chest high and smaller, or a little fatter, the Evil Twin is still my go to out of the two boards.

But, if you’re looking for that retro style board, that offers plenty of performance and can handle bigger, punchier waves then the Retro Tripper is the hands down winner.

In fact they make a really good two board quiver when paired up and I’ll be keeping both in mine!

Have you surfed the Lost Retro Tripper yet?

How did you find it?