About us
How We Ride and Test
Virelloboardtall is a small, independent crew of surfers and one shaper working out of Newquay, Cornwall. We write about gear the way we talk about it in the workshop: by how it feels underfoot, who it suits and where it works.
How a board gets reviewed
No board gets written up after a single surf. Each one is ridden for at least ten sessions across at least three kinds of waves, from soft summer beach breaks to punchier reef days. We log the conditions every time: wave height, tide, wind and water temperature.
Where we can, riders of different weights try the same model, so our volume advice reflects more than one body. We ride the board at its listed volume and, when possible, one size either side, because the wrong size can make a great design feel average.
Fins, leashes and wetsuits get the same treatment: real sessions, real cold mornings and notes on how they hold up after months, not days.
Where we surf
Most testing happens around home: Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay for beach breaks, and the reef at Porthleven when it's working. Trips take us further, to the sandbanks of Hossegor in France, the reefs and points around Ericeira in Portugal, and cold, heavy slabs like Thurso East in Scotland when a step-up needs a proper test.
That mix matters. A board that feels magic in Hossegor can be a struggle at a soft Cornish beach in July, and we'd rather tell you that than pretend one board suits every wave.
What we won't do
No paid placements
No brand can pay to appear, rank higher or approve copy.
No affiliate links
We don't earn commission when you buy a board, so we've no reason to push one.
No kept loans
Borrowed boards go back after testing. Boards we keep, we buy.
Spot a mistake or an outdated spec? Email [email protected] and we'll check it and correct the page with a note.