Channel Islands Better Everyday REAL Review

Trip Forman: Welcome to the REAL Board Loft Under the Glass, Season 3, Episode 2. I’m Trip Forman. We’ve got Brett Barley with us. Brett, welcome.

Brett Barley: What’s up, y’all?

Trip Forman: Are you excited?

Brett Barley: I am very excited about this. This is the Better Everyday from Channel Islands. I’m just going to go ahead and say it—this is my favorite board I’ve had all year. There has to be one, and this is it. I absolutely love this board. From the very first session to when I surfed it a week ago, it’s like a skateboard. I can do whatever I want on it. If the conditions are even somewhat manageable for this board, I’m going to ride it.

Trip Forman: I’ve seen you riding this board a lot—at marginal Lighthouse, in the pool in Virginia Beach, all up and down the island. It has “Everyday” in the name, and I guess it really is better every day.

Brett Barley: Yeah, it is. For those who haven’t followed the Channel Islands Happy family, the Better Everyday is an updated version of the Happy Everyday. Britt Merrick made some tweaks, including the ability to run it as a quad since he loves quads. I only ride thrusters, but he makes a good one. One thing you’ll notice is the swallow tail, which is trending across the surfboard industry for small wave shortboards. This is their take on that style.

Trip Forman: It’s in Spine-Tek construction, Channel Islands’ EPS epoxy stringerless build, with a durable deck. That’s important for an everyday board that takes a lot of wear.

Brett Barley: I’ve done a lot of airs on this board—big airs, airs to the flats. I even tried to break it. I told Jeffrey I was going to try the biggest air I could and stomp it. I had one where I thought I broke my ankle, but the board didn’t break. For how hard I’ve landed on this thing, you’d never know. It barely even has pressure dings. That part has blown me away.

Trip Forman: We actually didn’t even have a backup for this board, which is funny because it’s the one I thought you’d break. Spine-Tek is designed to be light, with flex and release in turns, mimicking a pro-level glass job but with much more durability.

Brett Barley: From the first session, I noticed that. I started with the fins it has now, then tried John John mediums, and it didn’t feel as springy. I went right back. With the right fins, the board felt incredible—quick off the bottom, off the top, controlled release. In waist- to chest-high waves, it was so loose but still controlled. It literally felt like I didn’t have to think—just part of my body going down the line.

Trip Forman: Some of that feel is coming from the flex of the stringerless board and the fins. The Blackstix fins, for example, have that negative foil that adds spring and drive.

Brett Barley: Exactly. Even when I thought I’d slide out, it just held. I don’t even know how to fully describe it. I’ve had nothing but good things to say about this board.

I also tried pivot fins. In knee-high waves, they worked great—if I were surfing a QS heat, I’d ride those. But in bigger surf, I went back to more neutral fins like the F6 because they hold better, especially when it’s windy.

Trip Forman: The range on this board seems pretty wild.

Brett Barley: Yeah, from knee-high to head-high and even a little overhead, it works. I look for every opportunity to ride it. Matching fins to rocker is important too—this board has more rocker than something like a Puddle Jumper, so a neutral fin tends to pair better unless you’re really groveling.

One of the coolest things is how forgiving it is. Turns I’ve botched or airs I’ve landed off, it just keeps going. It’s like the board says, “It’s okay, we’re still moving.” That’s rare for a performance board. It gives you performance but also helps you out when you mess up.

Trip Forman: I noticed it grovels really well too, sometimes even better than a traditional groveler because of how the nose fits into the wave.

Brett Barley: Yeah, especially in steep, punchy small waves. Even knee-high waves here can be steep, and this board performs really well in those conditions.

Trip Forman: What about accessibility for someone stepping down from a groveler?

Brett Barley: It’s a great entry-level shortboard. High-performance shortboards require good waves or really good surfing. This gives you performance with forgiveness. It’s a great combo.

Trip Forman: Where does it fit in your quiver?

Brett Barley: I pack it with a groveler. It fills that gap between a groveler and a high-performance shortboard. For me, it goes from about one foot up to six or seven feet—ideally thigh-high to head-high is the sweet spot. There’s overlap with other boards, and I like that because it makes decision-making easier. Either way, you’re going to have a good session.

Trip Forman: What are your stats and board size?

Brett Barley: I’m 5’9”, about 165 pounds. This board is a stock 5’7”, 19 inches wide, 2.3 inches thick, 26.3 liters. That’s about the same volume as my high-performance shortboards. I wanted it to feel like a performance board I could still whip around.

Trip Forman: You also rode it in the pool.

Brett Barley: Yeah, at Atlantic Park in Virginia Beach and Palm Springs Surf Club. It works great in the pool because of the buoyancy from the epoxy construction and the extra rocker. Pool waves are steep enough to surf properly now. This board felt the best for me in that setting. If the waves are softer, I might go up a liter, but the shape itself is perfect for pool surfing.

Trip Forman: And in the air?

Brett Barley: This is the most confident I’ve felt on a board in the air in the last couple years. Some boards are great on rail but not in the air. This one does everything—full control from face to air. I can try whatever I want without worrying about getting hurt.

Trip Forman: And in terms of durability, especially in the pool where you’re repeating turns over and over, the Spine-Tek construction really helps hold up over time.

Brett Barley: Yeah, especially with how much you’re pushing each turn in a pool. It holds up way better than a standard poly board.

Trip Forman: Awesome. The Channel Islands Better Everyday in Spine-Tek construction—it really does get better every day you ride it. If you have any questions or want to order one, you can reach us at the shop or online at realwatersports.com. Thanks for tuning in.