Trip Forman: Welcome to the REAL Board Loft. I’m Trip Forman, and today we have a very special guest with us—Cory Lopez. Cory, welcome.
Cory Lopez: Yep, thanks Trip.
Trip Forman: We’re here to talk about the Lost Pisces. Cory and his family have been staying with us at Waterman’s Retreat, scoring a couple weeks of summer waves here on the Outer Banks. We set Cory up with a Lost Pisces right off the rack in Black Sheep construction—stringerless EPS epoxy resin with a fiberglass carbon layup on the deck. It’s got nice flex and spring out of the turns, great durability against heel dents and delamination, and it’s light, making it reactive in smaller surf. Let’s start with your height and weight.
Cory Lopez: I’m 5’10”, 150 pounds.
Trip Forman: And what are the dimensions and volume on this board?
Cory Lopez: This board is 5’3”, 18 3/8”, 2 1/4” thick, 26 liters.
Trip Forman: What do you normally ride volume-wise?
Cory Lopez: Usually right around that 26 to 26.5 liter range—that’s my sweet spot for shortboards and fish. This is more of a high-performance fish, with a slightly pulled-in nose. It feels really maneuverable—fast, responsive, and playful.
Trip Forman: So you’re getting small wave performance more from the outline and rocker than just adding volume?
Cory Lopez: Yeah, I don’t want it too buoyant. I like riding similar volume so I can still sink a rail at speed and drive through turns. If it’s too floaty, you can’t lean into it as hard, especially when waves get steeper.
Trip Forman: That’s similar to what you said about the Round Nose Fish—you keep the volume close to your shortboard.
Cory Lopez: Exactly. I ride my fishes like shortboards—high performance, big turns, airs, barrels. Compared to the 96 Round Nose Fish, this has a more pulled-in nose and feels more performance-oriented.
Trip Forman: For someone wanting a more cruisy, floaty fish, they’d look at something like the Retro or Round Nose Fish, but this is more for progressive surfing.
Cory Lopez: Yeah, if your waves are mushy and soft, you’d want that fuller shape. But if you’ve got some punch or want to surf more aggressively, this is the board.
Trip Forman: You went with slightly lower volume for this trip. How did that work out?
Cory Lopez: I went a little smaller expecting punchier waves here, but it ended up being smaller. Still, the board worked great—everything from tiny surf to chest-high waves. Super fun, playful, and fast.
Trip Forman: How does it compare to the Round Nose Fish?
Cory Lopez: Pretty similar in feel, but this construction feels more poppy and springy. It just wants to go—like it has jets on it in small waves. It might even have a bit more low-end speed, but that could be the construction.
Trip Forman: What fin setup did you land on?
Cory Lopez: I experimented. Started with a twin plus trailer setup with larger fiberglass fins—it felt too stiff and draggy in small waves. Then tried smaller fins, which helped but felt a bit loose on better waves. I ended up going with my standard thruster setup—medium fins—which gave me the best high-performance feel.
Trip Forman: How did the deck hold up over the trip?
Cory Lopez: Really well. I surfed it about 10 sessions. There are a few small dents, but nothing major. I actually like a little denting—it helps you find your foot placement. It’s way more durable than a typical poly board, which would be pretty beat up after that many sessions.
Trip Forman: What’s the ideal wave range?
Cory Lopez: It’s an epic summer small-wave board. Super playful and fast in small surf. I rode it in some bigger, sloppy conditions too, but didn’t get a perfect read there. In small waves, it does everything you want—it’s just fun.
Trip Forman: Watching you surf it, you still look super loose and fluid. How do you maintain that?
Cory Lopez: I just focus on having fun. I still love hitting sections, doing airs, and getting barreled. If it’s barreling, I’ll surf all day. For small waves, I just treat it the same way—keep it playful. I stay active, stretch a bit, but mostly it’s just enjoying it. That’s what keeps it fun.
Trip Forman: Awesome. Thanks for sharing your feedback and staying with us at Waterman’s Retreat—we’re looking forward to having you back.
Cory Lopez: Yeah, thanks for having us.
Trip Forman: If you have questions about the Lost Pisces—Black Sheep, Light Speed, PU, or custom orders—give us a call at 252-987-6000 or check us out at realwatersports.com. Thanks for tuning in.
