Vernor The Drifter Full Carbon 5'10"

Trip Forman: It's a twin fin, so it's nice and loose. It still has control. These channels in the bottom really help hold the fins in. I truly think it helped my surfing level up. Welcome to REAL Watersports. I'm Trip Forman. Today we have REAL team rider Cody Craig with us. Cody, welcome. And also fresh back off the plane from REAL Chicama 2026, Jeff Carver. Also, welcome.

We are here to talk with you about the Verner Drifter. For those of you that don't know, the Verner Drifter is a twin fin. We love twin fins and the benefits of the twin fin. It is designed to be used with vertical twin fins. It features EPS epoxy construction. You can see Jeff's board is stringerless, as is Cody's. Verner makes his boards in EPS epoxy stringered, which is a little bit better if you're riding your board in board-breaking waves, and then also stringerless if you want to have the benefits of a little bit more spring and pop and speed generation in the performance of the board. Let's dig into the performance on this board. Jeff, what's your height and weight and what are the dimensions on your Drifter?

Jeff Carver: I am 5'9" and I weigh 180 lbs. This is a 5'9" Drifter at 40 liters.

Trip Forman: Cody, height and weight and the dimensions on your Verner Drifter?

Cody Craig: In the videos, I'm riding a 5'8". I think it's 37 liters. Right now I've been riding a 6'0" that is 43 liters. I'm 5'11" and at the moment 200 lbs.

Trip Forman: Jeff, let's dig into this board and where you've been surfing it, the size range, and kind of what sensations you're getting underfoot.

Jeff Carver: I got this last year. First couple sessions were on the Outer Banks anywhere in between waist-high to head-high. What was really awesome about this board is that it works when it gets bigger and it's chippy and it's fast; it just feels really, really connected to the wave. We just got back from Chicama, Peru to kind of the ultimate board test, and it far exceeded my expectations of what this board can actually do. I truly think it helped my surfing level up.

For the twin fin doubters out there who think a twin fin is slippery, sketchy, or skaty and not confident, I don't even think about it. You're up, you're going, you have speed off your takeoff and not once did the board slide out. No problem with the release. And then right when it's re-engaging in the pocket, you feel truly connected to the board. Not once did I think, "Oh, this is a twin fin, it's not going to work." It worked every single time.

Trip Forman: Everybody loves the look of channels. Channels just look sexy in a board. What does this feel like when you're surfing it? Do you get any additional drive or control?

Jeff Carver: That's your outboard motor on your surfboard. That's a boost of speed off your takeoff; you rev it up right off of it.

Trip Forman: You actually had other guests that were on this board at Chicama, whether they brought one or they saw you riding one and are getting one post-trip. What sort of feedback have you gotten from other people riding the board? You're surrounded by people through our school program or working in the board loft.

Jeff Carver: When you see this on the boardroom rack down in Peru, people say, "Oh wow, this thing looks interesting." And then they see it in the water and it works. I told people to give it a spin. I had four guys down there and a little grom all give it a go, and all four of them are coming home to order new Drifters.

Trip Forman: Cody, let's dig into your experience on the Drifter. You've been riding this here on the Outer Banks. Obviously a different wave than Chicama; more peaks, more tubes, and a shorter period beach break. What's been your impression of this board here at home?

Cody Craig: I just like it because it's kind of a go-to. If I haven't surfed in a couple of days and there's a little wave and I just want to go get in the water, I grab this thing because it paddles so well. It's got the volume, but it's really condensed volume. This 6'0" has 43 liters, which to some people might seem like too much, but it's really not. The board's super spicy and lightweight. If you want to do an air or a cutback, it has a really good all-around feel.

It's a twin fin, so it's nice and loose, but it still has control. These channels in the bottom really help hold the fins in when you need it on the bottom turn and driving down the line. Off the top and off the bottom, you can still almost do a tri-fin style check turn snap. For a twin fin, it's a really fun go-to board.

Trip Forman: The two of you guys are a little bit different as far as your surf backgrounds. Jeff is shortboard all the time, whereas you are riding everything from 10ft logs down to 5'6" fishes.

Cody Craig: I'll longboard up to even overhead or bigger surf. This board kind of encompasses both in a way where it's like a shortboard and a longboard squished into one just with all that volume. You get in early and take off behind the peak, which is what you need here, and it's small enough to fit in head-high barrels.

Trip Forman: From a longboarder's perspective going down to a shorter board, the key to that transition is having a board that has drive. Do you find that this is a good complement to a longboard for people having a two-board quiver?

Cody Craig: Absolutely. I think just the paddability—getting in the water and not just sinking down under your chest—is key. I'm up planing before my second or third paddle getting into waves, which is so close to riding a longboard. It's a really easy transition. I can have both boards in the car and it really doesn't matter what I ride because they both feel really comfortable.

Trip Forman: Cody, let's take a look at the fins. We talked about it being a more vertical twin fin made by NVS. What's the feel like underfoot with this fin?

Cody Craig: With this diamond tail, David Verner is able to pull in the tail almost to a rounded pin. That alleviates those normal fish-type tails. You can do tighter turns this way because your foot is able to go back further on the tail without falling in between a split swallow tail. You're able to put your foot back further when you want to do a real spicy turn and still project down the line.

Trip Forman: The great thing about the NVS fins is that these are included with the board. Both his Mini Simmons and the Drifter come with the fins that he designed for the board. The fins are a crucial part of the performance. The NVS Drifter twin fin is made out of their Apex G10 material. This is compressed G10 epoxy, which allows them to make the fins thinner because they're so strong. Thinner is going to be faster with less resistance going through the water, and they're also much more durable than standard polyester fins. If you went with the same template in a standard construction, they would be thicker and slow the board down. David is dedicated to getting 100% of the performance to the finish line.

Let's talk about the smallest and biggest waves you rode it in. Where is the sweet spot? Everyone thinks twin fins are just for small waves, but because of the volume, it paddles like a bigger board. You can chip into 6 or 8ft sets. In really tubey stuff, I have a different tube board, but if it's bigger and the swell is filling in, this thing is awesome.

Lastly, I want to touch on construction. You guys are both fans of Verner boards. His handmade EPS epoxy construction is hands down the most durable in our shop. They outlast everything regarding ding resistance, deck durability, and maintaining flex. He also puts the I-beam in here with carbon strips. There are actual carbon battens inside the board that project the torsional flex into the fins and create more speed.

Whenever you say epoxy, there's always the question about chatter. In Chicama, even though it is a perfect long left, you still get wind bump and morning sickness. Jeff, how does this board handle uneven water surfaces?

Jeff Carver: That's always a thought that epoxy chatters when it's windy. Chicama blows and there's a lot of wind there, but I never really felt any disconnection from my feet to the board to the wave at all.

Trip Forman: Guys, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your thoughts on the Verner Drifter. Viewers, if you have any questions or would like to place an order for a stock or custom Drifter equipped with the NVS fins, you can reach us at the shop at 252-987-6000 or online at realwatersports.com/surfing. Thanks for tuning in.