Real talk: It's pretty simple to design a fish that paddles well and catches waves easily. It's a whole other thing to make a fish that paddles well, catches waves easily and turns and performs well. The Keeper is very much the latter of the two, and I'm damn proud of it.

I'll be honest here - it took me a pretty long time (too long, really) to add a twin fish to the model lineup. I had done plenty one-offs via custom orders, but had no official model - and I'll level with you and tell you why: before I started building boards, I never surfed a fish that I really loved. Most of them had great paddle-ability and wave catch-ability, but I always felt like I couldn't utilize all that ease of wave catching once up on-wave. I always felt like the fishes I surfed were either way too loose and would slide out anytime I wanted to push on the tail and therefore couldn't generate speed or functionally turn well; or they were too stiff and tracky and - while fast - didn't feel positive and were too sticky to turn, particularly in dynamic, fast, sectiony beach break. Now of course I'm not saying that there isn't a single other fish than the Keeper that surfs well...but the variety that I had surfed just didn't check all the boxes. I suppose that put a sort of "bad taste" in my mouth towards fishes and twins alike, which hindered my mental space to create one that I WOULD like. So, admittedly, I took waaay too long to design the Keeper - and that became apparent the moment I hit the water with the final prototype that is now the Keeper.

The Keeper is my modernized take on a retro fish, with some sleek modifications for added functionality while maintaining the classic fish feel, style and ease. Forward widepoint, but not too far forward; just enough to create the fishy outline, but keeping the widepoint closer to your body for quite a bit more maintained curve in the outline for increased positive responsiveness through turns and tighter arcs. The rocker is retro fish based, but is moderate and has a continous curve influence to further increase the responsiveness and predictability through turns.

Deck is almost flat from the nose through the mid section with a beveled rail, and then fades to a domed deck under the back foot and through the tail for a more even volume distribution out to the rail, which again adds predictability around turns. The Keeper has a lot of foam packed into the center, but is well hidden and has really nicely foiled rails which I painstakingly developed to be perfect. The bottom actually has one of my most simplistic bottom contours to date: primarily flat from nose to mid with a light double with vee through the rear third and exit of the board (more complex versions are available, too). It looks quite simplistic - and in some ways it is!...but the mods from a typical retro fish make some serious increases to the predictability and turning responsiveness comparatively - in both small and medium surf. Twin keel or quad, but highly recommended as a twin keel. The FCS II Modern Keel twin fins pair incredibily, or custom glass ons are a nice touch as well. The Keeper has a place in just about any surfers quiver. It's a rad, soulful, yet highly functional board. Whenever you go fishing, you always want to catch a keeper...

Order the Keeper if:
⬩ You're looking for a medium wave fish with great small wave ability across a variety of wave shapes & tidal conditions.
⬩ Speed, flow & extreme fun are more important to you than vertical performance.
⬩ You want the full twin keel fish experience but prefer a more precise board.

Consider the Skiff if:
⬩ Tiny & small waves are more important than medium+ sized waves.
⬩ Softer, mushier waves are more important than pitchier waves.
⬩ You want the full twin keel fish experience but prefer a naturally looser board.

Consider the Beta Fish if:
⬩ You're looking for a medium wave fish with great small wave ability in mostly soft-to-almondy waves.
⬩ You want a fast board that's naturally somewhat loose but also has precision to play with vertical surfing.
⬩ You're torn between a groveler shortboard and a twin keel fish.