PYZEL Shadow Review - WOOLY TV #15

PYZEL Shadow Review - WOOLY TV #15
Wooly weighs 87kg/192lb and is 6'1/187cm tall
Wooly is riding a 6'3 x 19 1/2" x 2 5/8 - 33.8l
The Pyzel Shadow sits in the Ghost family in Pyzel's lineup. It is a high peformance shortboard that is ridden by the Florence brothers that sits under Pyzel's flagship 'Ghost' model. Wooly rode this board from waist high underpowered beachys to head and a half fast paced reefys.
Instagram - @wooly_macpherson_surf_coach
Email - [e-mail]
Go to www.starsurf.com.au to shop for all you surfing needs, and for more Wooly TV
Produced by Dylan O'Brien.
IG: @dylanjamesobrien
Email: [e-mail]

[@dbthreshold]

Hey Wooly Nice review Your vintage and weight is about mine, so I thought I’d add a suggestion I found the Shadow XL is a better shape for us plus 80kg older blokes I have the Shadow XL in a 6’1 and it was much better than the regular Shadow I tried. Just an opinion that might be relevant for some Keep ripping 👍👍👍

[@WoolyTV]

Thanks for the tips! Yeah I would think that the XL DIMs would suit me for sure.

[@VirtualHorizonz]

Bit diff this time of year with the lumps n bumps & high tides. Awesome to get a review from the West Oz POV...cheers : )

[@WoolyTV]

Yeah a lot of this one was done on a wonky swell with northerly winds up the face. I would have loved to give this one a go in overhead top to bottom waves to really put it to the test!

[@r.a.9238]

Thanks for the video! Would you elaborate on why, for you, you like smaller fins in a round tail or board like this. Cheers, thanks!

[@r.a.9238]

Found the answer further down in the comments, thanks!

[@WoolyTV]

🤙

[@jboysurf4123]

Loving the reviews, I find the same thing with my ghost here in nz, I love surfing it when the waves are solid and pumping, but it just doesn't happen often enough, so don't get to ride it a whole lot unfortunately

[@WoolyTV]

Yeah it just means we need more boards to cover off all types of waves!!

[@ccozzarelli]

Hi Wooly!!! How would you consider the shadow paddles comparing to Pyzalien 2? Is it a night and day difference?

[@WoolyTV]

Hi mate. Not a massive difference but the longer boards tend to paddle a little better. Those two were pretty close in volume and length.

[@js2531]

great honest review wooly & good surfing toward the end. its a shame the project 12 shadow doesn't come in your size because apparently it rides completely different & better than the shadow. can't wait for the MB2020 review!!! cheers mate.

[@WoolyTV]

Thanks mate, stay tuned for the Monsta and Monsta Box reviews both coming soon

[@js2531]

@@WoolyTV sweeeeet!!!!! hey wooly, re your KZbin channel cover wave, (tow-in picture) looks awesome & big, did it barrel and anymore sequences? cheers mate

[@WoolyTV]

@@js2531 That was a small one at The Right! I just sat in the mouth of that one. Needed to take off deeper but it was the first time I had towed it and that one was my first wave.

[@WoolyTV]

If you check out my IG there are more pics of a few tow waves and a few clips.

[@js2531]

@@WoolyTV still looks great!!!!

[@christopherperry5257]

Hey Wooly I'm trying decide what would be the best set up for me here in Hawaii. I have a later sci-fi that's meant for 2-6 feet waves. Im having a hard time with deciding if I should buy a pyzalian 2 as an all day quiver or keep my sci-fi and get a ghost or shadow for those days it gets 6+. What's your thoughts on this? Also thanks for all the incredible reviews it's really helped out with my process 🤙

[@WoolyTV]

Thanks mate. I think the Sci-Fi and the Pyzalien 2 will tap out at about 5-6 foot. So either way you would probably need to add a Ghost or a Shadow anyway. I think the Sci-Fi will be a little better in the smaller stuff than the Pyzalien but the Pyzalien will surf up more than the Sci-Fi. So you could keep the Sci-Fi and add a Pyzalien and then a Ghost to top it off! Never too many boards!

[@AEVMU]

Curious how this compares to the pyzalien, where it slots in a quiver both seem to do well in shoulder to a good bit overhead.

[@WoolyTV]

I preferred the P2 but now I prefer the Red Tiger over the P2

[@hman7236]

Great show

[@WoolyTV]

Thanks mate

[@alang253]

can you elaborate on the small fins on a performance round tail? I have a round tail that feels too tight and like it has too much volume- I am only 65kg and tried many fins though all of them are medium size.

[@WoolyTV]

Hi mate, To give you an indication, Im almost 90kg and mainly ride medium fins. Then I go to large fins in my grovel boards and as soon as I jump on a round tail I ride mediums or smalls. For someone like yourself at 65kg I would be using mainly smalls and then maybe even an XS in your step ups. The outline of the round-tail does a lot of the work for you and you can get away with smaller fins. The other thing is to try fins with a little more flex if you are finding a board too tight. Hope that helps Wooly

[@alang253]

​@@WoolyTV sick thanks for the reply! I live in So Cal so mediums are nice for that extra drive 99% of the time and never questioned fin size. I luckily have a pair of F4 futures blackstix- normally hate v2 foil but I think it'll all work in my favor and hopefully don't need to buy a new board!

[@a.lame.username.]

Got that early 90's "long narrow knifey" look the way the rail engages. Never get waves for those boards in my area unfortunately...

[@WoolyTV]

Agreed, but it would have been a full inch narrower and half an inch more tail rocker! Check out the Pyzalien 2 review that one went really well and suited smaller waves.

[@a.lame.username.]

@@WoolyTV indeed!

[@youdigsurf]

i will be happy to live in place where i can undervaluate the size of the wave , it's usualy mean you got good wave. But i have to be carefull when you said a board is working in that "size" tho, and multiplicate by 2... Im about your weight but not your size i noticed medium are pretty cool too with this kind of shape but it's less forgiving at ours weight when the wave get flat, large got better speed conservation but still medium are a joy to control.

[@WoolyTV]

Hmmm its a funny thing waves sizes! We call so waves 15' and reality is they have a 30' face!

[@goog646]

Hi Wooly, love your reviews thanks mate. We are the same size and I hope it's OK if I ask you a question that is important to me. I've been surfing for 43 years and I surf (east coast) every day that it's between 1 and 6 feet. But, at age 56 I'm definitely losing paddle power and starting to do a lot of those bloody "old man" takeoffs, dropping in late. I don't want to go much bigger than my current 31.8 litre Untitled, because 35 litres feels like a boat on the wave. So a board that paddles really well in about 33 litres is what I'm looking for. (I tried a mate's 6'0 Monsta Box last year and it was way harder to catch waves on than my 5'10 Untitled.) So I'm just wondering if in your future reviews, you could please give each board a score out of ten for how easily it paddles on to waves? I think that would be really helpful to a lot of people. And which boards that you've tried would you rate as the best paddlers?

[@WoolyTV]

Hi John Great question! I can only speak from experience but if you are 87kg and 56 then your current board is way too low volume and your 'old man take offs' will continue. I work with a lot of guys my age to your age (and older) with my coaching and its the single biggest mistake I see people make - equipment - and most of that is simply being under volumed. When I was 40 I was riding boards that were 29L and now at 46 I'm riding 33 - 37L (in shortboards). For me it was an ego decision I had to make..... I had to let go of the fact my best surfing, fitness and flexibility was past and now I needed to do the best surfing I could do - for my age. I slowly started to beef up my boards and guess what? My paddling into my waves increased, the planning speed of the higher volume boards allowed me to get into waves earlier and then not do any 'old man take offs' but swoop into the wave, generate speed and then do my first bottom turn. Because my entry into the wave was faster then I was going faster into the first turn and could lay the bigger board over and still turn like I was on the lower volume boards. You have to look the surfing that is done on bigger, more powerful waves - usually on a larger board. The surfer still lays massive hackings on 6' surf on a higher volume board because of the speed of the wave, we can get this on smaller surf by paddling and entering the wave faster! Shapers are so good at jamming all this foam into boards that are still super high performance yet paddle incredibly! If you are looking for a good paddling machine that still turns well then you will want something with area under the chest and probably a lower entry rocker, yet have a performance tail. Firewire Glazer, HS Hypto Krypto, JS Psycho Nitro If you want a high performance shortboard with extra volume look at the JS Easy Rider line - either Monsta Box or Monsta 2020. My advice would be to try as many high volume demo boards until find one that allows you to paddle well and turn on a 20c piece because they are out there. But my one main tip is 'foam is your friend' Get that volume up and you will be surfing better. Where are you exactly? I might be able to direct you to a shop that has a good range of demo boards. Hope that helps Wooly

[@goog646]

@@WoolyTV Wow Wooly! Thanks for such a thoughtful and comprehensive response. I really appreciate the time and effort you put in to that. And you've inspired me to take another look at volumes around 35 litres (my "feels like a boat" comment was based on a Blak Box 2 that is 21 inches wide and did NOT want to tip over at speed). So I will try a few others that are narrower and see how I go. I'm in Newcastle and pretty familiar with all the local surf shops, but thanks anyway for the offer to suggest demo shops.

[@WoolyTV]

@@goog646 No worries at all. I really enjoy helping people get the right board - thats my JOB! Go see the boys at Slimes (Greeny is a close friend of mine). They have demos in the Newy store and other sizes in the Erina store that they will move between the stores for you to demo. Try as many as you can and get the right one before you hand over the cash. tell them Wooly sent you and say I said they will look after you :)

[@goog646]

@@WoolyTV ha ha, thanks Wooly 👍😉

[@tuckerallen7409]

great video

[@WoolyTV]

Thanks!

[@mattmartin6490]

Nice T Shirt!

[@WoolyTV]

Yes its a very nice shirt

[@soulsurfer3102]

Canbyiu do the phantom?

[@WoolyTV]

Hi mate I have a lot of boards loaded up at the moment but the Phantom is on the list on the future.

[@soulsurfer3102]

@@WoolyTV this board in xl i think will be blast..itook like you like the p2 better?

[@superangel1139]

*Wooly TV* Thanks for this! Can't wait for More. Oh and Happy dare day! :d

[@WoolyTV]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@MarcRademacher]

Shadow or Monsta 2020? Looking for a board above the Xero (4ft+/ everything, from punchy onshore to offseason Indo). I am a confident confident surfer (no airs!)

[@WoolyTV]

Ha ha no airs, just like me 🤙. I answered this on your other comment.

[@MarcRademacher]

@@WoolyTV you sure did! Thanks buddy!!!

[@WoolyTV]

@@MarcRademacher 🤙

[@TheChinhigh]

Wooly wtf thought u wer hittin the js monsta 2020 next an now ur punchin out a shadow in overhead waves mate has lockdown chucked ya loopy mate

[@WoolyTV]

Nah the Shadow landed in my hands 2 months before the JS boards landed. Stayed tuned I have finished ridding the MBox and Monsta Easy rider.........both coming real soon

[@rydeovashit]

Whats the difderenc ebetween the phantom with squash tail compared with round tail

[@WoolyTV]

The round tail should hold you in a little more so you should be able to surf it in slightly larger surf than the squash - squash should be a little looser through turns.

[@rydeovashit]

@@WoolyTV yea thanks man difficult decision im always a round tail guy but i just was wondering if the narrow tail in the squash was trying to get a bit of both worlds

[@rydeovashit]

The narrow hip thing

[@MrB1019]

@@rydeovashit the shadow tails are narrow with the squash too.. I looked at one today