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The Free Scrubber is a performance twin-fin, but also a throwback to the twins Al Merrick shaped for Tom Curren back in the early 1980s. Named after last year’s “Free Scrubber” edit, which features Tom riding variations of the design in Mexico, this board is fast and full of spark, but it has its challenges. Still, this is as close as I’m gonna get to a Tom Curren signature surfboard, and it sits nicely alongside my C.I. Red and Black Beauties, so let’s see if it’s a keeper.

The dimensions on the Free Scrubber I tested were: 5’10” x 20” x 2 5/8”, 33.1L Futures Fins: K2 Keel, BMT, Akila Twin

Says Channel Islands about the Free Scrubber:

“The board is a re-creation of the magic twin-fins Tom remembers Al making him some 40 years ago. Updated with more refined rails and foil, the Free Scrubber is as fast and loose as those boards, but with added drive and hold, and is the perfect twin-fin for surfers more oriented toward thrusters. A spicy and quick surfboard designed to give you all the freedom of a twin while allowing you to go places on the wave you didn’t think possible.”

With a classic vee bottom, low rocker in the nose and tail, and an early-’80s-style winged swallowtail, the Free Scrubber looks like a hot rod from a few decades ago, only with all the trimmings of today; specifically, refined rails and foils that give it more responsiveness, along with a general user-friendliness that you don’t always get when hopping on a twin-fin. The low rocker helps with planing speed while the vee bottom allows you to roll the board over between turns — whereas a concave might provide too much lift and make it stop-starty — so you at least feel like you’re getting a smoother ride.

Channel Islands suggests riding it 3-5 inches shorter than your normal shortboard. I rode a 5’10” but would’ve preferred a 5’8”, and I can’t imagine enjoying the 5’6” option as much. It’s all a matter of preference, but personally, I think the Free Scrubber rides better shorter than longer.

Stats: 12 sessions; 65 waves Top Speed: 30km/h (Duranbah Beach) Longest Ride: 186m (Currumbin Alley)

First surf, you’ll be skating all over the joint. Fifth surf, you’ll start to get the hang of it, and you’ll be able to place the board in the right spot more often. From there, it’s a general upward trend of enjoying what the board can do and where you can put it.

You will notice a shift in pivoting when you move your foot back. When it’s in front of the wing, you’ll get some nice drive and smoother rail-to-rail transitions, but once you move that foot back, you’ll immediately notice how much sharper you can pivot through your turns. While the wide point isn’t wildly forward, like you might expect on a twin-fin, it’s still pretty forward, which is helpful with driving around sections and building speed via high-lines.

Clearly, the best conditions are clean, two-foot runners — the same kind of pointbreak waves Tom’s riding in the edit. That’s when the Free Scrubber really shines. You can surf it in junk and have a ball, though, and the shorter you go in length, the more spark you’ll get. Basically, you can rip on this board, but don’t expect to be ripping immediately. Even though it’s a good transitional twin, it’ll take a few surfs to get used to the looseness of it. Overall, the Free Scrubber is easy to ride, but hard to ride well… for awhile.

This is yet another board where the fins make a world of difference. I started out with the BMT (Britt Merrick Twin) from Futures and shifted to the K2 Keels shortly thereafter. The BMT’s didn’t give me the hold or stability I like to have in a twin-fin. Even though they’re large, they felt very skatey; whereas the K2 Keels gave me a lot more confidence, from driving and trimming to cutting through turns. My advice is to start out with your favorite twin template and work from there.

I also tried the Akila Aipa Twins for a hot second, but didn’t really like them, so it’s fair to say the Free Scrubber goes best with keels. If you’re riding FCS, maybe try the Modern Keels, CI Keels or Christenson Keels, the latter of which are the closest, spec-wise, to the K2 Keels. I’d be looking to try out the Christenson Keels if I had an FCS setup. If you’re only riding this in chest-high or smaller conditions, you’ll be okay with fins that are more upright. But if you’re going to ride it in some juice, use some keels. The extra area will really hold you on the wave and give you more drive and stability.

Ideally, you want a performance twin to be fast, rippable, and provide a new level of enjoyment… The Free Scrubber ticks those boxes, especially if you’re coming off a high-performance thruster with that rip/shred/thrash mentality. And if it’s your first twin-fin, this is one of the better ones suited to help with that transition. It really allows you to lean over, pivot and rip right into a section. It’s a very fast board, but also very loose. You’ll have to work on controlling your rail line through turns. Otherwise you’ll draw short, snappy turns and miss out on all the drive and speed the board provides, especially at a good bank or pointbreak.

Would I buy one? To be honest, probably not. As much fun as I had on this board, I wasn’t so psyched on the connection that I just had to go out and get another one. But it would be a great purchase for someone looking to finally add a twin-fin to their quiver.

Tolhurst/Firewire Mid6 Haydenshapes Hypto Krypto Twin Channel Islands Happy Everyday Campbell Brothers Alpha Omega Christenson Lane Splitter Rusty Keg

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I personally fell into writing reviews through exploring my own curiosity around surf products. It was never meant to be a ‘career’. I wanted to know more about surfboards, wetsuits and boardshorts. What made them amazing, why they sucked and who was providing great value. From there it evolved into a site called Empire Ave and a ten-year run evaluating products that enhance our surfing experience. Now I’m here, on Surfline to share those insights, thoughts and feedback earned through a decade of testing.

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