Amplid Surfari Snowboard Review

A Breakdown Of How The Amplid Surfari Rides and Compares To The Older Model Review by The Good Ride

• User Reviews
• Product Specs
• Product Images
• Questions?

Overview

How The Amplid Surfari Was Tested:

I rode this primarily with Union Force bindings and Nitro Team BOA boots. This was a horrible season, and it was very challenging to test all the boards I got in the conditions they needed to be tested, but this board was so special.

It was so special that I took it out on one of the only good powder days I had this season. I got this in some spring-like conditions that started out firm and then got fun midday.

This was compared this against the Time Machine, the Souly Grail, the Nitro Dinghy, as well as a few other boards. The comparisons aren’t perfectly relevant, but they might be up on Patreon for paid members.

I liked it so much I’m going to ask to keep it (only do this with favorites). One thing with Amplid boards. Due to customs issues we often have to sell these board for Amplid but we send them the money.
Size: 158
Days: 6
Conditions: Bad snow, great groomers, varied terrain and 1′ of pow. 
Riders: James (Size 9 E, 5’10”, 185-190lbs). I’ve tested and compared 850+ boards, 200+ bindings, and 120+ boots
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Skyline Fuse Jacket, Jones Mtn Surf Anorak
Pant: Skyline Fase 3L Bib Pant, Skyline Faze Pant, Jones Mountain Surf Pant
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag Low Bridge Fit
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove

James’s Set Up: 21.5” Wide. Stance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3. Close to Reference on groomers and Set all the way back in powder.

Boots

Nitro Team BOA, Nitro Team TLS, Nidecker Rift Pro, Bataleon Salsa BOA, Ride Torrent, Ride Fuse, Ride Deadbolt, Burton Ion, Burton Photon Step On, Burton Ion Step On, Nitro Profile Step On, Vans Infuse

Bindings:

Union Force

Similar Boards:

Gentemstick Mantaray 156, Jones Hovercraft, Gnu Gremlin, Korua Transition Finder, Salomon Dancehaul, K2 Excavator, Amplid Surfari, Cardiff Powgoda, Jones Mind Expander, YES PYL Uninc, Stone Farther

Ethics Statement

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Sizing

How it Fits Me

I like this new 158 a lot more than I like the old 157 I tried. This new, longer, narrower length really worked well with my size nine boots for all-day turning, where I felt like the old 157 was a bit more challenging.

When it comes to my weight, I never felt like I was even close to over-flexing this board, even though I’m at the higher end of the recommended weight range from Amplid. This is a really good length for my height too, for what this board is.

Overall, it’s a great fit, and that’s my personal opinion to give you context for the review. Of course, sizing is very subjective and personal.

If you need help trying to figure out sizing for your specs, your boots, your bindings, and your personal preference, click through to the review at The Good Ride, where I have a much more in-depth breakdown.

How The Amplid Surfari Might Fit You

Sizing is highly subjective and personal, and many factors come into play when choosing a board. I rarely use “all caps to emphasize something, but NEVER TRUST ANYONE who just references their height and weight. Here are all the factors to consider

Boot Size

You should always start with your boot size first. If your board is too wide for your boot, you can’t turn it; if it’s too narrow, you get the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag. This is the most important part of sizing a board, which is why so many snowboards come in various widths, such as Narrow, Normal, Mid-Wide, Wide, and Ultra-Wide.

Most brands don’t include a recommended boot size because it’s very complicated and time-consuming.

Amplid Surfari Conservative Boot Size Recommendations

Here is the sweet spot to turn easily with mid-response bindings/boots and not boot-out. You can go wider if you carve really hard or have very responsive bindigns/boots. You can go a little narrower if you don’t plan to ride steep terrain or carve hard.

154: 8-9
158: 9-10
163: 10-11

Weight

Your weight determines how the board flexes underfoot, giving you more or less pop, speed, etc. An easier-flexing board can also be easier to turn. If you go over the recommended weight it’s not going to kill the ride for you but it will flex easier and if it’s not too wide for your boots it will be a little easier to turn.

Height

The length of the board determines the swing weight/control. If it’s short, it’s easy to spin, and if it’s longer, it floats better and can help with speed. With the Surfari keep it about the same as you would ride your less directional all mtn board to a little longer. You don’t ride this long like you do with old school freeride boards.

Boots and Bindings Response

Always factor in your boot and binding’s responsiveness to determine how well you will be able to turn/control a board.

Stance Width

Check your stance width against their reference and/or the set back stance to see if it fits you.

Personal Preference

Some prefer control, so matching the boot size to the board width is first, with weight second. Others prefer speed over control, so they size up to a wider/longer ride and have very responsive boots/bindings.

Design

Base

Amplid makes very good bases. This has great wax retention and very good glide. It’s upper tier for sure, and I don’t think a lot of people will have issues with it.

I barely feel the die-cut, and there’s a lot of it, so that’s really good. Although I do love an all-black base better. They’re easier to repair. This will get ugly if you get a lot of gashes in there.

There is a little structure, not a lot, but enough to make it good in most conditions you want to ride.

Construction/Weight

Going from the base to this double-colored sidewall, the construction’s impeccable. It’s really well done. That’s hard to do, and I don’t see any flaws in it.

This matte topsheet is just a fingerprint magnet, and the matte can wear away with too much rubbing and start to look smooth in places, so it’s not perfect aesthetically. But the inserts have minimal marks from where I mounted the bindings.

I think overall this is a very durable, long-lasting board that goes for durability over lightweight construction. But it’s not a heavy board by any means either.

Shape

When it comes to shape and setback, the new Amplid Surfari has 16mm of taper, and it’s pretty directional. You’re not riding way back on the tail like you would a snowsurfer, but it has a surfy turn to it.

It feels to me like it’s more directional and setback than the old Surfari, even though it isn’t when comparing the setback on board. Maybe it’s because the new Surfari has a different sidecut, is longer and narrower, but has a shorter nose, tail, and running length.

The specs don’t always paint the entire picture, but whatever’s happening, I like the feel of the new Surfari on snow better than the older one.

On Snow Performance

Camber Profile

The Amplid Surfari has a pretty decent amount of camber, starting from pretty much the tail, going well past the front inserts, but starting to rocker up a little bit before the nose.

After it rockers up, there is a good bit of lift in the nose throughout the outer region. It’s a pretty pronounced lift, but it’s flat in the middle, so that allows you to butter on the nose really well on groomers. But it gives you a much smoother turn in thick, soft snow up into deep powder.

Personally, this is one of my favorite types of lifted side technology because it doesn’t come at all into the camber profile.

When it comes to these lifted channels in the tail called Hyper Jet technology, I like that they don’t come down into the actual contact area of the board.

When riding groomers, I’ve ridden other boards that have channels that extend well past the tail into the actual contact area, and I didn’t like that feel as much on groomers. So I like that they kept this only to powder.

Vs. The Older Amplid Surfari’s Camber & On Snow Feel

While I didn’t get to do an A/B comparison of this tail without this tech and with it, I can say I liked the way this board turned in powder. So maybe this is helping. Maybe it isn’t. But I really like the look.

This is super stable one-footing and flat basing, and it has a very consistent, easy-to-get-to know feel underfoot in all conditions that a lot of people will really like, including myself.

But it is best for advanced-expert riders and committed intermediates who know they’re going to be riding a lot of days, like this type of shape, and are willing to maybe take a lump or two because of this catchier nature in the tail.

Edge Hold

When it comes to edge hold, the Amplid Surfari does an amazing job, especially for not having anything really going on disruption-wise in the sidecut. I think it’s just some kind of blended-radius sidecut, and it’s very competent in hard snow.

It wasn’t the best in some same-day tests against boards with more disruption in the sidecut, but it was much better than I thought it would be. I didn’t really have to dial my turns back too much in that hard, bordering-on-icy snow.

Of course, it doesn’t grab at all in soft, thick snow.

Flex Personality

Let’s talk Surfari flex. There’s a medium, bordering-on-medium-stiff flex with a good bit of give. A lot of that comes in the nose. It’s much softer than the very stiff tail.

Between the feet, there’s a little more give here for a little easier torsional twist. Buttering in the nose is pretty easy and fun, and the tail is nowhere near as hard as I thought it would be for being this stiff.

To get an ollie, this mellower flex here just allows you to access that snap on the tail, and it really pops.

I like that this is softer between the feet, but not too soft to where it’s a huge personality change. Overall, it’s just got such a nice pop and flex personality to it.

Uneven Snow

When it comes to uneven snow, this has different construction under the hood, so it’s going to be a little more poppy, a little more dynamic underfoot, and feel a touch more responsive.

But it didn’t get rid of that amazing Antiphase dampening. It’s not going to be as damp as the old Surfari, but it’s really close. It’s still one of the best boards out there in terms of absorbing chatter and hard, micro-bumpy snow.

Then in soft, thick, uneven snow, this handles it very well. It might not be the best of the best, but it’s so upper tier most of you will love this board in any condition, first chair to last chair.

Switch & Getting Air

This is doable switch, but not ideal. It’s not bad for what it is.

This is great for getting air, especially if you want something a little more setback, more surfy than the Souly Grail, but you still want some tail for landing airs. That’s much better than most snowsurfers out there that are much more setback towards the tail and make getting air more challenging.

This is a great option.

Turning & Carving

Turn Initiation

When it comes to turning, this new Amplid Surfari initiated a turn much better than the old Amplid Surfari. The slightly longer, slightly narrower shape just matched up better with my size nine boots than the old Amplid Surfari.

It’s the kind of board I can ride in the trees.

Carving/Committed Turns

When you get this on edge, it has much more spring out of the turn than you would think for such a mellow camber profile.

The old Surfari was much happier with a front-foot-weighted turn to a center-weighted turn and liked a higher-speed turn as well. While it was okay on the back foot, it wasn’t amazing.

This new Amplid Surfari feels much more neutral. I felt like I could front-foot, center, and back-foot weight my turns almost equally well. I think this has wider appeal for all types of turners out there.

Turning Experience/Sidecut

This 7.9-meter sidecut radius felt more turny than I thought it would. It might not be a super circle carver, but it’s doable across the groomer. Turns slow and high speed all worked really well, and it really lit up there.

Same with medium-radius turns. This just lights up there too.

But if you want to get more into those down-the-line, longer, drawn-out turns, I’d say the old Surfari was a little better for that. But this is still very good and far from being a slouch. It’s just a little different board than the older one.

Speed

If you’re somebody who likes to straight-line, this has some of that turny nature but some of that straight-line capability, so it blends the best of both worlds for turning and speed.

A lot of boards can’t do the same.

Powder

When it comes to powder float, I like the new Amplid Surfari better than the old Amplid Surfari. I didn’t do same-day tests, but there was this feeling with the old Amplid Surfari where I didn’t feel as setback as I was on board.

It didn’t want to cooperate with having that more turny, fun feel in powder. It wanted wide-open terrain.

This feels like a much better balance between being a fun board to jam through tree lines with and then also being a board where it will light it up on wide-open terrain and send those rooster-tail sprays out behind you.

This does both really well, and I was really impressed with the float here.

One complaint, though. You have five-by-two inserts on the front, six-by-two in the back, with one insert specifically for setback pow riding.

I really would like to see two. Amplid’s argument is if they add one on the front, it’s going to take you out of the sweet spot on the board. I’d love to see them try to figure out a way to be able to add two setback instead of one, so then you have the same stance width on reference as you do set all the way back.

It would just give more of that cheater float that riders like myself love without having to stretch out their taint.

But other than that, it’s a huge improvement over the last board. I love the way this lifted tech in the nose really comes alive in powder and makes the turns more fluid and fun.

Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

Overall, this new Amplid Surfari really is special. I don’t want to send it back. I had a really fun time on it, and I really liked the old Surfari. It was a favorite, and I recommended it a lot.

However, it just didn’t feel like it was the right fit for me and my riding style. But looking at it objectively, I could see its value for so many other people, and that’s why I recommended it so much.

But this new Surfari is my kind of board. It’s the kind of board I’d love to have in my quiver, and it’s really special.

So if you can swing this price, go for it.