I Picked up a 7'6 Gato Heroi Acid just before Summer started. I wasn't sure what to expect from it as i'd heard from a few crew that Gato's were tricky to ride. Never the less, my 7'6 arrived and from the under the arm test, it felt pretty damn good.

Im 5'7 and 67kgs, The board is 7'6 - other dimensions are undisclosed, set up using an old Captain Fin Co. 9.5'' Cycle zombies fin, this works a treat but the guys at Gato recommend a 9.5 T or C fin.

From Gato Heroi : Board for all conditions, the acid loves surfing with rails engaged, driving you to take different lines than your normal board. The acid will surprise you with its original approach in all situations, in trim as well as through turns and tubing sections. Its ideal size is between 7 and 8 feet, The acid fits well among a quiver of longboards and is a versatile board, great to travel with.

I Surfed this board a fair bit over the Summer months in a good range of conditions. From 1-2ft fatter faced rip bowls to slightly more solid 3ft + low tide banks at Bondi with a good amount of curl. Back hand and front side, it felt really smooth and can be either surfed hard off the tail or from further forward if you want to trim FAST down the line. Speed is the main element of this board, it didn't really matter what kind of wave i was surfing. It trims and glides down the line like a beast.

I really enjoyed the Acid's ability to catch small waves due to the flattened rocker, which was a real bonus. Yet even on suckier waves, I was in early enough that the nose wouldn't pearl. I could see this board eliminating the need for a bigger longboard if you lived and surfed at crowded city beach breaks but still want a wave catching machine. The pinched rails mean that it knifes through walls with ease, yet surprisingly doesn't catch on bumpier faces. I could really feel the roll in the bottom as the board moves up and down the face effortlessly, kind of like surfing on ball bearings, the Vee just behind the fin gives you enough control off the tail. For me, surfing it off the tail meant a more pivot style of surfing yet step a little more forward and you're surfing using the rail.

I highly recommend this board if you're after a FAST longer style single fin mid length.

You can check out our range of Gato Heroi online HERE.

Custom orders are always available - get in touch with us for more info - Pat@sunburntmess.com