The Puerto Padi is built from input by Nathan Florence and Billy Kemper, who wanted an evolution of their trusted Padillac tailored for the late drops, deep takeoffs, and demanding barrels of Puerto Escondido.
While the Padillac stands as a benchmark in big wave design, the goal behind the Puerto Padi is different: improved performance on later entries, deeper positioning, and a more confident ability to knife under the lip in critical surf. Achieving this required a series of subtle but impactful refinements.
The board has proven itself in some of surfing’s most demanding conditions, including iconic sessions in Ireland - Nathan’s 7'5" on the heavy left at Mullaghmore and his committed backdoor line at the right-hander of Aileens. It also feels right at home in long, hollow reef breaks such as Cloudbreak.
The most noticeable adjustments are concentrated in the front half of the board. To improve fit in steeper drops and deeper barrels, the nose is narrowed by ½ inch, complemented by added nose rocker and nearly ¼ inch less thickness through the front end. These modifications create a freer, more responsive feel in critical situations while maintaining strong paddle power relative to the board’s dimensions.
The Puerto Padi also incorporates a pulled-in baby swallow tail, enhancing responsiveness off the bottom and allowing quicker adjustments beneath the lip.
Another defining feature is the move from the standard Quad configuration to a Tri-fin setup. This configuration provides more control over speed management in the kind of hollow, slabby waves the board is designed to handle.
Questions often arise about why the Padillac is offered exclusively as a Quad. The answer lies in the design approach: the board performs best as either a dedicated Quad or a dedicated Tri-fin. A combined 5-fin setup does not align with the intended performance balance. In true XXL surf, the Quad maintains a distinct advantage.
The same design philosophy applies to the Puerto Padi, but its intended wave range and surfing style make the Tri-fin the preferred stock configuration.
The Puerto Padi takes its place within the Pyzel gun family as a specialized option built for surfers seeking control, sensitivity, and confidence in steep, hollow, high-consequence waves.
For sizing, stay close to your original Padillac dimensions, with a recommendation toward a slightly narrower outline and either marginally reduced thickness or a similar thickness depending on personal preference.
