Dave Parmenter Custom Gun 9'1 review: a board for real size

Updated 2026-09-19

The Dave Parmenter Custom Gun is a 9'1 thruster, built for waves large enough that most of the rack never gets used. It is the kind of board that only makes sense as a custom order, because a proper gun is not something a surf shop generally stocks.

What it is and why I bought it

I ordered the Custom Gun from Dave Parmenter in August 2014, a PU board with a curved rocker, hard rails and a flat-to-subtle-vee bottom running to a pintail. At 19 3/4 inches wide and 59 litres over 9'1, it is built narrow and long specifically for paddle speed and control in serious size, a shape that is close to impossible to find off the rack.

How it surfed

The Custom Gun's best wave came at Freshy, at a top speed of 26.9 km/h (about 16.7 mph) over a 214 metre ride, using Alkali Glass fins. Logged use understates how often it comes out, since a proper gun by definition only gets ridden when the swell is genuinely big; the log itself describes it as perfect for really big waves, which is exactly the role it fills.

Who it suits and who it does not

This is a board for a confident surfer who paddles out in serious size and needs the paddle power and hold that come from a longer, narrower thruster. It is entirely the wrong board for everyday surf; the wave range logged is 5 to 12 ft, ideal at 9 ft, well above anything the rest of the current quiver is built for.

What happened to it

It is still in the rack. It cost $1,200 to build and carries an asking price of $1,500, but a board like this tends to stay put, since there is no off-the-rack replacement for it.

Questions people ask

Why order a gun custom instead of buying one stock?

Boards built specifically for big-wave paddle speed and control are not something most surf shops carry in stock; a proper gun in a precise length and rocker generally has to be ordered from a shaper.

What fins suit the Dave Parmenter Custom Gun?

Alkali Glass fins are the setup logged against it.

What wave size is this board for?

The logged range is 5 to 12 ft with 9 ft as the ideal, meaning it is reserved for genuinely big surf rather than everyday conditions.

For the full spec sheet, see the current quiver. For the case for ordering a custom board like this one, see custom or stock surfboard. For the everyday boards that cover the rest of the year, see the Channel Islands Mid Twin and the Surman Dark Void 7'2.