The Italo’s Pool Party model lives up to its name—pure, unfiltered fun packed into a performance-driven small-wave board. Originally developed for Italo Ferreira to ride at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch during WCT events, this board was fine-tuned to be snappy, fast, and compact—perfect for fitting into tight sections and transitioning through multiple wave phases.
Featuring a wider nose and tail, along with a shorter, fuller outline, the Pool Party is built for speed and responsiveness in chest to head-high waves, mimicking the typical surf in Southern California. The medium full railsoffer a forgiving yet performance-oriented feel, and the board’s low rocker ensures easy entry and down-the-line drive. On the bottom, a single to slight double concave transitioning into subtle vee off the tail keeps it quick through turns and smooth rail to rail.
Designed to be ridden a few inches shorter than your usual shortboard, the Pool Party compensates with extra width and hidden foam—especially in the nose and tail—so it’s recommended to go slightly thinner to balance out the volume.
Available in poly, EPS epoxy, stringerless EPS, or Dark Arts Carbon Tech, this board gives riders plenty of construction options to further fine-tune flex and feel.
Pros:
Incredibly fast and loose for small to medium waves
Compact outline fits well in tight pockets and sectiony waves
Wider nose and tail improve paddle power and stability
Versatile construction options (including Dark Arts) for custom performance tuning
Fun-focused design with legitimate performance pedigree
Cons:
Not intended for bigger or hollow surf
Wider outline may take adjustment for surfers used to narrower high-performance boards
Summary:
Italo’s Pool Party is a small-wave weapon that brings a competition-level edge to your everyday surf. Born in a wave pool but built for real-world waves, it’s ideal for surfers who want a shorter, punchier board that still performs at a high level. Fast, drivey, and made to keep you grinning from takeoff to kick out, the Pool Party is the board you grab when you want to rip and have fun—without overthinking it.
