Album Sunstone 6'0 review: a small, thick twin fin that surfs bigger
Updated 2026-09-20
The Album Sunstone is a 6'0 twin fin fish, short in length but thick enough to carry serious volume for its size. It turned out to handle far more than the small-wave board it looked like on paper.
What it is and why I bought it
Even though it is only 6 ft long, the Sunstone packs 42 1/2 litres of volume in there, plenty for a rider around 91 kg. The nose is quite beaky and thick, and it stays fairly thick all the way through to the tail, which is where that volume comes from. There is a little bit of rocker through the tail but not much, so it still paddles around fine and glides into waves off that flat rocker. Look at the nose and the tail and it is very wide, like a skateboard, which is what makes it stable and fast rather than finicky the way a narrow-nose thruster can be.
How it surfed
Soar Australia's Monad keel fins were the standout pairing on this board. They are handmade in Australia, hard to get hold of, and they slot straight into the fin box. Tried first in maybe a foot of clean, clear surf, they gave it all the drive and turn needed straight away. A wide-tail board like this wants a bigger fin, and a bigger fin suits a bigger, heavier rider fine rather than being overkill.
Most people assume a twin fin fish like this is only for the smallest days, but it has also been ridden in 5 to 6 ft surf. It gets frenetic out there, but it is a lot of fun and still holds big turns. Paddling is a bit harder than the size suggests for a heavier rider, since the volume runs low for that job; a mid-length or step-up would make that easier.
Who it suits and who it does not
A thick, wide-tailed twin fin like this suits someone who is not chasing pro-level performance and wants small-wave fun with the option to push it into bigger, messier surf occasionally. It is not the board for a lighter or less experienced rider chasing effortless paddle power, since the low volume relative to its width can make catching waves harder than the numbers suggest.
The range it likes
The perfect range for this board sits somewhere between 1 and 4 ft, definitely 2 to 3 ft, where it really excels. Much smaller than that and a mid-length starts to make more sense; much bigger and a step-up takes over.
Questions people ask
What fins work best on the Album Sunstone?
A set of Soar Australia's Monad keel fins was the standout pairing, giving it plenty of drive and turn even in small, clean surf.
Can the Sunstone handle waves bigger than small surf?
Yes, within reason. It has been ridden in 5 to 6 ft conditions and still holds turns, though its best range is 1 to 4 ft, and 2 to 3 ft is where it excels.
Is the Sunstone hard to paddle?
Paddling is harder than its size suggests for a heavier rider, since the volume is on the low side once you account for the width; a mid-length or step-up handles that trade-off better.
This one is still in the rack; more on where it fits sits on the quiver hub. For more on keel fins, see keels or upright twin fins. For how much volume a board like this actually needs, see surfboard volume explained.