Surman Dark Void 7'2 review: a travel twin fin that locks in and accelerates
Updated 2026-09-20
The Surman Dark Void is a 7'2 twin fin mid-length from Mitch Surman, ordered specifically as a travel board, and it has turned into one of the most versatile boards I own.
What it is and why I bought it
I ordered this one 21 1/4 inches wide and 3 1/8 thick, about 52 litres, with a slightly rolled entry into a very flat midsection and a vee channel bottom, a slightly different bottom shape from the 6'6 Dark Void I already had. I ordered it specifically with a Maldives trip in mind, wanting a board that would paddle particularly well and hold up across a wide spread of conditions.
How it surfed
It goes like a performance mid-length, genuinely fast, and the flat rocker gets it into waves easily; even hollow sections were never an issue, just a case of stepping back onto the tail. The channels are the standout feature. They start about halfway down the board, and engaging one through a turn, then straightening up, makes the board leap forward, lock in and accelerate. I have ridden it at Granites at Noosa and in all sorts of conditions in the Maldives, and it paddles into anything from one foot through to seven or eight feet, grovelling almost like a longboard while offering far more manoeuvrability. I have waxed it all the way to the nose, so I can walk forward and trim, ride it from the tail, or grab a rail through hollower sections. It is glassed to last, heavier and extremely solid, with an opaque tint, and I run Futures boxes on it.
I have tried a run of fins in it. A Jim Banks Hooker turns well with good glide and suits round tail pins. Bigger fins, like a Mikey February set, still work but turn less sharply, more drive than agility. A Chris Christenson Half Keel has been the standout all-rounder, light, set a little further forward, giving the board both turn and drive. Once the waves get bigger, an NVS Ono, a thinner keel set slightly further back, has impressed most.
Who it suits and who it does not
A rolled-entry, channel-bottomed twin fin like this suits someone who wants one travel board that covers small, soft days through to solid, hollow surf without needing a specific wave type to come alive.
Questions people ask
What fins work best on the Surman Dark Void?
A Chris Christenson Half Keel has been the standout all-rounder, and an NVS Ono keel has impressed most once the waves get bigger. A Jim Banks Hooker also works well for turning and glide.
Is the Dark Void a good travel board?
Yes. It was ordered specifically for a Maldives trip and has since covered Granites at Noosa and conditions in the Maldives, paddling into anything from one foot through to seven or eight feet.
How does the channel bottom actually work?
Engaging a channel through a turn and then straightening up makes the board leap forward and accelerate, an effect that shows up clearly once the waves have some push to them.
This one is still in the rack; more on where it fits sits on the quiver hub. For the smaller Dark Void in the record, see the Mitch Surman Dark Void 6'6. For how keel fins compare to other twin fin setups, see keels or upright twin fins.