Construction and Materials

The Merc must have one of the most technical cores on the market at such a competitive price point. It’s a combination of poplar, paulownia, spruce and beech that offers great strength to weight and is super lively, too. Together with triax glassing in the topsheet, and carbon fibre at the tip and tail, it delivers a surprisingly snappy flex. It’s nothing to be intimidated by, but it’s certainly no noodle. An Absorbnid layer has also been added to keep the ride feeling smooth and chatter-free at all times.

The extruded base is perhaps the one part of the board where you can see the cost-savings. It’s not as quick as sintered P-tex but then again, it can withstand plenty of abuse and doesn’t require much waxing. In our experience, most riders will find it fast enough.

“The Merc must have one of the most technical cores on the market at such a competitive price point”

Roundup

When it comes to bang-for-your-buck, the Merc is right up there with boards like the YES Basic. If you’ve been following our gear awards over the years, you’ll know that’s high praise indeed. Progression is at the heart of this design. That doesn’t just mean it’s easy to ride, but that it gets better the more you improve. And with its versatile shape and camber profile, you can shove one of these in your board bag and feel confident that, whatever nature throws at you, you’ve got the tool for the job.