The Moe is simply my favorite board I currently have. It’s not my absolute favorite to ride, but with the waves we have where I live, it is the one I end up using the most. It can handle a huge range of wave conditions, and goes well when the waves are around chest-high. Here’s my full review of the Harley Ingleby Moe.

About Me and How I Surf

HI Moe — *My Moe (right) along with my friend’s Sweet Potato (left) and my shortboard (middle)*

First, it’s important to understand how somebody surfs when you read any review. I’ve read reviews of boards that go well in “small” waves only to find out that they consider chest high waves to be small where they live. Or you read a review and the person is much heavier than you, at a way different skill level, and/or looking to surf much more flowy or aggressively than you.

So, I am in my mid-30’s. I weigh about 77kg (170 lbs) and am about 180cm tall (5’10”). I have the 7’4” version, and a good friend has the 8’ one. Where I live, the waves are generally pretty mushy. They almost never hollow out, other than the rare winter days with offshore wind or a hurricane swell. I ride a shortboard when I can (a 5’10” fishy board from a local shaper here), but most days call for the Moe. I also have a longboard for the really small days from another local shaper, but my go-to is the Moe.

I take the Moe out in anything from thigh-high up to slightly overhead. For it’s size, I find it to be super solid even in small waves. As it’s a midlength, I’m not looking for super snappy turns or crazy maneuvers while on it, but it does turn surprisingly well. Especially on our bigger days, the board feels impressively loose for its size. It paddles super well, and gets me into waves without issue. Compared to a shortboard, it feels like I can catch waves with almost no effort. It can be pumped easily and it is probably my favorite board to get a big sweeping turn out of.

Who is the Moe for?

I’ll be honest… I had major judgements against midlength surfboards for quite some time. I definitely repeated the line that midlengths are for old dudes who can’t quite pop up or surf as well as they used to. And shit, maybe that’s true. But I do know that the Moe and other midlengths are a great addition to the quiver of any surfer.

I don’t think the Moe is the best surfboard for beginners, but it might be a fantastic board for the transition from beginner to beginner-intermediate. I have had a few friends try my board who are at that level and are able to catch waves well and move where they want on the wave. With it’s volume and shape, it gets into waves relatively early and easily, and offers a nice middle ground of stability and responsiveness.

I also think the Moe is a great board for more intermediate or advanced surfers who want something a little more chill and easy to ride. Sure, this may be because you’re getting older. Or maybe it’s because you want to work a little less and have a lot of time on the wave. It’s also a great surfboard for small waves if you want to steer clear of a longboard. It won’t catch waves quite as easily as a longboard, but it did surprise me with how well it gets the small mushy ones.

Board Dimensions and Design

The Harley Ingleby Moe comes in three different sizing options:

7’2 x 22 x 2 13/16 (49.4L)

7’4 x 22 ½ x 2 7/8 (52.9L)

8’0 x 22 5/8 x 3 1/16 (61.2L)

A note here is that the 8 foot version has a longboard fin box in the center, while the others do not. After the popularity of the Moe, Harley Ingleby also released a smaller version called the Moe Mini. I haven’t ever seen one outside a shop, but it did look like it had a similar outline to my Moe, just shorter. They have two sizing options

6’6 x 21 ½ x 2 5/8 (41L)

6’10 21 ½ x 2 ¾ (45L)

This review is about the classic Moe, not the Mini. If you’re unfamiliar with the basics of surfboard shapes, I recommend checking out our post Understanding Surfboard Shapes to learn about concave, rocker, rails, and more before reading this section. The board has a pretty flat rocker with a flicked up nose. The flat rocker helps it get into waves super easily, while the nose gives it a bit of performance in bigger and steeper waves. There’s a double concave through the feet, which is part of what gives it the responsive feel it has.

The rails aren’t too thick for a midlength. I’d say they’re leaning slightly more toward performance than your average midlength, but they aren’t super thinned out and aggressive. They are low and hard behind the fins, and foiled from the upper half down into the tail. This gives the board some nice drive while turning.

Thunderbolt Construction

One of the standouts of the Moe is the Thunderbolt construction. I had never ridden a board like this before, and was honestly a little skeptical. You can watch the video below from CJ Nelson to understand exactly what’s going on and what the difference is between the different “colors.” But here are the basics.

Thunderbolt boards are an evolution of surf technology that use an EPS foam core, stringers made from carbon fiber, and a fiberglass lamination. What this means is Thunderbolt boards are made to have a bit of flex to help responsiveness, often weigh less than traditional boards, and are quite durable (more on this at the end).

There are three types of Thunderbolt construction, but I believe the Moe only comes in two. There is Black, which uses a full carbon fiber lamination. This tends to be the strongest with the least flex. Then there is Red, which is laminated with carbon fiber and fiberglass. You can think of Red as the middle. And finally there is Thunderbolt Silver, which is fully fiberglass with the lamination, feeling much more traditional and giving even more flex.

Both my board and my friend’s 8 foot Moe are Thunderbolt Red. Again, this was my first board with a construction like this, and I honestly think it’s a huge part of what makes this board so special. The Moe has an impressive amount of flex, is crazy responsive, and by far the most durable surfboard I’ve had. It’s also super light.

Fin Setup

For the fins, it will differ based on the size you get. For the two smaller versions, you’ll have five normal fin boxes. I believe they all have FCS II fin boxes. The 8 foot has 4 FCS II boxes and a longboard fin box. Fin setup is a super personal thing, so I can’t tell you how to feel. But I can tell you what I’ve done with mine.

I generally ride mine as a 2+1 with twin fins and a little nub trailer. I find it to turn super well and give me those smooth drawn out turns I’m looking for. This is my preferred setup. I have ridden it as a thruster just because I had a set of thruster fins, and just wasn’t for me. It was a little to stiff feeling. When the waves get bigger, I switch to the Harley Ingleby Quads. I get a bit more control and stability, and it is ever so slightly less free than the twins.

Ideal Wave Conditions

I’ll start with the truth for me. The Harley Ingleby Moe goes best in about chest high waves for me. Because it’s a midlength, a chest-high wave gives it plenty of chance to move around the wave without feeling rushed or packed in. When the waves here are chest high, I often take both my shortboard and my Moe to the beach with me. It’s that fun that sometimes I prefer it in those waves to my shortboard.

When the waves do get a bit punchier, it still handles itself well. I often switch to my shortboard as I relish the opportunity to get some good waves on it, but the Moe is also fun when they are head high and hollowing out. We also only have one longboard, so on super small days (~knee-waist high), I’ll take out the Moe while my partner takes the longboard. It’s definitely not a groveler, but it can catch waves that honestly feel too small for me to be able to even catch.

In my experience both surfing here and traveling with it, it’s a board that can be surfed by intermediate surfers on almost any day. Sure, you’re not taking it to Puerto Escondido to ride Zicatela, but it has handled hollow head high waves in El Paredón, solid longboard waves in Punta Mita, and some fairly solid waves in Troncones.

If you want one board that can ride a big variety of waves, I do strongly recommend the Harley Ingleby Moe. It’s the board I grab nearly every day I go out, and it almost always performs better than I expect it to, even after a year of riding it.