JS Industries Xero Fusion Review in PU, HyFi 3.0 and Carbotune

JS took the trusty Blak Box rocker and gave it a fresh upgrade with the Xero Fusion. Same low-entry and flat middle that flies through mush, now paired with a sleeker outline and narrower tail for more curve. That means better flow in weak waves and tighter turns when needed.

Its rails are thinned out for sensitivity, but the foam is still stacked through the rail line for paddle power and momentum. Think performance without the corky feel. 

Underneath, it’s single to double concave, which most surfers love. Lift and speed up front, hold and control out the tail. Think Blak Box, but trimmed up and modernised, with foam in all the right places to keep up with the rest of the Xero family.

JS says this is best in 1-3ft shitty waves. Kind of true, kind of not. We rode it in 1ft Sydney beachies, 4ft Angourie runners, multiple sessions at URBN SURF Melbourne, and in powerful West Oz juice. Its sweet spot is more like 2-4ft fun waves. Any smaller and it loses spark and you’re better off going a proper groveller. It’s still fine in hollow surf too and can happily hold in surfing overhead grunt, especially in the Carbotune. This is more of a broader all-rounder. Something that extends your go-to shortboard beyond just good head-high surf.  

So, while JS’s icon says 1-3ft flat-faced waves. We say 2-4ft everything. It could probably just replace your shortboard if you’re carrying a few more kgs than when you were twenty. 

Overall Best Conditions:
2-4ft anything waves that have a couple of fast and slow sections. Preferably on your forehand with a slight offshore or onshore. Bonus points if the sun is out and it’s warm.

Stats were:
16 sessions
112 waves
Top Speed of 31km/h (Pippies)
Longest ride was 110m (Pippies)

Speed, whip, pop. The Xero Fusion has all three is a good weight of balance. It’s not something you can turn on a dime and expect to react at lightning speed, more something you have to feed the rail with more care, before leaning in and letting rip. That takes a surf or two to become second nature, but it does come. 

True to form it has plenty of rail to rail pick up through sloppy sections, drives fast down the line and allows you to drift tail when the right lip presents itself. Ex-CT surfer Troy Brooks ran the thing through its paces for a few surfs and even threw some punts on it.

The PU is looser than the HyFi version, which is a little stiffer but more than makes up for it in spark off the top. The Carbotune is actually a mix between the two. Knowing about that tech, you’d think it would be stiffer again, but no. It threaded a mix of spark and looseness when compared with the other constructions.

This is a shortboard, so you’re running normal thruster fins. We used FCS2 models and mixed it up between the Mick Fanning Tri Fin, CI Upright Tri Fin, and, of course, the JS Tri Fin. There wasn’t a huge differential between performance in each of these, so you probably don’t need to sweat buying a new set specifically for this board. It went well with everything. 

However, the JS was the best overall by a hair. The CI was great, but hummed in both the HyFi 3.0 and Carbotune models, which was distracting. The MF was decent too. 

The clincher is the black JS fin simply looks like it belongs in this board. Its wider base also probably explains why we were happy to surf the board in slightly bigger waves without any skip outs.

Fun as fuck. We probably didn’t need to swear but it’s way more fun that way if JS quotes us. 

Everyone who rode this had a great time on this thing. Here are their separate thoughts.

Troy – “This board was super fun. I definitely preferred the HyFi version. It had heaps more spark and went best in beachies especially. There was one session on that construction where I hit the lip too late and smashed my knee into the deck. If I had’ve been riding the PU, I reckon it would have snapped for sure. The HyFi barely had a dint. Another vote for going that version.”

Cahill (only rode at URBN SURF) – I’m normally a PU guy in the pool, but that wasn’t the pick of these. The Cabotune was very springy, very poppy. I think it’ll take some time to get used to because it had a weird tinny feeling. But I had a couple moments where I was like, oh, I can harness this. We could be onto something. But the HyFi was the one I liked most. It had the spring and the float of epoxy, but a bit of rigidity that comes from the carbon. It felt most suited to the pool with the wave’s weird shape and weakness. It had a really nice carry through the weird sections. You’re only doing short angles and short turns in the pool, but I was able to do a couple carves where I was like, oh yeah, there’s a bit of hope here! I feel like this would be me at 2-3ft Winkipop.”

Johnny – “I’m a huge fan of JS boards and the Xero models. I wouldn’t normally ride the dims being higher in literage, but still found it super flowy and responsive. I love an epoxy for more groveller type boards like this, as they sit on top of the water more and generate better speed than a PU for me. The Carbotune and HyFi both rode pretty similar for me in the end.”

Shane – “It was great to try the same board in three different constructions / materials. I was surprised at how different three boards with the same dimensions all felt. The PU felt like it had less foam. Even sitting on the board I sat lower in the water. It had a really loose tail and needed more power in the waves to get moving. The HYFI was easily my favourite. As soon as you stand up and apply pressure to the fins this one would push back and get speed really quick. The Carbotune one was fast but felt a bit like a skateboard. It felt like I was surfing it flat and tic taccing like a skateboard. Go the HYFI for sure.”

Tim – “It took me a few surfs to get used to it, but I ended up loving this board. All versions went well but the HyFi 3.0 was the standout. The Carbotune was better for me in bigger waves. The PU felt nice but lacked some spring, especially over really flat sections. The Epoxy/Carbon almost felt like a totally different board, like maybe the widest point was further up. It was noticeably stiffer but made up for that in zap. More pushback under your feet, more spray, more fun. If I was spending my own money, I’d definitely fork out more for that version (and not worry about spending top wozza on the Carbotune). A great addition to the quiver. 

So to sum up, while all of the construction types went well, the HiFy 3.0 was the clear favourite. The PU’s flex pattern was a bit soft for this model, while the Carbotune’s was a little rigid. The HyFi was Goldilocks – just right. If you’re looking for a versatile shortboard that goes especially well in smaller stuff, this is the go. Fun, springy, plenty of flow. Get the HiFy 3.0 and you’ll be extra psyched. It ain’t cheap but totally worth it. Pair it with the FCSII JS Tri Fin and you have a match made in surfer heaven.

The Wins:

• Goes great in anything, from waist high slop to head-and-a-half punch
• Solid construction, especially the HiFy and Carbotune

The Challenges:

• You’re forking out top dollar for the better performing materials
• Can take a surf or two to get used to