1 / 4Burton Fish 3D Directional Flat Top 2026
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PTO Verdict
“A storm-day board first: All Mountain tops out at 40%, Powder runs to 100%.”
Best for: Confident powder riders who chase fresh snow in trees and soft bowls and want a short board with a 260-262 mm waist that turns quickly. The 161 also gives heavier riders, rated by Burton at 180-260+ lb, a powder shape in their weight band.
Not for: Riders who want one board for groomers, firm snow and powder: take the Family Tree Hometown Hero Camber, rated All Mountain 0-70%. Park riders should look elsewhere; Burton's Park slider runs 0-20%. Riders new to deep snow should wait, since Burton lists Riding Level Expert. Riders under 150 lb are below both lengths on this listing, and Burton's chart lists no W size for riders who need a wide board.
At a Glance
Terrain
Ability Level
Description
The Burton Fish 3D Directional Flat Top is a short powder snowboard built for storm days in trees and soft bowls. It rides on Directional Flat Top, a flat base with a rocker nose, at Burton's Happy Medium flex step, and this listing carries the 156 and 161 with waists of 260 and 262 mm.
Burton adds surfboard-inspired convex 3D shaping to the tip and tail and keeps a traditional base through the middle. The outline is a double swallowtail with 30mm of taper: the narrower tail sinks while the wider nose rises, and Burton says the swallowtail adds acceleration and cornering control. Burton's chart puts the stance location at -50 on both lengths, and the sidecut radius is 6.1 m on the 156 and 6.4 m on the 161. Inside are a Super Fly II 700G Core with Dualzone EGD and 45° Carbon Highlights fiberglass over a Sintered WFO base. No board weight appears on Burton's page.
The Fish 3D suits riders who already ride powder well and plan days around fresh snow. Burton lists the Riding Level as Expert and sets the terrain sliders at Powder 0-100%, All Mountain 0-40% and Park 0-20%. It is the wrong board for someone who wants one board for groomers and firm days, and for riders still learning to turn in deep snow. Burton sizes it short: the 156 is rated for 150-200 lb and the 161 for 180-260+ lb, so riders under 150 lb fall below both lengths here. For mixed days, Burton's Family Tree Hometown Hero Camber is the better pick.
The board mounts with The Channel, which Burton says is compatible with all major bindings, and Burton's chart lists a size L binding, Men's or Women's, for the 156 and the 161. It comes without bindings. Buy the board from us and we mount your bindings and set your stance in the shop, and we help anyone pick the length against Burton's weight bands.
Details
- Type
- Snowboard
- Vendor
- Burton
- UPC / GTIN
- 197183150551
156
Burton Fish 3D Directional Flat Top
By PTO Team, Based on Burton's published specs and an independent long-term review
Spec analysis · Analysis dated
These 10-point scores express PTO's editorial assessment of suitability for each use. They are not customer ratings or instrumented measurements; the analysis below explains the trade-offs.
Specs
- Shape
- Directional, double swallowtail, 30mm taper
- Profile
- Directional Flat Top (flat base, rocker nose) with convex 3D tip and tail
- Flex
- Directional; Personality: Happy Medium (Burton publishes no numeric flex)
- Terrain (Burton)
- Park 0-20% · All Mountain 0-40% · Powder 0-100%
- Riding level
- Expert (Burton)
- Core
- Super Fly II 700G Core with Dualzone EGD
- Laminate
- 45° Carbon Highlights fiberglass
- Base
- Sintered WFO
- Mounting
- The Channel
- Sizes
- 156 / 161 cm on this listing
- Waist
- 260mm (156) · 262mm (161)
- Nose / tail width
- 315.3 / 285.3mm (156) · 319.1 / 289.1mm (161)
- Sidecut radius
- 6.1m (156) · 6.4m (161)
- Effective edge
- 1095mm (156) · 1145mm (161)
- Stance
- Location -50; width 560mm (156) · 560mm (161)
- Rider weight
- 150-200 lb (156) · 180-260+ lb (161)
- Binding size
- Men's L / Women's L (156) · Men's L / Women's L (161)
- Weight
- Not published by Burton
- Warranty
- 3 years from date of purchase
The take
“A storm-day board first: All Mountain tops out at 40%, Powder runs to 100%.”
Our read: the Fish 3D belongs in a quiver as the second board, next to one that already handles groomers. The buying question is how many of your days start with fresh snow. A rider who gets only a handful of those days a season will ride the Hometown Hero Camber below far more often.
Where the fresh snow comes from decides between the two Fish boards. Burton also builds the 3D Fish Directional Flat Top Splitboard for touring, with a Split Channel mount, a skin-ready tail and the same terrain sliders, in 146, 151 and 156. This solid board is the pick for powder you reach by chairlift. The split stops at 156, so a rider who needs the 161 gets that length only in this solid board.
A long-term review of the earlier 3D Fish, the 2021-2024 board listed in 152, 156 and 160, rated its powder 5 out of 5 and called it the tester's favorite board for jamming through trees. The same review rated carving 2 out of 5 and summed up hard snow as 'nothing you want to ride hard snow with'. The 2026 board comes in a different size run, 146 to 161, so read that review as a guide to the Fish family, not a measurement of these sizes.
Within Burton's line, the Family Tree Hometown Hero Camber beats the Fish 3D on firm and mixed days. It runs Directional Camber with 12mm of taper, a 252 mm waist at 156 and an All Mountain range of 0-70%, and Burton calls it a daily driver from tight trees to icy lines. The Family Tree 3D Channel Surfer Flat Top pushes the other way: 272 mm wide at 156 against 260 mm here, with All Mountain 0-30%. Its taper is lower, 25mm against 30mm on the Fish 3D. On waist width and the All Mountain slider, that puts the Fish 3D between them, a powder board that still gets you back to the lift on the groomer.
Size the Burton Fish 3D by Burton's weight bands, not by the length you usually ride. Burton's bands run 150-200 lb on the 156 and 180-260+ lb on the 161. Between 180 and 200 lb both lengths fit; there we help anyone choose by weight and boot size.
Bindings we'd pair with it
Mount point: The Channel; stance location -50 at both lengths, stance width 560mm on the 156 and 161. Our pick: Burton Cartel Re:Flex, a Happy Medium binding to match the board's Happy Medium flex.
- Burton Men's Cartel Re:Flex Snowboard BindingsRiders who want the binding to match the board
Burton rates it Happy Medium, the same step as the board, and its Re:Flex disc fits The Channel.
- Burton Men's Cartel X Re:Flex Snowboard BindingsHeavier riders on the 161 who want more support
Burton rates it Stiff & Aggressive, a step above the board, with a Re:Flex disc for The Channel.
Burton charts a size L binding at both lengths. Burton says The Channel works with all major bindings; a technician confirms your binding and disc before mounting a board bought from us.
Common Questions
- Burton Fish 3D vs Hometown Hero Camber: which should I get?
- The Burton Fish 3D is the powder board: Directional Flat Top, 30mm taper and All Mountain rated 0-40%. The Family Tree Hometown Hero Camber uses Directional Camber with 12mm of taper and reaches All Mountain 0-70%. Pick the Fish 3D for fresh-snow days and the Hometown Hero for mixed and firm days.
- Burton Fish 3D vs 3D Channel Surfer: what is the difference?
- The Burton Fish 3D and Burton's 3D Channel Surfer are both 3D swallowtails, but the Channel Surfer is wider, 272 mm at 156 against 260 mm, with 25mm of taper. Burton rates the Channel Surfer All Mountain 0-30% and the Fish 3D 0-40%. That makes the Fish 3D the slightly better pick for a day that mixes powder and groomers.
- What size Burton Fish 3D should I get?
- For the Burton Fish 3D, Burton's chart puts the 161 at 180-260+ lb and the 156 at 150-200 lb; the 156 has a 260 mm waist and the 161 a 262 mm waist. The board is cut short on purpose, so size by Burton's band rather than your usual length. Between 180 and 200 lb, anyone can ask us to check weight and boot size before choosing.
- Is the Burton Fish 3D good for beginners?
- The Burton Fish 3D is not a beginner board; Burton lists its Riding Level as Expert. Its rocker nose and taper help in powder, but its All Mountain range stops at 40%, so it gives a newer rider less help on groomers. A rider who cannot yet link turns in deep snow should not start on the Expert-rated Fish 3D.
- What bindings work with the Burton Fish 3D?
- The Burton Fish 3D uses Burton's The Channel mount, and Burton says The Channel is compatible with all major bindings. Burton specifies a size L binding for both the 156 and 161. Burton's Cartel Re:Flex and Cartel X Re:Flex fit The Channel with the matching Re:Flex disc. If the board comes from us, our technician mounts your bindings and checks the disc fit.
