Surf's Surprise vs RAL 180-3
Where Surf's Surprise belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, RAL 180-3 is a RAL Effect color. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. RAL 180-3 (LRV 68) reflects noticeably more light than Surf's Surprise (LRV 65), a difference of 3 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. At ΔE 2.0, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Surf's Surprise vs RAL 180-3 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Surf's Surprise and RAL 180-3 are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The two are close enough that the choice comes down to finer qualities — undertone, texture, what the color sits next to.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Surf's Surprise vs RAL 180-3 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Surf's Surprise on one side and RAL 180-3 on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Surf's Surprise comparisons
See how Surf's Surprise stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 65), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 83 vs 65, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 6, Surf's Surprise is decisively the brighter choice.
Surf's Surprise reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Surf's Surprise reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 65 vs 52, Surf's Surprise is decisively the brighter choice.
Surf's Surprise reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (65 vs 58) makes Surf's Surprise the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 27, Surf's Surprise is decisively the brighter choice.
Surf's Surprise reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Surf's Surprise reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (65 vs 55) makes Surf's Surprise the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 13, Surf's Surprise is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 44, Surf's Surprise is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 65), opening up a space where Surf's Surprise encloses it.
Surf's Surprise reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 66 vs 65), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 9-point LRV gap (74 vs 65) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 83 vs 65, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Surf's Surprise reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 51), opening up a space where Pigeon encloses it.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Surf's Surprise is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 8, Surf's Surprise is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (68 vs 65) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
Surf's Surprise reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Surf's Surprise is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 45, Surf's Surprise is decisively the brighter choice.
Surf's Surprise reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.