fragile

[soggy]

This is probably my favorite board to ride but its just so fragile. I feel like like there is something wrong with it after every session. Is anyone else having this problem with their RF sweet tater?

[prjwebb]

Is that happening with just foot pressure or is the board impacting something? I'd get in touch with chris via email, [email protected] and he'll look after you

[soggy]

Im not sure what you mean by impacting something? I just surf it, rinse it, store it. I just wish I could trade this thing in under the california lemon law. ahha

[kdropin]

looks like your board is sick

[denis85]

Hi Guys

Just dropping into the forum...
I surf regularly my SP 5'6" since march, 2/3 times a week, but only managed to remove off completely my wax coat under my front foot once (I use a DK flat longboard tailpad under my backfoot) and also noticed an almost perfect "footbed", that helps me to set my foot in position. The kind of "footbed" you get on SUP's on the paddling zone, after a while...

I've been checking this zone for delams, but found nonen, yet.

The two "bubbles" on the pictures show a classic delam. Do you usually leave your board on your car when it's really hot inside, or inside the boardbag exposed to the sun , on the beach?
Extreme temperatures can harm any surfboard, for sure, but your board's delams (almost the shape of your foot) seem to be the result of an intolerance to foot pressure, more than a bubble due to heat exposure.

I think you can ask for a guarantee repair, at least?

Denis

[Chris]

Thanks for the words denis85 and co.

Soggy, please doe feel free to email me and we can look at it further. I am diving back into my post holiday emails today so feel free to reach out.

Cheers.

[email protected]

[soggy]

thanks for the input denis. I keep my boards in my room, walk to the beach, surf and walk home. I kinda wish I left in the sun or baking in my car, that way I wouldn't be so bummed out. How does firewire handle issues like this? Im not into paying for repairs on faulty product.

[oceanplayerjm]

The big question is what type of high heat temperatures did it go through during shipping prior to you even buying it. I love these boards but being that they get shipped from asia, I doubt the fly first class with AC, therefore they are most likely shipped in hot metal shipping containers that are left out in the sun in shipping yards reaching super heated conditions, I can only hope my boards were shipped durng mild temperature days and it was cloudy out!!!

[prjwebb]

if that were the case, the failure rate would be very high and you'd have whole shipments of boards having problems rather than the odd board out of thousands.

[oceanplayerjm]

not really, because everyone doesnt buy the boards out of just one shipment, and everyone doesnt just surf the same board out of there quiver every session, and everyone doesnt post the conditions of light delaminating conditions on the internet. I'm just saying that it is likely some of the shipments get super heated prior to ever arriving at your local surf shop, and to deny this is crazy, they are shipped and no one can guarantee the exact environment they are in the whole time unless they too travel in the container with these boards, which I highly doubt has ever been done unless they are smuggling illegals, haha. I have worked in shipping containers before, and even with the door open they heat up like ovens on a sunny day. So how else do the boards get from Asia to The States?

[prjwebb]

It's an interesting point for sure. Is it possible to have insulated containers? I assume when food goods are shipped across the world they are kept cool and not exposed to 150*+ heat.
If it was a problem you'd have a container of, say 500 boards, that would all be having issues and I think with those kind of quantities, the issue would be very apparent.

Maybe someone from FW will chime in and give us the inside info.

[iggy]

Interesting point...VERY interesting point as a matter of fact!!

[oceanplayerjm]

I agree it probably doest happen often or maybe at all, but to make sure would be a simple cheap temp indicator sticker. Or ladders at the fire department have stickers on them, and pending certain conditions these stickers will turn different colors to identify possible damaging temps. I'm sure they make stickers that would indicate temps from 100 F and up in specific increments. Just a thought to ponder. I know I love my Firewires, and will continue buying them even if i have a couple issues because I love the way they ride. I just want everyone to have the perfect board, with as little problems as possible, especially at almost $800 a pop out the door, trust me, I've bought 3 new firewires in the last three months, and one more on order.

[iggy]

Well I've found this study
http://www.ista.org/forms/LEINBERGER_Dimensions06_paper.pdf

[oceanplayerjm]

good Data! 135 degrees F, is that enough to damage a board? Well he also stated that the study reflects temperatures at sea which were more moderate than before or after shipping, which means sitting on the docks in the sun awaiting departure and or awaiting customs. Dont know the actual temps but from personal experience I've searched cargo shipping containers during the summer and they feel like ovens here in Florida. I just know I will order my Firewires during winter mild temp months.

[skindog]

I have read with concern about the fragility of the rapid fire types. I have a rapid fire sweet potato and an FST el fuego, and neither even have deck dimples. Perhaps I'm lucky with these, but it sounds as though quality control is the issue. Never heard a bad word about Firewire boards from friends who have them either. If some of these are subject to quality flaws, the company should step up and replace them, like manufacturers in other industries often do.

[iggy]

I'm on my 11th firewire board and yet to experience any sort of issue. Love the look of the rapid-fire but love even more the organic feeling of the FST

[core personal training]

firewire does stand behind its product, and is the only boardmaker i am aware of that does...my boards NEVER have a "soft" surf and stand up to punishment many times more than boards twice the weight and a tenth the performance...i've only broken one, and that took 12 months and a dry ledge impersonation of small chopes to kill it...apart from the snap it was brand new with a perfect footwell as the only compression.

[Slowman]

Well, if this were anything but the rare isolated problem, other surf forums (that have no affiliation with FW) would be lit up with FW loathing, but they are aren't. So despite of the possibility of high temperature exposure during shipping it does not appear to have led to any widespread issues.

[Brian]

First let me start by saying I am a big fan of FireWire boards. I currently have an FST Dominator and FST Stealth and they are freakishly strong boards with damage only inflicted by reef which is to be expected. I also have a RF SweetPotato and RF Hellfire and their durability absolutely sucks (I also had an Addvance that snapped from the impact of a lip but I know that was just bad luck). Damage appears on the RF's for no apparent reason. FW's are really catching on here in Hawaii so people often ask me how I like mine and I invariably tell them that I love them but to stay away from the RF models at all costs. I'm sure other folks have had a different experience than me but I will never buy another RF due to my first hand experience with them. My RF's are so fickle that I could never be convinced that they are not an inferior material and or build to the FST. With all that said, I'm saving for an FST PotatoNator because the geniuses at FW come up with the absolutely coolest, freakishly fun designs. I just wish they had a punch card like at Starbucks so I can get my tenth board free!

[core personal training]

i ride R/F by choice, am heavy, surf hard, surf heavy waves, get pitched daily on ledges, dont take care of boards...no problems...ever...i make it a point of approaching others and asking how they are getting on with their boards...never heard a problem....

[Chris]

Hey folks,
so I wanted to chime in here on a couple point before things get completely crazy on this thread. First off, international shipping logistics are incredibly incredibly more technical than it would seem when you sit and look at the deck of a container ship. How can that be? I'll explain. Freight forwarding companies breakdown their storage area into zones that are, defined in part, by temperature. Therefore, when choosing a carrier, the manufacturer has to determine the tolerable transit condition for their product and then ship their product in an appropriate location on the boat. Obviously this is of paramount important when considering heat sensitive electronics such as cameras and computer.

In our case, we elect have our containers stored below deck where the temperatures remains well below 100 degrees. We also do quality control our containers with thermal stickers in order to ensure that our boards never get exposed to heat and that they are getting the care we pay for.

with all that said, the likelihood of an entire container being exposed to catastrophic temperatures is highly unlikely. Furthermore, you can bet every dollar you have that if containers containing hundreds of boards went bad, we would have much greater rate of failure. most commonly, the delams that are seen on the forum are the result of water getting in the board at some point.

Hopefully this helps clarify things a little bit for folks.

Cheers

[iggy]

Thanks Chris, pretty clear!!

[surferireland]

I have had around 10 firewire boards over the last few years and not had any major issues, I find the FST is more durable and thats what I prefer as a material. I had an old old ( about 5 years old ) flexfire which had delaminated on the deck. The fact of the mater is the board are really nice to surf and you can chose exactly the right board for yourself and once you kill it you can buy exactly the some one if you wish.

[Chris]

true that!

[Rockhopper]

Most n here including the FW crew recognise the RF isnt as tough as the FST....fact. However i still think the RF is stronger than a PU board and it is definately lighter and from looking at the price of some machine shaped board from a top shapers file...Channel Island and even local shaper prices...etc. then i still think they are a reasonable purchase. The cost of these board is now getting on par with top shaper pu's so they will always be an attractive buy.

However i must be honest and after owning 1xRF and 4xFST's i personally would alwyas go for the FST and it has to be one of the most durable constructions i have ever come across. I know we hear some horror stories of snapped sticks but % wise i reckon the number of failures is exceptionally low. All shapers out there make bad boards now and then due to issues with foam, resin quality and set, temperature, humidity....etc.

Be interesting to get more feedback from the pro's on how may board they go through in a season and how hat has differed to when riding PU's. If Taj has a magic board how long has he been able to keep one going for and still use them compared to pu's...etc. All the pro team seem to ride FST's as well so id also suggest you pay a little $ more for FST even though the RF do look beautiful.

[prjwebb]

I'm sure Taj had boards in Hawaii that he surfed on the Gold Coast with. Seems like he surfs his favourites all year. He said when he was riding for Webber he'd usually break 1 a week.

[iggy]

This one was taken during the Quiksilver Pro NY last year. Taj's trainer with his boards... Wether he's riding that rapid-fire or not I don't know
301

[prjwebb]

I reckon it was an emergency board incase the waves were micro

[silentp]

Am agreeing with rockhopper here about durability as ive had a RF elfuego for over a year now been surfed apprx couple times a week and am seeing only slight indentation in front foot area and minor dimpling on the bottom whereas with pu i wouldve seen substantial caving in of footpad and front foot area and duck diviing finger dents and these are not lightly glassed boards(actually almost miss that bedded in feel of pu! but certainly dont miss the longevitý, I'd be lucky to get a hundred bucks for a one year old pu)
Also have an FST that is a few months old now and is as good as new. Obviously not everyone has the same positive experience with firewire surfboards when you go through the posts but how many other board manufacturers open themselves up to scrutiny with a forum like this?

I'll second rockhoppper on sponsored pro's feedback,too