Taj - Indo board?

[Jackson]

I recently bought my first Firewire board (5'8'' Hellfire) which I'm really happy with, but think I may need a step up for a trip to Indo and future travels?

I've been hearing that the Hellfire can handle some pretty solid waves (I've not surfed it in anything more than head height so far) so I'm not sure if it would cover me for a three month trip to Indo.

I'd say I'm an advanced intermediate (carves, hacks, reos, cutbacks, floaters, tubes) but wouldn't class myself as advanced and I'm certainly no Taj. I'm really looking to improve my surfing in solid hollow surf and push myself on this trip and want to make sure I have the equipment that will best allow me to do this. At the moment I'm not really comfortable in surf bigger than head and a half but like I said I want to push myself.

I guess I want a board that will compliment my 5'8'' Hellfire and allow me to get into the bigger stuff early (and compete in crowded conditions), hold a rail in hollow waves, turn well at speed and still be fairly stable and not too difficult to surf.

I like the idea of the Taj as it's the only ventless board in the high performance range, but concerned that it may be too high performance and hold me back when it comes to wave count (nothing worse than the frustration of missing waves). I guess, if I went for the 6'2'' it would have more volume than my 5'8'' Hellfire, so that may not be such an issue? (I'm 5'8'' and around 155-160lbs)

Any feedback on the Taj or alternatives would be a great help.

Thanks

[prjwebb]

Hey Jackson. The Taj is the perfect Indo board. It's got a lot of rocker which makes it fit the curve of a hollow wave well, but it slows it's paddling a little. I think it'd paddle similar to the Hellfire in those dimensions, maybe a touch slower. Because of how much narrower it is, and how tapered the rails are (especially in the nose and tail) it'll be much more sensitive than the HF, it goes extremely well in good waves. Head high to head and a half Indo it'd be lighting up for sure. It turns really sharp on a steep face and the rails are going to hold great. As a good wave board it's going to be a weapon, but not so much of a step up.

[Chris]

yeah jackson I agree with Prj a bit here.

So a board like the Taj does paddle slower than your hellfire but keep in mind that you are going to be surfing it in better, steeper waves. you should be expecting to take off a bit steeper/later so riding a board like the Taj is a little bit different mechanically as well. THis isn't a bad thing though, because you'll be taking off right at the power source and as you improve you'll be able to do things on the Taj you can't do on a hybrid.

One thing i would say regarding length, the Taj you should get after should be your STANDARD SHORTBOARD. Don't buy it as a step up At your height and weight, think 600 or 601. In Indo especially, most mortals, would ONLY really ride their shortboard up to about overhead and a half before they start considering a larger step up board. If a double overhead hollow reef break is rolling at me, i would personally want a little more than a standard shortboard. I guess the point I am making here is to reallllllly get into that plus sized surf you need a 3rd board. I think a Hellfire and a Taj are perfect for 85% or more of the days. But watch the forecast, if it looks like its going to be massive, consider a 602-604 last minute round tail.

That is how I would approach it. The reality though is you will use your Taj and Hellfire a bit more.

cheers

[Jackson]

Cool, thanks for the feedback... got to love the Firewire forum.

Yeah, when I mentioned 'step up', I meant step up from my Hellfire for heavier surf rather than a full on 6'6'' pintail type board... my bad.

I think I understand where you're coming from when you suggest getting the Taj at my ideal shortboard volume and not trying to make it something it's not by going for too much foam??

Taking three boards isn't really an option, but I guess I could buy a second hand board for the big stuff when I'm out there if I really felt the need.

Bearing in mind that I already have the Hellfire, the question now is whether to go with a 6'1'' Taj or something like the Flexfire 6'3'' 18 1/2'' 2 3/8'' round tail. I'd get more use from the Taj back at home, but for Indo I'm not sure which would be the better option. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[prjwebb]

That Flexfire will be a beast if you're going to be charging when it gets double overhead but if you want to have a solid board for more enjoyable conditions I'd stick with the Taj. Depends on your intentions.
My advice would be go Taj, and pick up a used step up out there if you feel the need and sell it before you leave. Chances are you won't lose much that way and you'll have 2 solid boards for back home.

[Jackson]

Thanks prj

Yeah, I was leaning towards the Taj. I'm not a big wave charger, just don't think the Hellfire will cover me for a few months in Indo. Hopefully the Taj will work well as my go to board for when the waves get on the more juicy side.

[prjwebb]

It's certainly a board that can handle any situation you put it in. Full on shred stick!

[Jackson]

I have my mind set on the 6'1" Taj but all of the dealers here are out of stock until the next shipment comes in.

I could order a board for that shipment and pray that it arrives before I leave. The dates are pretty tight when it comes to logistics, so there's a chance that I may not get it in time. Alternatively, I've found a shop that has a 6'0" in stock.

Can anyone give me some honest advice on whether the 6'0'' would be too much of a twig for me for Indo? I've just weighed myself and I'm 160 lbs (72.5 kg), although I plan to lose a bit of weight over the next few months as part of my Indo training. I'm a competent surfer but not super advanced and probably an average paddler.

I really don't want to end up with a board that's going to limit my wave count and slow my progression.

By the way Myles is a star and is doing everything he can to hook me up.

[prjwebb]

I'm between 165 and 170lbs and found the 6'2" to be about right for me when in a wetsuit in Cornwall.
Indo waves being punchier and more perfect, you being in boardies and living on nasi goreng, surfing every day you're going to be a fair bit lighter and it's possible the 6'0" could work for you in Indo, but maybe it'll struggle once you get home.
Tough call!

[Jackson]

yeah, it's a tricky one. My gut feeling is that the 6'0" will be too small. I need to make a decision by tomorrow if I'm to get my order in for a 6'1''. Hmmmm

[prjwebb]

I'd keep it on the safe side. Nothing worse than too small a board. When are you off?

[Jackson]

You've just confirmed what I was thinking. I would never normally consider a super high performance 6'0'' for those waves, it's just I really want to spend my money on Firewire tech.

I'm heading out there around the second week of May... just got to hope the ship has the wind from behind and customs are feeling lazy, haha

[prjwebb]

Seems like most UK dealers are quoting May 1st for new stock but it's obviously a little dependant on other things. Fingers crossed for you!

[Jackson]

Thanks mate

[Chris]

thanks Prj. good stuff.

[prjwebb]

Happy to help!

[Jackson]

With the release of the new high performance models, do you guys still think the 6'1" Taj would be the best board to compliment my 5'8" Hellfire for the more serious conditions when I'm in Indo?

Thanks

[prjwebb]

5'11" Hellfire would be a lot of fun and the thinner 6'0" MB would give you that extra stability and paddle power but still have that Taj rocker. Not sure when that one will hit retail in the UK though.
The thicker 5'10" could be good too. The Taj model is still a gooden though.

[Chris]

good luck jackson!

[Jackson]

Just picked up my 6'1'' Taj... so happy to get it in time for my trip to Indo (it arrived 4 days before I fly, haha) and it was a nice surprise to see that it's Nanotuned.

Stoked on the shape of the board, and glad to see that the new model has a little more volume through the rails, nose and tail than I remember from the older version I checked out some time ago.

Just one question... the writing on the rail of the board says 26L but all of the info I've read (including the compare boards feature) says the 6'1'' Taj is 26.7L. I'm just wondering which one is correct? I reckon 26L would be perfect for me as I was finding it difficult to decide between the 6'1" or 6'0" based on the volumes from the charts.

Can't wait to surf this beaut in some Indo juice.

[prjwebb]

Stoked! I'd have thought the volume on the rail was correct. As it must be one of the very latest before they stopped making the Taj its possible it's been tweaked slightly.
New logo placement on that one? Pics!!!

[Jackson]

Thanks for all of the advice guys, the 6'1'' was perfect for most of the waves I surfed on my trip. Here's one of the nuggets I shared with the board...

965

Here's a pick of the logo placement for you prjwebb...

966

Although I loved the board and it was a magic stick for my trip, I ended up selling it on my last day in Indo (I needed the money to pay for a red/black resin tinted, retro yet functional travel board with a 2+1 fin setup... I simply couldn't resist it). When I have the cash I'll buy a Michel Bourez to replace the Taj, as I reckon it will be a better all-rounder for less perfect waves.

I just have a question for the Firewire guys regarding the volume of my Taj, as clarification will make it easier for me to chose the right size Spartan... the Firewire website and Board Formula tool state that the 6'1'' Taj should be 26.7L, yet the info written on my board (see pic below for serial no.) indicated that the volume was 26L. Please can you confirm which is correct? The volume felt about right for me, so it would be good to know for the future.

967

Thanks

[prjwebb]

Niiice Jackson. That's a sweet shot. Shame you sold her on as it's unlikely you'll get the chance to get another one.
Good looking board!

[Jackson]

Yeah, pretty sad to say goodbye to her on Poppies II, haha. I'm confident that Firewire will continue to produce great boards, so I'm not stressing too much.

Oh yeah, just want to say a testimony to the durability of FST construction... the board held up great in the heat (I travelled long distances on a scooter with the board in a black board bag) and survived plenty of heavy beatings (including me doing a massive superman exit and landing on my back across the centre of the board, haha) and still looked almost new after three months of daily use in Indo.

[Jackson]

... ?

[Chris]

Yeha we do have the profile coming out which is very close to the Taj model...

[Jackson]

Nice, so many new boards in the pipeline. Chris, please can you look into my query about the volume of the Taj? Details are in my previous post on this thread (the one with the photos). Thanks

[Jackson]

... guys??

[prjwebb]

Maybe email Chris with the serial number. I'd have thought the volume on the rail would be accurate.

[Chris]

26.7L on that one!!

[Jackson]

Thanks Chris