Your Ideal Quiver

[Slowman]

I am just thinking out aloud (on the internet, that's unusual!) that my ideal quiver would be something like:
1. 5'8" Potatonator (33.9L)
2. 6'0" Spitfire (35.3L)
3. 6'2" Hellfire (33.7L)
4. 6'4" MB (34.6L) / 6'6" MB (34.5) / 6'5" HR (33.5L) / 6'5" Lost F1 (33.9L) / 6'8" Flexfire pin (33.9L) /

The #4 may not even be necessary. The hellfire may well prove to have the ability to surf waves as big as I want to. It's always hard to say, I've seen 6' in some places I'm afraid of and 10' in others where I have no reluctance (been a while though but usually the problem is that kind of wave will be crowded heavily).

I know there is quite a bit of overlap between #1, 2 and 3 but I like the idea of a fair bit of overlap so that if things change quickly or you choose the wrong board for the conditions what you have should still work. I used to bring 2 boards but with warmer weather at the moment and the warnings about not baking my boards in the car I don't during summer.

I've never tried a spitfire but after riding my hellfire I really like the extra bite in the tail and I think a spit would give that to me over the dom that I currently have which is great in average full surf but I think the spit would be even better.

What's your ideal quiver?

[buzzy]

At present;

6'4" Dom
6'6" Hellfire
6'6" Alt
6'8" round tail Alt

[core personal training]

spudinator
510 hellfire
602x 18 3/4x 2 1/2 flexfire
603 razor
606 flexy pin
610 flexy pin (maybe too old and sooky for that or my widow makers now)

and going to play with the MB in 602 to see if i can improve on the 602 flexfire which is in 2 bits (gunna be hard)

in reality as i'm now an aging gumby..(used to be a youthful gumby) i could get by with the hellfire and 602 flexy/mb.... for my own enjoyment i would be happy wiggling around on the HF feeling like i'm barefoot surfing...if i want to stroke my ego and try to impress onlookers..(emphasis on try), i would ride the flexy and surf to the point scoring formula..(and get a 3)

could do with a mid range addvance for when my back would normally have me out of the water....

[surferireland]

5'4 SP
5'10 Dom
Next purchase - 6'2 Hellfire
At Some Point If Possible - 9'1 Longboard in FST

There is a thing of having too many boards, you get out in the water thinking damb I should taken the,......

[hwork50]

My ideal quiver would include most of the firewire models:

1. Dominator for sure 6'2"
2. Spitfire: 6'0"
3. Sweet Potato or Baked Potato on the fence on this one 5'6"
4. Hellfire 6'2" have only ridden a handful of times but am liking what I am seeing

Would love to own / try as many of their boards as possible as I am totally sold on the technology.

Brent

[Chris]

506 potatonator
508 dominator
511 hellrazor
600 michel (thin)
602 alternator round
606 flexfire round

[prjwebb]

502 SweetP
508 Sub Scorcher
511 Hellrazor
600 Taj CBD (or Michel 600 2.38")
606 Flexfire step up.

[prjwebb]

On that note, I've got a chance at an unused 606 Flexfire for a really good price. Trouble is, it's a board I'd get very, very little use out of, but as it's a good price should I snap it up and keep it for those rare days/trips...?

[Slowman]

If it's a bargain and you're not going broke saving money it could be handy.

[prjwebb]

Already got 2 boards to pay for in the next couple of months though... I think the money would be better towards a SP than the step up, but as I said, rare opportunity to get one for a great price.

[core personal training]

get it if cheap enough phill..dunno about at your weight but i used to ride similar from nev in p/u p/e as everyday boards...very usable even in smaller stuff with a little shape...

[prjwebb]

Ha a 6'1" feels giant to me now!

[core personal training]

yeah, i know how ya feel...after spending this time on the 510hf, i jumped on a friends 6'6 step up while she tested the HF...felt like a sunset board..!!..was holding bottom turns all the way to the next beach...!!...well almost..........

[Fritzkat]

6-4 Dominator
6-5 Activator
6-4 Hell Fire
6-6 Quadra Five
6-7 HellRazor

[buzzy]

Fritzcat, how do you find using the 6'4" Dom, and the same length in the Hellfire? What was the logic for that approach?

[cboy21]

5'4 SP amazing in knee high to chest high crap and works really well with my longboard
5'10 js revolution had a dumpster diver and find this better as its of a lower volume, perfect for waist to headhigh waves
6'1 Fred Rubble A really good shortboard, hides heaps of volume so also a good groveller
6'2 Taj Probably the best shortbaord that i have ever had just find it a little short
6'3 flexfire Good shortbaord in flatter good waves, perfect in long walling points and reefs where you want to do 10 turns and link them with heaps of speed
6'3 proton Is just like the taj but a little longer, if they ever make the taj in a 6'3 ill get that when i snap this
6'6 Chilli Just a good round pin, will replace with flexfire when it snaps as i got it berfore i started ridding firewires

[kdropin]

core you picking up a razor?

[Fritzkat]

Hi Buzzy.
Couple long winded reasons for the 6-4 dominator. Purchased the Dom first, ( I always like to see the board first so I get what I paid for and want and I liked what I saw) then I bought the Hellfire after the Quadra Five.

Reason A..(6-4 DOM) I wanted the extra foam (41 Litres) and flotation so I "did not" have to get another board ($$$) like a long board or a Sweet Potato. I liked the low entry Rocker, Wide round Pin Tail, Round nose and 5 fin set up. Easy paddle (out paddling alot of people) on mediocre to good waves, (if it is really blown out and crappy I'd rather work out on total gym) I dont like the thought of riding a long board, this (DOM) seemed like a good compromise. Never intended the DOM to be a one size fits all waves board, but this is my most used board in the quiver due to consistant mediocre and crowded conditions where I live, Its a keeper and if it breaks in half unrepairably, I would buy a DOM again at 6-4 and or get a 6-5 Activator if the tail is appealing.

Reason B The 6-4 Dom is.. My wider than the average surfer stance due to my long Giraffe legs so my back and knees are not being compromised when doing snaps. Floatation wise I could surf on a 6-2 or even a 6-0, but the DOM's dimensions at 6-2 are just a little short for my body type "I'd rather" do a larger arc'd snap (that can be tight under the right conditions) that is proportionate to my height, leg lengths and weight "than push beyond" my personal physical limits and try to pretend I am an 18 yo pro "short" surf jocky. I have had 37 years of surf injuries (knee, Back and shoulder) to know better and injuries do catch up with you as you get older and you re-injure keeping you out of the water and WORK$$$.. Its easier to be a spectator on less than knee high surf that 140 to 160 pounders can rip up..

Reason C for the 6-4 HELL FIRE is that I felt confident on its shape after seeingand holding the 6-4HF at a surf shop (comparing it to a 6-6 HF) and hearing the forum board reviews. Feeling the need for a narrower, thinner pinchier tail perfomance board for hollow more powerful waves, but not too narrow as I have a shoe size 14 on my feet, it has less foam and more rocker and just as I expected less float and a slightly harder paddle, But once your in on that perfect waves it flies and performs better than expected. ITS NOT a DOG and it is in my truck with the DOM for every surf mission in case the waves are clean fast and hollower I thought about a 6-6 Hell Fire when its way over head, but the floatation might be too much for my weight for most.

Reason D. At miminum I am sticking to 35 litres no less and the 6-4 Dom is perfect for mediocre waist high to Head high, the 6-4 Hell fire perfoms great in the shoulder to over head clean glassy performance and hollow waves. and 6-6 Quadra Five does just fine for the head high to the rare double over my head performance waves. I stand at 6-6 (200 lbs) FYI for scale.

By the way, respectfully, my brother Mike is a great new shaper on the NORTH SHORE of Oahu with focus on twin fins & Quads tested at Rocky Point, V Land and Kammies and I could get at cost boards from him, but his shapes dont appeal to my body type and style like of my selected Firewires do. A lot of guys ride his boards and rip. I am just different in stance and expectations. 371 thats him on a twinfin at my favorite break.



Fritzcat, how do you find using the 6'4" Dom, and the same length in the Hellfire? What was the logic for that approach?

[Freaked_Out]

Hey Buzzy,
Interested how you 6'8" round tail alternator fits in you quiver. I have a 6'4" dom and a 6'6" helfire like you, be interested whn you choose the 6'8" alternator over thise 2 boards?

[hwork50]

Fritz,

I have a 6'2" DOM and a 6'2" Hellfire, and I ride the DOM in 80 % of the surf I live by. That board is so good for my 185 6'3" body. I have lots of paddle power and tons of maneuverability. Just chiming into say that I have the same 2 sizes and it works for me. I use the DOM on the points and Hellfire on the beachbreaks where it is a little faster. Depending on swell and other things, of course. I would like to add a 6'0" Spitfire to round out the quiver.

[buzzy]

Fritzkat, thanks for that. I'm looking for a board for those 3-4 foot ground swell winter days that are more common place at that time of year. The Hellfire looks like the ideal step up from the Dom for that, but I'm vacilating between the 6'4" and 6'6", particularly given the 6'6" has around a 2 litre reduction in volume over the Dom anyway.

Freaked_Out, my list is an "ideal", not actual. To my knowledge unless you're great mates with Nev (and much as I'd like to be I'm not) there's no such option as a 6'8" roundtail Alternator. I'd love to get one though. I do use the 6'8" square tail Alternator and find it a great board when waves develop a bit more punch. I'm pretty sure I'd like it better for the conditions I use it in though as a round tail. I imagine it'd lose some low end grunt, but work better in that 3 to 6 foot range. I don't have the 6'6" Hellfire yet - it's next board off the rack, so to speak. I see that as a good intermediate point between the Dom and Alternator.

Incidentally, when I say 3 foot I mean 6 foot faces, 6 foot = 2 x overhead etc.

[core personal training]

cboy21....if you have not already, test a 604 taj...rides a lot shorter than you think...

kdropin....just nutting that out now..at this stage i'm first going to feel out the thicker 602MB as i need a full HPerf replacement...maybe too much volume but i want a 602...we will see...if i lose drive/bite i will get the thinner version when its in or replace the flexfire 602 x 18 3/4 x 2 1/2...WHAT A BOARD...a full comp style hi perf stick that grovels too...then yes..a 603 razor...then i'll muck around with the full grovelers....but what about my hellfire.??..dont really want to get off it..!!

[cboy21]

hey core yeh i have tried the 6'4 but its just a little bit to big, if it was 2 1/4 or 2 5/16 it would go really well but i just found it to thick which had it sitting too much on top of the wave rather than sitting into it, i think i might get a 6'2 and make it a little wider and thinner like 19 and 2 5/16 but thats just me thinking out loud, Id really like to get a MB but again they are just way to thick for tall lanky people so hopefully it comes to custom :D

[Fritzkat]

Buzzy if you get the Chance (if you have not already) look at a 6-4HF and a 6-6HF side by side. I did and at 200lbs after feeling the rails, nose tail bottom contours etc, I chose the 6-4HF. It rarely gets double over head here where I live, at best 1.5 headhigh. I wanted a board I could ride, get barreled and have preformance with from shoulder high to 1.5X head high. the 6-4 can still handle 2X overhead just need to paddle harder to get into that wave face. "If I lived on Oahu", in the winter where its dbl over head++ 4 days a week, I would have gone with the 6-6 HF and after looking online at the Hell Razor template probably the 6-9HR. But where I am at, the 6-4HF is the best board for the wave averages.

[Chris]

good advice Fritzy.

[Freaked_Out]

Thanks Buzzy,
I was thinking the 6'8" alternator was the 6'10" which is the round tail sorry. I like the look of this board as a real easy paddler when I am feeling surfed out but couldnt justify the overlap as my 6'6" HF probally paddles similar and "how many boards can on dude carry". Guess you could go a 6'8" custom if you could be bothered waiting. Yer as a step up, you defineltly go 6'6" HF in my opinion from the 6'4" DM. Other wise loose too much paddle speed which is what you want with as step up. Not that a 6'4" HF would be a bad board for you but not probally as a step up IMO.

[mads sand]

My quiver
5,8 sweetpotato
6,2 dominator
6,2 spitfire
6,3 fuego and for 2012 6,4 alternator and mb 6,6

[iggy]

Sweet potato
spitfire
michel bourez

[Chris]

PotatoNator
El Fuego
Hellrazor
Michel
Alternator Round Tail

2ft to double overhead.

[Chris]

better would be 2 ideal 3 board quivers because 3 is more practical.

Potato
Spitty
Michel

or

Potatonator
Hellfire
Alternator Round

[iggy]

Hey Chris how is that potatonator riding?

[Chris]

not riding it as much because the swell has been great. mostly my alternator and hellrazor.

surf is quieting and the NPAC is shutting down so i'll be getting on it plenty in the coming weeks.

But its a BLAST. Will likely be my go to small wave board.

[iggy]

Ups...checkmark for that one!!. So you place it over your Spitfire I assume

[Chris]

sort of. I think its for smaller surf though. the tail makes it sit a little high if you get going real fast.

thing is if I lived on the east coast, I would probably ride a potato, spitfire, fuego, and alternator.

with slightly better waves here on the west coast, I am kind of riding everything a step in the better wave direction: potatonator, Fuego, Razor, Michel....

[Wandi]

Already got 2 boards to pay for in the next couple of months though... I think the money would be better towards a SP than the step up, but as I said, rare opportunity to get one for a great price.

Hey mate
Did you end up buying this board

[prjwebb]

Not yet, it's still on the cards though.

[Wandi]

I had a chance to pick up a 6'10 DD cheap but someone beat me to it
In hindsight it was probably a little too big
I'm thinkIng I will lock in a 6'8
In bigger waves I like to be up and riding rather than scratching to get into the wave
How much you looking at paying Prj Webb if you don't mind me asking

[prjwebb]

it's listed on a classified site for £250, but is on ebay with 1 day left at £62 or something I believe. The thing is, it's unused. It's yellowed quite a bit with age, but it's not been surfed at all.
The catch is, it's 6'6" x 18.75" x 2.25", so it's got to be an older one. I'd rather have the 2.38" or 2.50" one to be honest. 2.25" seems thin for a step up! If it goes too cheap to pass up though I'll have to throw in a bid. I just missed out on a 6'2" x 18.63" x 2.25" prototype Direct Drive that was build in the USA by £5. It went for £180 or something.

[Wandi]

Back on topic though
I think my ideal quiver changes all the time depending on fitness and what the waves are doing
My quiver is still without a step up board which catches me out every now and then
Trying to justify having a barely used board in the shed
Right now my ideal quiver would be
5'8 Potatonator
5'8 Dom
5'10 Hellfire
6'0 MB (thicker version because I'm lazy)
6'2 DD flex fire round tail (when I'm feeling fit)
6'8 DD step up

[prjwebb]

That 606 went for a decent price but not bargain enough to justify me buying it. It'd literally be a board I use a couple of times a year.

[Chris]

rode my potatonator yesterday at swamis. super fun. waist high consistently with head high sets occasionally.

LOVE IT in the small stuff. tail feels way bigger than the Dom, but its definitely easier to move and throw around than the potato. the added rocker in the nose and reduced width makes takeoffs SO MUCH easier. there were a few little suckies on the reef and never once did I think I was going to pearl. easier to keep in the pocket.

That being said, the added area in the tail left me wanting less when the big waves came through so it is STILL a small wave board but you are going to feel a bit freer on this one when compared to the potato. You do have to paddle harder as well!

[surferireland]

Any videos of anyone on the potatonator yet?

[buzzy]

I've felt up some in store Hellfires. A 6'4" seems the ticket. Do folk think there'd be too much crossover with a;

6'4" Dom
6'4" Hellfire
6'8" Alt?

[kdropin]

Any videos of anyone on the potatonator yet?

theres one of chuy

[prjwebb]

I really want to order a 5'10" x 19" x 2.31" Alternator from the CBD. I figure Sweet P for 1-2ft or mush. Sub scorcher for 2-3ft peaky stuff, grovelly Alternator for bigger, lined up slopey stuff and Taj for 3ft plus and steep.

I love the Sub, but for bigger beach breaks where you're paddling a lot chasing the peaks it's a big hard work on that little board.
That Alternator could end up being my replacement for the Sub when the time comes, unless the Sub ends up in the CBD.

[Chris]

Yeah we also have one of Timmy Reyes that I'll post this week!

[kdropin]

more hellrazor vids too

[Chris]

we'll get cranking.

[buzzy]

I've felt up some in store Hellfires. A 6'4" seems the ticket. Do folk think there'd be too much crossover with a;

6'4" Dom
6'4" Hellfire
6'8" Alt?

I'm thinking 6'4" Futura instead of Hellfire now,

[Slowman]

I've felt up some in store Hellfires. A 6'4" seems the ticket. Do folk think there'd be too much crossover with a;

6'4" Dom
6'4" Hellfire
6'8" Alt?
Buzzy, do you know what the bottom contour is on the Futura? Either way that quiver looks like it covers everything.

[prjwebb]

Futura is a subtle single concave.
I feel like when I've got my SP in hand my quiver is going to cover pretty much everything I surf. Wouldn't mind a 6'3" or something round tail for bigger days when on trips. I've got my eye on a 6'2" x 19" x 2.5" round tail Alternator on ebay at present that would be a good mini set up. I know Chris likes that one.

[buzzy]

I think it's the same single concave that all the early boards had.

I ordered the Futura sight unseen today, which customs aside I haven't done before. The quiver should now easily cover everything I surf.

[Chris]

stoked buzzy!

Yeah Prj the Alternator is exactly that. I rode it in the shot of swamis I posted which was kind of a swollen up to double overhead swell. If it were a reef pass in indo, I would go 603 flexfire round tail. But maine in a heavy suit, or here on a full tide combo that has some soft spots its great because you can get in early!!

[prjwebb]

I let the one on ebay go, even though it was a bargain price. Can't justify it right now, too many new boards happening at the minute!

[iggy]

Sold my old flex fire to a good friend for a very good price. Seems like that 6'2" is gonna get some big ones!!
Getting closer to this year's quota

[Magnet]

At present;

6'4" Dom
6'6" Hellfire
6'6" Alt
6'8" round tail Alt

Buzzy how do you find the 6'6" Hellfire, tossing up between this and the 6'4, I'm your weight and age, not the strongest paddler.

[buzzy]

That was an "ideal" list. I was tossing up between the 6'4" HF and the 6'6" HF myself. For my preferences if there was a board around the 38 litre mark that would be ideal. And I'd always liked 6'6" as a length. I ended up getting a Futura instead at 6'4". The intended use is to sit between the Dom and Alt...I'd probably use it on cleaner days from say chest high and up but I imagine there will be a lot of cross over with the Alt and Dom.

I'm still waiting on an ETA delivery date for the board.

[Fritzkat]

Quiver needs to Add a 6-7 Hell Raiser RF, and a 6-3 Activator RF

569570

[iggy]

You tape the unused plugs to decrease drag I see?

[Fritzkat]

Yeah, super thin packing tape, looped back pull tabs for easy on off. I need all the entry speed I can get moving on. Even sand the boards with 300 grit. I would like to try the Nanotune when it gets here. ...

[Magnet]

Ha cheers buzzy yeah 38 l is my magic number too. Have 6'2 spit at 38 and feels perfect. Have surfed 6 4 hf and liked it, caught waves easily but found general paddling a bit slow and I'm a lazy paddler. Keen to see how much performance I'd give up on the 6'6 before deciding so will try to snag a demo.