fragile

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.

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

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.

Well I've found this study
http://www.ista.org/forms/LEINBERGER...ns06_paper.pdf

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!