Quadraflex vs. Hellfire?

Hey FW Crew - diggin' the new blog site here - formerly JackSikma but couldn't seem to renew at this site with that name. Hoping you might be able to help me with a travel board dilemma. I currently surf my go-to 6'6" Quadraflex that I absolutely love in good punchier San Diego surf. It's an older model (#16500ish), so a bit thinner than the newer Quadra-5 templates. I'm guessing it is right around 36L or so in volume. I'm a bigger surfer at 6'3" and run about 210lbs (+/-depending on how many IPAs I'm getting into), surfing 10 years, maybe intermediate skill (+ on a good day).

So... after saving up for a couple years I have the ultimate surf trip coming up in February - round-the-world, dream trip type of thing. So I'm looking for a single-board quiver that will perform well in the softer points of Ecuador to more hollow waves in Indo. I realize that no one board can do it all, but trying to come close at least.

Because I'm going to be in so many types of waves, I have been thinking that a 5-fin setup would be ideal for the trip to give me the quad/thruster choice along the road. Seems like it would be really nice to have the option to switch up to the more solid feeling of a thruster when the waves get heavier. But while I know and trust my 606 quadraflex, and the 606 Q5 is probably quite similar, it seems like it would be a shame to drop $$ on a 606 Q5 just for the 5th fin option (and a little more float I'm guessing). The brand new 608 Q5 seems like too much float for me at 42.3L.

With this in mind I've just recently been getting all fired up on the 604 Hellfire (36.7L). Based on the Nev vids and detailed posts from the guys in Costa Rica, this sounds like a really solid choice for good waves and might be what I'm looking for. Just held one today at SurfRide and it felt good under the arm. Feedback from one of my surfing buddies after some great head-high Cliffs sessions last weekend was that I look more comfortable on my 6'2" KG twin and that the board "isn't fighting me". Makes me think I might want to go towards a performance hybrid that gives me a touch more float and glide through the flat spots.

OK, rambling and clearly been thinking about this too much! So if you were to pick a single 5-fin all-arounder from either a 606 Quadra-5 or the 604 Hellfire what would you go for? Maybe even the 606 Hellfire? Since I'm in San Diego, is it possible to hook up a demo for a day??

Thanks for the great surfboards and all of the spot-on advice here!

Hey Surfpilgrim...

Just call the guys at Surf Ride Solana and let them know what board you are looking for in a Demo, then say that Chris and/or Chuy offered to bring it by as long as we have it. Have them give us a call or an email, they have both Chuy and my emails....

That's the fastest way to get a demo. if we don't have the board we can wrap a bit.

FYI to others reading this post: we are located REALLY close to Surf Ride so unfortunately this service isn;t available to everyone.

Thanks!

Hell Fire for clean, performance to Hollow shoulder to Head +1/2 high waves.
Quadra five for larger open face waves Head to Double over head

Hey Underrdog,
The 610 was a more recent addition to the line so there aren't going to be many at retail. If you are heading to SD, give one of the shops you know out there a call and have them place a request. I am on the road so inquire at a few shops then if no luck, ask o e of your choice to call our offices. Thanks.

Will do...thx for the response.

Cheers and thanks!

Hey Chris (and anyone else). I was just looking at the Quadrafive as a potential new board. Not so long ago I was typically surfing a Webber Afterburner and similar shapes from folk such as Outer Island in Australia, and this board seems to be very similar (except a 5 finner and not a pure thruster). I take it this board is a close relative of the Alternator. Is that right? Can you spell out how the boards are different and how that impacts which surf the boards work best in?

hey buzzy...yep along the lines of the alt..tweaked outline etc to accommodate the configuration if i remember correctly...the afterburner feels a little fishy to me...haven't ridden the Q5 but imagine if its like the alt that its closer to a hi-perf feel...

btw...gotta love mitchells guns....

Thanks Core. Sadly I've never had one of Mitchell's guns, just a couple of standard shortboards. Now that more of my quiver is Firewire there's a risk I won't buy an Outer Island again but the craftsmanship and skill in his boards is amazing.

i'm the same, i ride full hp boards in all conditions...i DONT ride fish...i dont even like hybrids...until nev talked me into the hellfire..!!...probably because if ridden small it behaves as a full hp....

i've pretty much always ridden nevs...dont buy others...i hand them out to demo continually and that is how i test all the other boards...

oh, you just removed the "blah" that my post referenced.....