I went to the Currumbin store a few of years ago...it was pretty exciting!!

If anyone has a used TJ board in the UK they wanna sell me then send me a message....

Thanks lads. Gonna get the study glasses on and look at light wind/mush wave options. It's like a new world opening up with the whole range to look at :-) I have an old rocket surfboard which is beaut so looking to replace it in FW kite construction. It'll back up my taj and hellfire nicely:-)

Does that include the 'lost' shaped boards, like the 'stealth' ??

I'm from the uk but have surfed heaps all over the Northern Beaches as I've got family there and got to say the Spit would be awesome there. Wish I had mine when I was there last, especaily in those nor easters! Whale beach, North Av be sick!!

some pics from Ireland last weekend, Firewire Taj getting put thru its paces by Keith McGeown and Al Bennett

And do you guys know what these bubbles are? I have gotten them on my last two boards and one of my friends who bought a Lost Stealth FW got the same problems after only two months. It's weird. any ideas? It can't be the sun, because we live in the Netherlands, not much sun here.

Hi guys, thanks for the replies, but there were no cracks before or repairs on this board. It was in a good state. And the bubbles on the board are weird too. I always take good care of the board and don't leave it in the sun. I am a believer too (and want to stay one), but this is weird.

ps. I am trying to upload the pictures with the URL but I am not allowed because FW fights spam and I still have a lack of posts.. Anybody an idea how to post the pictures? I guess I have to post on this forum more, almost like spam.. ;)

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. I will contact Myles. These are the pictures. The whole white area is delaminated and makes a weird, squelching sound when I gently push on the area with my finger. The second picture is about the strange bumps on the front, it's not an immediate problem but it is not normal and it seems to contain air under the outer layer as well. Buzzy, I had a crack on my Hellfire and of course I wouldn't contact FW for that and just repair it, s*&*t happens :) but this is a bigger problem, especially because I didn't hit something.

currently running SP4 quad with FCS knubster ........goes well ( Spitty 5'8 ) ... knubster gives it a bit more hold in the bigger stuff ... such a fun fast board !! would recommend.

Lol yeah crackin means great in ireland (and England)

5'8 celeritas
I'm 6'0 and 84 kgs and love the 5'10 hellfire in light winds and mushy waves as a quad. I move to 5'11 taj as soon as I can as its my go to board when there's wind and waves. Hellfire is different board to celeritas even tho I use it in similar circumstances. I'm not a fan of stiff boards and once I started riding FW I haven't looked back. Only wish it was available in 5'8 as sometimes 5'10 feells abit big. If your lighter than me go for the 5'6 hellfire. It's cracking also

I had a celeritas until it finally gave up the ghost:-) great board. I used it and the taj 5'11 which has been replaced with the kp1

I replaced the celeritas with hellfire 5'10 which makes a perfect combo for onshore mush waves along with the taj for proper waves :-)

Hi,

BP 5'7 or PN 5'10 for 1-3ft super weak closing out mushy beach break? SF is great in waist high plus but want something for smaller days

hi prjwebb - were do you get your 'powerbase' fins from in Cornwall ?....thanks

5'11'' Taj West Coast of Ireland - KSP event

We find the 5'11'' Taj and the Hellfires a perfect combo to cover for all wave conditions, these pics were taken at the only decent day of weather/swell at this years KSP event in Achill/Belmullet

Rider - Keith McGeown
Location - Secret Spot, Belmullet

6'0'' quad

North coast strapless fun on small wave day

rider - al bennett
location - Castlerock

5'6'' Hellfire in Ireland

Having fun on 5'6'' Hellfire on a small wave day

Rider Keith Mcgeown
Location Northern Ireland

Got a set of pc7 on the way Sweet!

Mayhem 5 fin set?? just seen them, nice and big looking and has the quad option too....little more money though

I'm after a set of all rounders as i'll surf my Spitfire in pretty much anything as for the moment its my one board quiver.

Cheers for that!

That separates the two fins for me so on that I think the PC7 will be best.

Cheers

Hey Guys

Do you think the K3 thruster fins would work in my 6'0 Spit? Currently using SF4 fins but as a tri set up, not ideal but trying to work out what's best. Given my weight I know I would be better suited to large fins but I've come across some cheap ones.

Cheers

hwork50, what fins have you tried in your Spit? Got a 6'0 coming and looking for a good large sized thruster set

Hi

I'm looking at a Baked in either 5'5 or 5'7, the 5'5 at 36lt seems the perfect amount of volume for me as I currently stepping up in size from my 5'8 PN to a 5'10 PN or 6'0 SP

The 5'7 at 40lts seems like tons of float to me, its a massive change!

Will be using it in small knee high up to waist/gut high waves, mostly slack wind swell

Any feedback will be great

Cheers

defo - one of the 'characters' on tour ......

all this talk of futures the way to go - makes me feel left out . Got FCS - still searching for the magic fin setup - any advice re FCS on a spitty ?

thanks

Just got my hellfire 5'10 in post :-)
Im Looking advice on fins. I'm 85 kg and will b using the board in smaller waves. I have the taj for bigger waves. I prefer thruster setup and am thinking lost mb1 or clay marzo model. Any recommendations.
Cheers
Al

thank you so much guys... Just ordered a 6'6'' Hellfire, it just sucks that it won't be here till November... I am already super excited!

Thanks that helped a lot! and made me worry less. what finds do you ride on your baked potato i was thinking of getting some controllers. and do you think the white rapid fire is stronger than rapid fire?

really Controller's in a SPF ....i have asked & been told cntrollers now go for SPF ....more El feugo ..... i have a 5'8 SPF & still surfing with quad sp4 it came with ( only had 1mth ) ....but keen to experiment ...so any FCS info woulf be great ...

Cool! Just ordered a set of Simons in the red PC, finally tracked a pair down....might get some GMB fins later on. I don't think I'll ever surf the PN as a thruster

Has anyone used the Mayhem GMB 5 fin set? Keen to pull the trigger on a set to use on a Potatonator and Spitfire....was keen on the Simons but they dont offer a 5 fin set

Anyone tried the mayhem large 5 fin set?

Rnf....

Sounds good.

I've got a Potatonator but I think it will have a fair bit of over lap with the Fuego, Sweet or Baked for the smaller stuff I think.

I'm sold on the MR fins!

Cheers

Fancy selling the fuego

got a 5'8 spit ( only had 1mth ) so only handful of surfs so far - but love it . Still using the standard FCS quad set it came with ( DTL surf shop hayle cornwall ) ......any thoughts on the best set up . Any info on how the Indo Fins ( controllers ) for FCS would go ......know they work on the EF but would they on the SF.

thanks is advance.

hey all,
here's a quick update on my MB situation :
I was gonna order the thicker 5'8 MB, but it wasn't available for another two months, so I ended up getting the thinner 5'8 hoping it'd be enough foam for me. The board got here and man I knew the volume was just right ! The board is thick where it needs to be, and I'm convinced that the thicker version would have been a bit too thick on the rail for me, so I'm already stoked and can't wait to take it out.
I put K2 FCS fins on the board and waited for a good swell to come through. Well... I'm in France for the summer, and late June wasn't the best to say the least. Tired of waiting for the right conditions, I ended up paddling out in 2 feet windy, shifty, but still punchy beach break surf. Not the right conditions for the MB, on paper at least - but the board was incredibly fun even in these shitty conditions : paddles very well (even though I had been a bit concern by the overall volume, I actually believe that on this model, and if you're in good shape, less is better), is lightning fast, and very responsive. The boards is very easy to generate speed on, even through mushy sections, and because it is so responsive, you can easily negotiate the crumbly/closed-out sections. Stoked.
I got a couple similar sessions, and then came the good swell : glassy 4-5 ft powerful hollow beach-break. The MB was just what I was looking for : it handles steep drops very well, with the tail locking in easily and allowing you to push hard on your bottom turns with full control. It is very fast, and you can trim fast in the steepest part of the wave. The best part was going for big turns, under the lip or pushing hard through it, and being able to recover and go straight into another bottom turn without loosing control at all. You can surf that model vertically much more easily than a standard shortboard.
I love the board and would recommend it to anyone who wants to push his performance surfing ; regarding the size/thickness, I'd say don't be afraid to go short and "thin", the board has a lot of hidden volume and will paddle well enough.
Oh, and I'm not the kind of guy who just raves about his new board no matter what; I'm pretty picky. Regarding the MB model, I can honestly say that he board is insane, so many thanks to the firewire crew for putting out such a good stick!

How about MF-1, PC-7 OR SA2 Thrusters?? Would the k2.1 set be too small for me at 188lbs? as I like the idea of a 5 fin set so I can play around with quad and thruster set ups with the one set?

Creased it in waist high waves, but i'm quite heavy handed to be honest....still preffer the RF for small waves though just for that extra pop/spring feel

Enjoy!

I done the same two 5'10s broke one sold the other, now onto a 6'0 but got a feeling i'll be seeing a 5'10 soon....6'0 just feels a bit big and strangly feels narrow in the nose and not as stubby and wide!

Yeah you got to factor in everything like what wetsuits you'll wear most, how often you'll be out etc. I had a 5'11 which was ok but long flat spells, winter around the corner i'm trading in for a 6'1 for a little extra volume. And you have to be realistic about the type of waves you surf. Great board!

Surfing my Pnator the other day and my leash broke and my board gets sent to the shore break and gets rolled around on the stones in the high tide shore break! Resulting in two dings, a few rail cracks and a few scratches under the nose! Gutted as only a month old. Professional repair job under yay for that board.

Just picked up a used Rf Spitfire and its got some dark bamboo patches on the deck and under the nose, there is no dings anywhere on the board and not even any cracks, its barely got any pressure dents on it. So anything to be worried about or just the colouring of the wood? Will posts some pics soon. Cheers

Looking for a set of fins for a 6'0 Spit, kind of want maybe a 5 set so I can try out quads as well as thruster. Would the K2.1 be to small for me and should I look at a large set, Quite like the look of Simon Andersons thruster set. Any ideas for mainly junky surf??

Cheers people.

Any waves on the PN yet??

So thinking of swaping my boards around to get a one board quiver. Sold my ELF as it just didn't work for me (even though it looked like a great shape) maybe not enough volume. And i've been offered a swap for my 6'0 PN for a mint 6'0 Spit. Had a 5'10 before which I loved but think the 6'0 would be even better for my local waves which are high tide wind swell most of the time. PN 6'0 was really fun the couple of times I surfed it although it was really floaty and bouyent but still turned real easy....i'm going to surf the 5'8 a few more times though to get a feel for it.

So a good idea or not....would the PN be too limited??

Kind of spins me out when I have to much to chose from....i'm the kind of guy who has one board for 2-6ft and surfs it till it dies!

Got an old log for 1ft summer waves

Sounds awesome, love mid to north NSW coast, brother lives in whale beach on the northern beaches but so much onshores there. Wish I had my ELF when I was last in OZ, so versitile!

They sound good to me!

Chris any idea when they will be hitting the uk?

I got both sizes, had the 5'8 first surfed it about 4-5 times in nothing over waist high and went ok, but always had a gut feeling i should be up a size on all my boards (previous boards 5'10 spit,dom, 5'11 elf) so picked up a used 5'10 to try out and sell on if i dont like it. Havent surfed it yet but should do this week.

The surf at my home break really weak waves nothing ever bigger than head high and thats pretty uncommon really and lots of long flat spells, so for that type of surf,fitness,weight i think it will go best....it will move better across flat sections better and keep up speed.

Normall days are 2-3ft high tide wind swell so should be the business.

Better waves with more punch 5'8 would be a keeper.

Has anyone tried MR TFX fins in the PN? Some on ebay at the moment with the trailer fin, not sure if their worth a shot, maybe the fronts with sf4 back fins??

Yeah I just picked up a used 5'10 RF PN to compare against my 5'8 FST PN and they have been surfed about the same amount of times and the differnece is massive, coming from a heavy handed/heavy footed surfer they are so much different....5'10 weighs more than the 5'8 FST so theirs not much weight difference.

For me personally I think the RF looks better, probally surfes better in the smaller side of things but you cant beat de-waxing a board after 10-15 surfes and hardly any marks to it....got to love that durability!

God that sounds good....cant wait to see how the PN and ELF go!

Hey Goanna, how you getting on with your Pn after being a Elf rider? Did you find it just ended up not being used much?

That board looks right up my street, cant wait to grab one of those!

Yes agreed, i had a spitfire for about two years as a one board quiver and used it in 2ft to head high and like baker says just change the fins around to suit, anything smaller i just took out a log. Gonna get me a WRF one when they hit our shores!

Yeah and whats the tweaked spitfire?

Gotta see a pic of this WRF Baked?? sounds awesome!

Yes agreed, Potatonator does cover alot of conditions and kind of makes other hybrid boards redundant if you already have a hellfire/MB....spend the extra coin you wont be dissapointed!

Good point, i like my 5'8 but i'm trying a size up to see the difference, especially with winter around the corner. If it gets more waves and floats me more over the flat sections then happy days and it is for crap days

SF4s Standard!! love em! might even treat myself to some PCs

Nice video....Love that area!

STC67 I'm in the same boat as you, my fuego is great but in open faced good size waves then it really comes into its own, unfourtunatly for me thats not very often.

My PN though goes great in knee high plus normally rubbish wind swell and high tide, so that quiver has me covered and my fuego will be reserved for when its on!

Yeah my ELF is just collecting dust these days, dont think i'd use it again untill I went on a trip somewhere with good waves. I dont need a good wave board either as we dont get good waves. So PN for me covers a lot of conditions

Hey Iggy

How did you get on with the RF version? Did it feel much different?

Ha! Good effot Cuttle! I dont think i'll be able to wait for the FST either. Looks like the inbetween brother of the PN SP

new Mojo pad ready to slash it up.........

Attachment here she is ......

Yep super fun board! Cant wait to get some SA2 Quads for mine.

Wouldn't mind trying out a 5'10 in the weaker waves, especially if it still performs well.

Surfed mine today but twanged my back and cut my foot on the groynes so getting dosed up incase of waves first thing tomorrow! Other than that it was fun in very bad waves.

I rode a 5'10 Spit now a 5'11 ELF and i've got the 5'8 PN....surfed it in 1ft to 3ft so far and goes really well, better in 2ft+ (nothings that great in 1ft) weak wind swell too. Never surfed a SP but to be honest if I had my SF still i'd probally get a 5'4 SP for cruzing the 1ft range....but having said that i'm really getting into my PN, its the only board i go to now so i'd say 2" shorter than your DM or for more of a groveller match the size

Yep boardshop's the place to go, good stock and Firewire distubition is next door. Happy days!

Haha yeah got to get your prioritys staight!

I'm in Wittering mate, sunny sussex!

Second that. I just use the SF4 fins and switch them around for quad or thurster, here on the south coast its just wind swell anyway

to prjwebb - when you say K3 setup on the SF - is that as a quad or thruster...?

Yeah Prjwebb is right Ocean and Earth Customix tail pads, Owen Wright one's. Pretty neat idea but most of all their nice and chunky with a big kick tail.

Hi - seen lots of recommendations to ride the Spit with the FCS MR twin fins then say a a standard thruster in the centre ( as above only surfed it once so far ) so want to get used to it before start tinkering - running as aquad with the standard provided quad set up SP4's ?? i think .........intersted on thoughts part. around the MR fin setup.

Good stuff Baker....out of interest how do you feel about your RF construction?

I might have to wait for the WRF Spitty to come out!

Ha maybe a little warmer over your way! I'm getting into the PN for 2ft plus waves so I think she's a keeper. I would like to get hold of a used SP though to give it a go, but the PN has it covered for the moment. The fuego i'm not to sure still, had instant love for my old rapidfire spitfire so think i might trade it for a FST one. I'll have to wait a couple of months though so i'll still get some more waves on them both

Ah yeah makes me miss my old Spity....enjoy.

Think I would wait for FST too, had two Spitfire's and creased one then sold the other after 6 months whille it was still worth some coin. Love the look and feel of them though, especially in smaller surf. On the other hand if it lasts a year then atleast you get the stoke of buying a new one when its on its last legs :-)

Yeah I dont really have the need for a high performance board these days, wish I did! Your right about the Spit but the SP or BP would just be super fun when its 1ft - 2ft and full of longboarders

when CBD in france? We are in 2012
thanks to the french firewire fans

Yes good pads those. Nice a chunky in the tail so no slipping off!

Attachment

Couple of my current sleds

Always changing though!!!

Cool cheers for that.

Always good to hear other peoples feedback.

I can imagine the ELF going really well in some long walling points straight top to bottom stuff!

Wish I was taking my Elf to the maldives! Out of interest Matt what sort of waves do you surf your Elf in back in the UK? What fins do you ride too?

Jes those fins look good. How did you manage to get two back fins in the Mr set? Tidy!

Waiting to get a set of MR TFX twins with small back fin. Need more time on it as a quad.

So is it stronger than the normall rapidfire construction?

That Potatonator feels strange in my hands, doesn't have the nice curves of the ELF!! Will take some getting use too!

On the money I think!

Waist high all good, smaller no good, its in its element in waist to head high I think.

As for volume I think its borderline for me, when its good surf its fine anything else a bit of a struggle, especially if i've not been in for a couple of weeks. The 6'1 could be good for smaller knee high waves.

Just surfed a Potatonator in knee high and went great, knee high wind swell too and it sat nice and high in the wave and bouyant, its ideal for small waves! cant wait to try it in bigger stuff.

Think it could make the ELF redundant!

Hmmm maybe, maybe just need to get my foot placement dialled in as i've only surfed it a few times. Had some good one's though in the waist high region.

Been surfing my ELF recently and everytime I get into a wave I always seem to bog the board down and it all comes to a stop. Do yopu think its my foot placment being to far back? Because if I paddle quite far up the nose of the board it just catches everything and a couple of inches back you get nothing! Waves have been very poor I must add! thigh high and weak stuff!

Been using sf4's as a thruster untill I get the MR Super twins.

Cheers!

FW-Fan, Cheers mate. I'm in the UK but I have just got a pair on order, just have to wait for them to come in!....cant wait to try em out.

So I cant track down a set of simon anderson large quad fins so what else would work well, how about k2.1 quad and thruster set?

Nice!

Goanna,

How's the PNator go compared to the Fuego? Looking at a 5'8 and i've got a 5'11 Fuego at the moment, just want something to cover a bigger range like 1ft plus up to head high.

I surfed mine in chest high wind swell the other day and it was super fast and REALLY lively, its so good on the tail and goes great as a thruster! Super responsive board!

Hey, cheers mate. Simon's i'll probally get as my 5'8 Pnator is fcs and I dont think they do the Rasta's in fcs. What size do you think for me, mediums as i'm 190 lbs which I think is about 88kg?

So whats the most popular quad fins for this board then?? Simmon Andersons look good

good stuff, thanks Chris

so what were TB and MB riding yesterday out there??

Thanks for getting back Chris - I checked out the MB's quiver video and it's good stuff!
I didn't really find quiver info on Instagram, but I'm not a big computer guy so it might just be hidden somewhere...
What I'd be interested in finding out is for example what boards MB rides/brings at Snapper vs at Lowers, Tahiti and whatnot. Free-surfing vs contest, etc. I understand they're all custom, but knowing what basic templates these guys ride and how they adapt their boards for different conditions and wave types would be great info.
Whenever you get back to the office, if you can share your insights it'd be great!
Thanks

Hey

Any ideas when the compare thingy will be up working again??

Frothin to see the potatonator's stats!!

I think i'm going to surf mine a few more times with the standard SF4's and get a bit more feel for it in different conditions. Been riding quads for so long now. Need to surf for an hour on quads then come in and change them around to thrusters to really feel the difference....

Anyone has tried out the MB in 604 or 606 in the thicker versions? I was thinking of getting a Alt 606 and thought the MB could be a interesting alternative. I want a performance board for the better days, the flexfire/taj models are toothpicks for me, I like something around 35-36 liters volume....a board with less volume then my current Alt608.

Not yet, it's been ordered and should be here in a couple months...

Got my eye on these bad boys

http://store.magicseaweed.com/FCS-MR...ow/Item/13379/

Comes with the trailer fin

Buzz, I can see you have sneaked in a 604 Futura on the quiver there....its 35.4 liters, how does it compare to your current 2 board setup? How often do you surf the Futura (what conditions)?

Cheers

Hi Buzz, thanks. its not so much the quantity of waves that I have to duck, its more when the surf is big and you surf at a point where its shallow water 4-5 feet and rock reef, the energy from a 9-12 feet wave sometimes when I ducked under just rips the boards out of my hands literally. I'm in pretty good shape right now, training etc before going to Peru, so could have lost a couple of kgs, but I really don't think that's the main reason :-)... talked with some of my friends about it, seems like I do duck-diving ok according to what they can see. In deeper waters i don't have this issue at all even with bigger waves. I was observing guys with much lesser volume surely also less weight, and they tend to not have this issue that often. One of my friends also on the trip to Peru, he used a 608 PU, but with 29 liters, he is 70 kgs, and it just seems like he with less trouble ducks under these shallow water bombs, I might be doing something wrong here, not only blaming the equipment ;-) could be that I need to adjust the duck-diving for this kind of surf or do something different...or maybe its the timing of duck-diving that goes wrong on the shallower spots. I have a 605 PU, around 35 liters, its just so much easier to duck obviously, but sometimes I get the feel that the EPS have 'more' buoyancy, if you know what I mean, despite the 608 only carries ~5 more liters.

Yeah, it would be something to have an round tailed 608 step-up and a 606 alt square for the daily surf.

Cheers

I like the feel of the alt 608, maybe I should try the 606 at some point as reference.

Hi, I'm thinking of beefing up at spitfire 600 or maybe 511 via the CBD to reach a volume around 38 liters, has enyone some experience with this? I'm kind of thinking of this to get at shorter board for the smaller days, or should I then just consider a potato-nator instead? Today I have a spitfire in 604, it works well in the very small stuff, but as soon as I can I switch to my alt 608.

Aidanewen, how is the Alt 604 working for you, Im around 10 lbs heavier then you, but are seriously thinking of getting a performance shortboard around 604 606, wy current favorite picks are the thick version of the MB 604 or an alt 604 maybe with a bit extra volume. A board i can use in between the spit and alt... On good days, but less then 10 feet frontside. An alternative I'm considering is the hellfire in 604, just think is wide, however don't know how it would feel compared to a spitfire....beaing a weekend surfer, I want an easy to surf performance board.....

Cheers

Hi,

Yeah, I'll be interested in a 608 or 700 type alternator but with 35-36 liters of volume and maybe a tad narrower then my current alt in 608 and round or pin tail option..... I surfed two weeks in Peru recently, using the 608 daily, wave size was from 6-12 feet frontside, and especially on the heaver point breaks, I struggled to duck dive when on the in-side, the standard alt in 608 packs a lot of volume that I think could be reduced for the bigger days, but I love the outline and length of this board....

Cheers

That Fuego looks sick!

I surfed mine in good head high low tide croyde and was really fun, surfed it as a quad and felt like it was locked in like on train tracks especially on my back hand. Think the hellfire would have been awesome, for me anyway as I dont really have high performance shortboards in my quiver.

Went for £350 in the end, bit to pricey for me, roll on june for the P'nator yeww!

Ah cheers mate appreciate it but I think i'll see if it goes up in price first, if not I might bid and take the chance. I was only going to keep it till july time then trade it in for something else to complement my P'nator which is due in june, so as long as it stays cheap should be able to get my money back on it....

Proper nice looking 6' Sub Scorcher just gone on ebay for £250 starting price!!....not sure if it'll work in my local waves though

Yeah I wouldn't be able to pick it up for a couple of weeks so i'd just have to take the gamble. Here is the link but no picture of the repair.

Cheers for your advice!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Firewire-s...item4cfff52c77

Na its on ebay but no pictures of the repair, not sure why they would repair it that way? Unless it was creased? I know someone selling a 6ft fst next week but not sure if it'll be to big as i've started shedding some pounds recently! And its coming into summer

I've got the chance to buy a used Spitfire either a 5'10 RF or 6' FST, as my previous post above I had the 5'10 before and loved it but I buckled it and sold it and never replaced it, now there is one on ebay going cheap but repaired and quite used or I know someone in london with a FST used for a two week holiday only and less than a year old but £370 delivered which I think is fair. I'm keen on the FST as like I said I would like to go up a size to see the differnce really. Got a 5'8 P'Nator on order but not in my hands untill june so need something for now and up coming trip!???

Would be keen to hear what surferireland has to say about going up a size in boards....

I'm 5'11 and 185lbs and had a 5'10 Spit for about a year and loved it but I always had a little doubt in my mind that I should have gone for the 6' as I surf rubbish waves most of the time I think the extra volume wouldn't be a bad thing, also I tend to get a bit lazy durring flat spells!! so any extra help.

I did have some cracking surfs on my 5'10 though, I dont think there is too much between the to boards really

Yeah had a doubt in my mind it would be too big! Hard to say without seeing one to feel it up.

Was only to surf 1ft to 3ft waves....amazing if you can surf knee high waves like a shortboard as I dont really like taking the log out!!

Cheers

Would the 5'10 be ok as I was thinking of going up a size in my boards, I was really hoping to use this board as a longboard replacment up to waist high surf?

Yet on the other hand I still want to be able to turn quite easy ect

Also we dont get waves every week so its easy to slip out of surf fitness!!

Thanks for the advises guys, I think I'll go with the thicker version of the 5'8 and hope that the rails are tapered enough!
I'll definitely post a feedback here after I ride it,
Cheers,

Sick vid! Board looks super fun, nice and floaty and sits well in the wave.

Last thing, size wise 5'8?? had a 5'10 Spit and got the 5'11 Fuego on the way....i'm 190lbs but normally around 180!!

Yeah I hear what your saying. My local waves are never hollow so I think it will still have its place for me, i sold my Spitfire to get this Fuego as I think its a bit more to my style, then the potatonator came out and looks too much fun to ignore! Cheers appreciate the words!

Sweet! Good stuff. Do you think the Fuego has a place if I got the Potatonator too? For the waist to overhead days?

Hey Chris

Can I ask you opinon on two boards....PN and EF....I know you like your EF and I have one on order but I was thinking of changing it for the PN for 1ft to 3ft waves and then getting something better for better head high waves?? How do you rate the PN? Most of the time its knee high to chest high and a lot of wind swell! so i'm think the PN would be ideal.

Anyway any advice is good, i'm 5'11 and 185-195lbs surfing for 15 years

Thanks Chris,
I think the thinner version would definitely be best, but I'm going back and forth between the 5'8 and 5'10... It is recommended to ride it 2" shorter than my usual shortboard, which makes me want to go for the 5'8; but with the increased rocker and lower volume I'm concerned that I may loose too much paddle power. On the other hand, the 5'10 seems a bit too much foam, even in the thinner version...
It's hard to decide when you don't get to hold the board and feel the volume for yourself!
Has anyone ridden the 5'8 and could give feedback?
Many thanks

Surfed the Alt 608 again today, 6-8 feet nice clean close-out type beach break, though as the tide was pretty low duck diving at the sand banks were kind of interesting. Im so happy with the feeling of the Alt, only issue I have is that surfing the Spitfire in smaller surf, you become lazy with the paddling, is so easy to catch waves with the SF...that when I am changing to the Alt, I have to remember to adjust and give it a bit extra on the paddling and leg kicking.... These two boards are just complimenting eachother so well.

Cheers :-)

Great pics and video, like the barrel, sweet, and thanks for the positive words on the recommendation of the boards, seems like its all dandy with SF604 and ALT608....by the way I dont own any other boards right now so, they will go any how :-) hehe.

I surfed the Alt in 6-9 feet clean clean faces two weeks ago epic conditions, wow Im so stoked about this board, great for bigger days. I like the shape alot, thinking of making a fat 604Alt via the CBD as a more allround board for the smaller but still clean waves, sure the spitfire is good, I am just silly with the more traditional shape of the alternator and the feel of this outline.

Cheers

Firewires are just amazing, its like a cat, 9 lives.... who can beat that :-)

Just seen a real picture on google of the bottom deck and it looks all time! I used to have a Spitfire and to me it looks like a better version of that for the waves I get 80% of the time.....might change my Fuego for one and just get the 5'8 for a better allrounder

Hey Chris

Looking at the Potato-Nator for knee high waves up to waist high, i've got a 5'11 El Fuego on the way and was looking at getting a 5'10 maybe, i know the 5'8 would be around the recomended size and volume but like I said its for small weak waves, anything waist high up i'll surf the Fuego.....just something to replace a 9'1 Longboard really.....

Hi Chris, thanks.


I guess you are not able to see my signature? it contains the info you asked....

Hi There,
I'm thinking about getting a SP but as most people i am unsure about the size. I am 94 kg, 187cm and in OK shape... I would consider myself an intermediate surfer but usually I only get to surf on vacation (mostly France during the summertime and the occasional trip to further destinations during winter) and shitty waves in the netherlands every now and then, so a wetsuit is in use most of the time. Right now I am leaning towards a 5'10 but I also want to make sure to get a board that really lets me catch as many waves as possible. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated,

Ben

Pretty cool, basically I could buy the nano-coating and apply to my current Firewires?

Hi, Im curious, what is nanotuned boards?

Hi Buzz, yeah - I'm stoked about the boards fore sure, and thanks for the recommendations on the sizes, I totally agree with you a bit more foam is better then too little :-). Actually I laid up the 3 boards next to each other in the shop, Alt 6'8, HF 6'6, and SF 6'4, and when you look at them all together there is something about the HF, it just looks right, the shape/outline just so harmonic and the deep double concave, but in the end I chose the Alt because it gives me a board for the bigger days, no limits...., I mean just look at the Alt and you know its a performer, so refined and balanced. I have a trip coming up to Peru, where I expect to use Alt alot, overhead mile long surf :-).

In two weeks I will head down to Santa Catarina, Florianopolis where there are several options for good overhead surf, then I intend to test the Alt to get a feeling for how it compares to the Spitfire.

Cheers

Have now surfed the spitfire 6'4 FST in a week or so. Basically only with SA4 fins in quad setup as the waves have been missing only 1-3 feet, small sized beach break, the upside being clean faces with no wind at all.....anyway it took a couple of rides to get used to the wider noise and flatter rocker compared to my Blackbox 6'2.

After adjusting myself to the board and getting a little more pressure on the tail on take off, as I had the experience that the wider nose can dig into the waves if pushed too much, the spitfire is extremely good at catching waves early. I am amazed with my 210 lbs and 184 cm, I manage to catch waves as good as guys on funboards, yes it takes an extra effort, but its just amazing how good this board paddles. I felt that I have so much more time on the take off then before, and get on my feet so fast in this small surf to get onto the face to generate speed. The spitfire in the quad fin mode just speeds down the line, amazing board. Despite the 6'4 being wide and a good a mount of volume it still feels very nimble, Im really curious to experience how it will behave on bigger and steeper faces.

Cant wait to take the board out to some proper sized surf, this board just has so much potential. I am really glad that I got the spitfire as I initially was hooked on the Dominator, I guess the two boards are quite similar, however I am really looking forward to test the spitfires capabilities in bigger surf like the fast hollow beach break we have around here, where I think it would be a better choice then the dominator.

I must say that if I have to choose a new board right now for the bigger surf, I would without hesitation pick the hellfire, even people around here says there is an overlap with the spitfire, I am so sure that the 6.4 hellfire would be a amazing board to supplement the spitfire on the bigger days. Yes I got the Alternator in 6'8 FST as well, however have not taken it out for a surf yet, due to the missing waves, however the feel of the spitfire is just great, a slimmed down spitfire with a tad more rocker must really rock in bigger surf, I guess that would be the Hellfire :-)

The board has a good flotation, though its still manageable to duck dive, though in bigger surf a sloppy duck dive will be punished fore sure, when sitting in the water, the board floats me so my upper body is above the water from about 9-10 cm above my bellybutton. (Bermudas only, its Brazilian summer time :-))

I am amazed about the FST durability, initially I was a little hesitant to how good these boards are, hey its my first Firewire and epoxy ;-) but even a couple of times having my knee on the deck, there is almost no dings, the construction just feels super solid and the response/spring of the board is just so crisp when worked harder

Cheers from a happy trooper :-)

Hi Buzz, I am now the happy owner of an Alternator in 608 and a Spitfire 604, tried out the 602 Dom using a 3/2 mm suit and it felt very similar to my current 602 blackbox in terms of volume, so I decided to go for the 604 to differentiate and have something for the smaller days, and then a Spitfire as the Dom was not on stock, anyway will be surfing both this weekend, Ill post an update after the weekends session:-)

Thanks Iggy, I've got a set of the AM1's on the way and looking forward to trying one of those quad sets out, or both!

Thanks Gizona good idea.

thanks Chris, what would you recommend in a quad set?

Thanks!

I dont see the jacknife showing up on the homepage yet, just type in the name 'jacknife' and the link is there: http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/qu...ardid=jacknife

Buzz, thanks for the advice, makes sense to try out the 604 Dom initially, I will have a couple of days to test the 602 and 604 Dom, four weeks from now. If I feel that the 602 has too little volume compared to the blackbox and dont give the flotation I was looking or, I will go for the 604, and afterwards get the Alt in corresponding volume.

Realistically it rarely becomes overhead around here, so the 604 will likely be more useful and as you say more safe from where I am with my surfing right now. I am looking forward to get my hands on the FW boards to feel the lightness of these rockets, makes sense about the weight and ease to move less mass around easier.

This about length, its kind of a trend around here, shorter is better, skateboard style....however you see alot of these guys kind of 'under foamed' sitting deep upto their shoulders on their custom sledges. One of my other surf friends is kind of more 'old school' his weight is around 72 kgs and he surf a traditional 602 and a 608 step-up, both PU customs, the 608 when it becomes overhead, we were discussing why some of the local guys are so keen on this short stuff, we kind of agreed its also because the waves at the local beach 'Praia Brava' are fast and you never get the chance to make more then 1-2 turns and its over, the waves stands up very fast so when you goes for the cutback, the lip is very thing and many times already breaks before you reach the top and you are kind of pushed out from the wave, so turns in the pocket is kind of snappy and not very arching, like a non complete turns, and thats maybe why many guys around here like the shorter boards so it can be moved around very fast. Anyway, I am no expert and in a few weeks Ill be more knowledge about the FW boards.

PS: whats your weight these days?

Cheers

Yes, my friends here i Brazil always talks about the height on the backside of the wave, kind of confusing too, so when its like 2 meters, is 2xhead high....quite funny sometimes when you arrive at the beach to discover its massive....

Buzz, you write that the Dom and Alt is complimenting well, great, I am aiming to get the same comb in 4-5 weeks, I am though still in doubt about what volume to get...how is the alt working for you in head to 2x head high, as I understood you weigh less then me. Im 95 kgs. the more I read the more I am leaning towards the 604 Dom and 608 Alt....however my friends kind of continue to say that a 608 is too big for beach breaks???... head high... Its kind of confusing for me this discussion about length vs volume....BUt I just dont see how I can ever come down to at 600 or 602 regular shortboard unless I get to 80 kgs...

cheers

Yeah - am kind of in doubts about to go for the Dom 602 and the Alt 606 setup or the Dom 604 and Alt 608, the latter I think it will be after reading your experience with the boards and weight (you started out at 95 kgs) ...I will test them in Feb at the Banks, and see how especially the Dom 602 compares to my current 602 blackbox, I am sure that even the 602 will feel larger and paddle better due to the extra volume +3.3 liters more and a 1/4 inch wider. I mean my surfing is nothing radical, I like to flow down the line, when the waves allow it, hence the extra volume of the 604 will likely allow me to catch those extra waves on the smaller days, which we have plenty of.

I was in Sidney during Easter 2011 for work and took a couple of days of..., visited Bondi beach and went up to Brisbane where I actually bought the blackbox at Kirra surf at the gold coast, and had a couple of good days, very crowded, (tourists).... Anyway, you got so many options for surfing down-under. At the same week there was the ASP Rip Curl Pro at Bells, amazing place, took a flight out to Melbourne and drove out to Bells, and flew back the same night, would not allow that opportunity to pass, amazing to see the pros in action.

Hi Buzzy,

Thanks alot for the comments, I also read some of your previous posts about the Alternator on the old forum, I think I am in kind of in the same boat as you when it comes to weight at some point, hence I am moving towards the sub 90ties... just more novice to surfing :-) .... one of my concerns about the volume is also regarding duck diving and getting out through the surf when the waves becomes overhead (again beach breaks, a lot of closeout, current, ad few open waves), how does the setup of the Dom 604 and Alt 608 work for you for this part? (my only ref today is the 34.7 Liters blackbox and a custom 6.6 with fewer liters).

The point being that most of my surf friends <75 kg loves these small skate boards <6'0 and below, so I am kind of moving towards the smaller sizes, however according to what you recommend 'foam is your friend' I might get more fun out of the dom in 604 if I get the Alt 608 for the bigger days, especially at the point I am with my surfing.

I like the outline of the dom with the round tail and also the alternator due to its more 'traditional' design, when compared to the Hellfire and the Spitfire. I will take a look on the HF and SF when visiting outerbanks, maybe I just have to get used to the alternative tail shape and the more modern designs. Why did you choose the dom and the alt? and not the spit or hellfire as combo, at that time?

A petty to hear about the collision, hope that the impact did not crack the board open. Kind of risky when its crowed and experienced and new comers surf at the same break, thats why I rarely surf at some of the very crowed point breaks down here, not to mention about localism.

I was out surfing yesterday, classic conditions, one of the biggest day I have surfed for the last 2 yrs, waves were 2-2.5 meters on the backside, clean, open to both left and right, but still beach break, unfortunately I cracked the deck open next to the wood stringer with the 'right' knee on a pop-up that did not get as planned...., so now its repair day today. How is your experience with the durability of the FST deck, I presume you have the Alt in FST tech?

Cheers

Hi Chris,

Ok, thanks. Meanwhile I called the guys at Outbanks Boarding Co. as I am traveling to Raleigh, NC on beginning of Feb next year and will then pick up two FW boards on this occasion.

a FST Dom likely in 602, the great thing is that they have the Dominator's in test in both 602 and 604, and likely also the Alternator but in RF, anyway volume wise it comes down to the same....looking at the dimensions of the Dom in 602, its actually a bit wider and has ~10 % more volume then the blackbox I ride now, so that should be plenty improvement for the mushy days...

Regarding the FST Alternator, I might get away with 604 according to what you write as it comes close to what I ride now in terms of volume, and as its basically for the better days, the paddling efficiency is not that critical, only when the conditions are mushy and small, which happens a little too often around here.

Happy New Year,

Dom for 95 kgs and 184 cm intermediate?

Hi all,

Great post, not trying to hijack the post here, just want to hear the opinions for size on the Dom for my size and skill, as the discussion is touching base on the height x weight vs Dom size too. I am 35 yrs, surfing for 5 yrs, surf 2-3 per week, my physical condition is good, though gained a couple of kgs since my days with pro windsurfing.

I am now on a 6'2 JS Blackbox with 34.7 liters, feels kind of small in volume. I also have a performance 6'6 19,5, but will less volume, made by a local shaper, but that is kind of the same too little volume, hence I am not the typical Brazilian skinny type surfer :-)....

I can catch waves in good conditions, but timing-wise I am often late for the local hollow beach break surf, I am a strong paddler, however I feel that I sit a little deep in the water. I was considering the Dom 6.4, as it will be significantly larger then the JS i have now, I am worried about the volume, hence can I still duck dive in bigger surf and shallow beach breaks, which I often surf here in southern Brazil. for a second board I am considering the Alternator in 6.8, for the more 'perfect' hollow waves we sometimes get here.

Do you recon that this will be a good combo, and what about the size of the Dom and Alternator for my abilities and size? thanks