I don't think there is a season where sharks are more present in the area or more hungry. I think there have been 5 or 6 fatalities over the last 12 months in WA waters hence the governement introduced a new regulation allowing to catch and kill the protected great whites if they are coming around popular beaches and threatening the beachgoers. I know it's dividing the community over wether or not we should kill the great whites as it seems some alternatives are possible (like not burrying whale carcass along the shore where all the oil is flowing in the ocean attracting the sharks...). Anyway, what do you reckon?

I'm still going in the water, even at dawn or dusk but I reckon I'm more cautious around those times and some of my mates are going back in before dusk to avoid the risk.

Hi guys,

I put together a few videos from my GoPro taken in July on the PNator. It was probably 1 to 4 ft waves but most waves were very straight anyway.
http://vimeo.com/49957949/

Hi Erling,

Your future quiver sounds familiar as well as your vitals so for both the HZ and PNator, I think between the 2 sizes it will come to your abilities surfing. How often or how good do you surf?
For instance a 6'3 HZ suits me perfectly and I'm stoked with it but better surfers would have get the 6'1 or even smaller.
Regarding the PNator, I took the 5'8 because I couldn't afford a brand new one so I bought a second-hand for a good price and I'm very happy with it. It fulfill all the volume I need to backup my laziness on the board but to be honest, it would have been a more exciting challenge to go for a 5'6.

Hope that helps.

I rode my HZ with the SA4 and Rasta quads and I reckon they're too drivey for this board! I love the Machados on it, they've got plenty of hold and the good turns you get from a truster. The F4 are good fun too but a bit too small, maybe the Clay Marzo if you're light? I think the WCT would probably be the best ones but I haven't had a chance to try them.

It's not that it's not good for beginners, they're easy boards for beginners and "pure stoke" for every one else in small stuff.
But can you really improve on a spud or wouldn't it be preferable to start on a more hybrid version (i.e. the Dom)? This is a genuine question, not a rhetorical one. I think a Dom would give you a fairly good waves counter and you won't be too disorientated when you upgrade to a more conventional shortboard for bigger stuff once you get better.
I guess it comes to what is your goal while surfing? Chilling on your 1-3ft waves on weekends or tackle more and more waves, the bigger the better? By the way, where are you from Kevin?

F4's!

During the last couple of months, I tried the PNator with different setups and I love the versatility of the board using different fins! I used a quad setup for steep waves up to 6ft (although in this occasion I went back to the car to grab the Hellrazor instead!) and I didn't quite like the S4A (too big, too drivey) but the Rastas are much better in those small (up to 4ft), beach breaks, steep/barrelling/closing-out waves where you want a good hold on the take off, a good speed to stay on the green face as long as possible and still being able to finish it off with a quick snap or cut-back.
On small, gentle/mellow waves with a good open face, I used the Machados but the F4 are a must! Loosy and fast as you wish, you can go up and down the waves, snaps everywhere, they're so much fun!
I will try soon a quad setup with the fronts F4 with the trailers from the Rastas. It should be a good mix!

Hey guys!

On Saturday I had one of the best waves I've ever had on my Hellrazor! About 8ft waves on the main break in Yallingup, WA. Not a big day, it was gentle and clean and the HZ with the Machados was a perfect setup for those waves! Good hold (although not much required because gentle waves), good speed and more importantly, perfect turning abilities! I went up and down the wave with ease, superb bottom turns and nice sharp top turns, I loved it!

I'd say the same!

When I first surfed the PNator (same size as my Spit 5'8), it felt really wide and thick and I thought I made a mistake. But the board goes really well in small stuff up to shoulder high and I believe it's a better addition to the Spit 5'8 than would be a PNator 5'6. You're pretty geared up in the small stuff now iggy! I'm definitely interested as well to know how it goes with the Elevon!
Is it a GoPro plug on the nose of your Spit? Yew! New videos coming soon if iggy flying on Elevons! Lol.

Clear as mud Cuttlefish! Lol.
Yes I was talking about the Simon Anderson. I'm not looking for more drive but more hold in steep sections. I love the Machados with my Hellrazor but to get out of these closing-out sections in time with the PNator, I think I need a set of quads which allows me to hold the rail in steep drops, to go super fast and up and down the small lips.
The Machados have an inside foil as well. I loved the F4-thruster on my Spitfire, which have a flat foil so I wonder if the quad setup would be good on the PNator. As it's a quad setup, the fin area is probably large enough to give me the hold I need with plenty of speed and still be able to turn. What do you reckon?

You guys seem to know a bit about fins and I can't decide on a set of quads for my PNator. I want to use a set of quads for steep drops to get a better hold when it's closing out then I want to ride the line as fast as I can. I tried the S4A and I think they're too big for me, too drivey, so I wonder if a set of Rasta's or Stretch would be the go. But which ones?

I just borrowed a set of S4A for the 5'8 PNator and sure it holds (in 1-4ft), plus the speed you can get is crazy! I tried them on the HZ as well (in 6ft) and it was great for the steep drops but once riding the wave, they're too drivey... and so fast!!! Anyway, for a Dom and considering you're weight is even lighter than mine, I wouldn't go for the S4A, they're too large I reckon. I'd go for the Rasta or Stretch (although I haven't decided for myslef yet).

Lucky you Fazza! 4 surf in 5 working days in winter? I wish I could work in the IT as well! LOL. I hope the waves are going to be as good this weekend because I'm coming down to Yallingup again!

I just recently got this combo PNator/Hellrazor but I love it already so much! As much fun as you said. Thanks for the feedback.

OK, I just realised it's on the website!
http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/te...d=tech#tech06b

"White Rapidfire: A product of continued research and development, the White Rapidfire construction substitutes a PVC-free and VOC-free composite deckskin for the original bamboo inlay. This composite maintains the overall flex and durability of the board giving it the same great Rapidfire ride with a fresh new appearance."

So White RapidFire = FST? Or do you mean a white sort of Bamboo?

FST are as hard to repair as they are to ding and the bamboo deck is probably even harder! So the only place you can possibly damage and so repair your board is the bottom deck of your RapidFire. And this is as easy as a PU board as long as you're using the right glue.

Maybe try a Hellfire if you want to ride only one board... I know the combo Control Alt+Dom seems to work perfectly as a 2 boards quiver but I just want to say I love and recommend my combo PNator + Hellrazor!

The key in here is where do you surf? If you surf in some beach breaks like Lacanau or Biscarosse along the SW coast, then the Spitfire 5'8 is not such a bad choice, but why not a Potatonator (5'6 or even 5'4) then! If you're further south like Anglet / Biarritz, it can be much bigger, hollower and suckier as well so the Spitfire 5'6, Hellfire or even Hellrazor would suit you well (but may be not as an allrounder).

When I surfed my Spitfire (5'8) for the first time, it didn't feel too small, just soooo fast! So considering your vitals, I wouldn't go for the 5'8 but more on the 5'6. You're not surfing to be on the 'safe side', you'll get use to a smaller volume after only a few surf.

You've got a wide range of volumes as it goes from 31.1 to 38.6 and I didn't check all your quiver! I've got a PN 5'8 for the small stuff and I could have go easily for a 5'6 but I reckon you would be perfectly fit with a 5'8. If you go for the 5'10 on the PNator, there is probably going to be too much overlap between the two potatoes.

I reckon Fritzkat is onto it with the hybrids! Just a thought: If you just surf once a month and saving yourself a bit of money, you could also get a Potato-Nator for the smaller days or most of the days and a longer Alternator as a step-up board (or a Hellfire to stick with the hybrids).

I've got the same "blister" marks around the tail, when the leg rope is pushing onto the rail after I fell off my board for instance. As it will always be on the same spot, I just watch that it doesn't crack open. Otherwise I don't fix those because if you cut the glass to repair it, I'm assuming the repair is going to be even weaker than the unfixed "blister". If you're suspicious that the water might get in there though, fix it!

Hey drtrdr, let us know how it goes with your 5'11. I'm about the same size and I ordered a HZ 6'3 for the bigger waves as it is the same volume as my Spitfire. Kdropin got a 6'1 so in between the three of us I hope at least one of us is right!

That was pretty shitty all through the weekend so I kept surfing Rivermouth. I should say I kept paddling because I couldn't really surf in there! But it was pretty good to see the groms (Jack Robinson and the local Taj's fries) ripping in those conditions!

I think I'll get the Rasta and try to try to keep my Rob Machado at the front and put only the trailers from the Rasta to get a bit more fin area. The Machado went alright on Saturday with the PNator but the conditions were too atrocious to report any kind of feedback!

Hey Chris, any news about the Potato-nator on the comparison page? Cheers.

Hi Tubbs. Just confirming what the other boys said. I'm about your size and weight (a tad lighter) and I used my SF 5'8" all year along in different conditions and if you are going to ride it in the better waves (as your SP will do the small and mushy ones) then 5'8" would be the go!

Hey Fazza,

Did you surf Lefthander last Saturday, around lunch time I'd say? Looking at your pictures I think I saw you... A bit stormy but I got some nice waves in Noises (not sure about the spelling though)!
Anyway, looking at your posts you seem to be pretty stoked about your HZ so I hope my one will suits me well too in our conditions down here. I just can't wait to receive it!

Cheers, see ya!