Blog to take care of your boards and make them last a long time. Chime in and add it to this list see what ideas come up. will add as time and Ideas go on to the list.

STORAGE:
*Dont stack heavy object on your board like stacks of other boards. Make sure yours is on the top of any pile.
*Do not leave inside a hot car or truck bed, roll windows down a bit. Treat as if it were a living animal, better yet if worried about theft, leave windows down lower with a large frothing wolfish yellow eyed dog.
*Do not store at the top of your ceiling or attic near the hot roof, consistant hot tempreatures will cause yellowing of any board PU or EPS and premature decay of the composite materials.
*Dont let non-surfing wife handle board at any time, especially if you forgot to take out the trash.
*Dont leave at girlfriends house if you plan to break up with her or cheat on her.

TRANSPORTING:
*Pack the boards in the car & "close" the boot/hatch lid "yourself". I have a mate who seems to love slamming the focus's hatch lid down on your poor unsuspecting boards tail!
*Make sure you put your Firewire in a safe place when the local scrub horse comes around looking for food, nipping at your board bag, taking a nice bite out of the tail and dragging it around.

SURF RACKS
*Dont be the Board on top where the strap cuts into your board, and the sun heats your board bag, always have a scrapper board, a friends PU board, a soft top board, or extra padding on top. Even take consideration on padding your board on the bottom.
*Dont forget your board will be subject to 100+ mph winds if driving at 60 mph with a head wind of 40 mph or passing trucks in traffic with it flexing in the winds and bending on the racks/straps that could cause premature decay of the structure of the board, its better to keep inside covered in the bed of your truck or SUV if possible.
*Dont forget your board will have direct sunlight beaming on it Especially if it is on top, even White or silver boardbags will retain heat possibly reaching over its 150 degree limits in HOT SUN
*Dont let your mate tie down the boards, they might forget.

BOARDBAGS
*Wax will build up and stick to the bottom of the board. Try to keep out of sun and consitantly pack board with same sides of the sock/bag on the wax side.
-Socks
*wont save your board from dings, Wax will build up, try wash them once in a while like your mangy shorts and try to keep out of sun.
-Travel Bags
*Dont forget your board will have direct sunlight beaming on it Especially if it is on top, even White or silver boardbags will retain heat possibly reaching over its 150 degree limits in HOT SUN sitting on the HOT TARMAC while being loaded onto Airplanes. You may want to keep your board clean and use a sock inside the bag, but adds extra weight.

CLEANING:
*Wash down board with fresh water after use, wipe down dry cloth or towel
*wash out fin boxes.
*Rubbing alcohol on wiping rag to clean the bottom and rails
*lightly sand with 300 grit sandpaper
*NaNotune

REPAIRS:
*Stop Running over body boarders, they make fun targets but will ding your board none the less
*dont let drunk friends molest your board" they love to try and pinch their fingers into the boards flesh to see if the rails are soft while the tails is on the ground grinding in the sand and rocks. Telling you how much they like the board and want you to let them ride it.
*dont leave your board on the ground, forgetting where you put it, and drive over it with your car.

Attachment

I started riding the 6-4 HELLFIRE FST as a trifin using others suggestions to use the largest fin possible as the board is already set up to be loose and you want to stiffin it up.

AM-2s (TRIfin) (4.79 fronts with 4.5 rears) worked great. tested on 1.5X overhead waves. Drove As hard off the bottom I could lean into without my knees catching the wave and they held great. Cranking off the top/lips the fins held nicely power turning as tight as my body could contort in comfort zone. Pumping down the line easily captured the speed I wanted for each manuver ahead. I knew if I had better knees I would be attempting airborn missions no problem with that speed. I cant wait for a decent backside day soon to test my heavy back hand carve displacing bathtubs of water.
Attachment

Stamps (QUADfin) 4.54 fronts with 4.0 rears) tested at Head high + waves. These fins worked best on a point break and absolutly flew down the line on any pump, sometimes a little too fast for me to read the wave ahead. I feel the back fins might be a little large for the waves that day as I was not getting the release I wanted out of them.
Attachment


Next test...Stamps fronts 4.54 maybe switch the Stamps 4.0 rears out with the Rusty 3.85 rears. On a bigger day I might Pair these Stamps rears 4.0 with the AM-2 fronts 4.79.

On the Dominator 6-4 RF (with futures fins) I had tried the stretch quad set (w/4.0 rears)and found it had too much hold to do loose tail-out snaps on small waist to shoulderhigh fun waves. (I sold that Stretch set)
I inserted the sidebites (@3.23 rears) were a little too loose, not enough hold when bottom turning or a quick pump for speed. they worked fine on a different board that is now broken already I am saving those fins for my kids.
My V2 F4 fins (w/ 3.75 rears) did not have not enough drive for a small wave. I might combo those into something else or (I am saving those fins for my kids.)
My Tim stamps quads (w/4.0 rears) work great down the line, but dont loosen up enough on the tail slides

I have not had the chance yet to ride the Rusty quads (w/3.85 rears) or combo them on the Dominator this season. Being the tail is wider i am experimenting with the rear fins to see what works best on the dominator and other boards. the Rusty Quad rear might be the answer. I am looking for drive and that quick release of the tail on the playful waist to shoulderhigh waves.

I am going to try the Rusty Quad set (the 4.54 fronts have alot of hold) or combo with the Rusty rears (3.85 rears) with the Stamps front fins (4.46 fronts) or the upright AM-2 (4.79 fronts) that big fin drive which may give more release.

I have not figured out how the knubster fin fits in to a fin setup and what combo to even start with.

GENTLEMEN, REMEMBER IT WELL ......


In the world of romance, and getting points towards a new FIREWIRE QUIVER one single rule applies:

Make the woman happy.


Do something she likes, and you get points.


Do something she dislikes, and points are subtracted.

You don't get any points for doing something she expects.


Sorry, that's the way the game is played.


Here is a non-exhaustive guide to the point system:


SIMPLE DUTIES

You make the bed. (+1)

You make the bed, but forget the decorative pillow. (0)

You throw the bedspread over rumpled sheets. (-1)



GIFTS

You go out to buy her what she wants (+5) in the rain (+8)

But return with Beer. (-5)


PROTECTIVE DUTIES

You check out a suspicious noise at night. (+1)

You check out a suspicious noise, and it is nothing. (0)

You check out a suspicious noise, and it is something. (+5)

You pummel it with an iron rod. (+10)

It's her pet. (-20)


SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS

You stay by her side for the entire party. (0)

You stay by her side for a while, then leave to chat with an old school friend (-2)

Named Tina (-10)

Tina is a dancer. (-20)

Tina has implants. (-80)


HER BIRTHDAY

You take her out to dinner. (+2)

You take her out to dinner, and it's not a sports bar. (+3)

Okay, it's a sports bar. (-2)

And it's all-you-can-eat night. (-3)

It's a sports bar, it's all-you-can-eat night, and your face is painted the colors of your favorite team. (-10)


A NIGHT OUT

You take her to a movie. (+1)

You take her to a movie she likes. (+3)

You take her to a movie you hate. (+6)

You take her to a movie you like. (-2)

It's called 'Death Cop.' (-3)

You lied and said it was a foreign film about orphans. (-15)


YOUR PHYSIQUE

You develop a noticeable potbelly. (-15)

You develop a noticeable potbelly and exercise to get rid of it. (+10)

You develop a noticeable potbelly and resort to baggy jeans and baggy

Hawaiian shirts. (-30)

You say, "It doesn't matter, you have one, too." (-8000)


THE BIG QUESTION

She asks, "Do I look fat?" (-5)

(Yes, you lose points no matter what)

You hesitate in responding. (-10)

You reply, "Where?" (-35)

You give any other response. (-20)


COMMUNICATION

When she wants to talk about a problem, you listen, displaying what looks like a concerned expression. (0)

You listen, for over 30 minutes (+50)

You listen for more than 30 minutes without looking at the TV. (+500)

She realizes this is because you have fallen asleep. (-4000)


Send this on to all of the gentlemen you know to refresh them on the point system. (and to the ladies you know with a good sense of humor!)

Anyone try this out yet? is that like astro glide? LOL.. Is it approved for EPoxy resins?
anything to slide faster. I usually rinse with fresh water and wipe down my boards.

Seems like most Surfers here are on FCS, Would like to hear the Futures fins set ups for a change.
I ride / testing
Dominator in Quadfin setup Tim Stamps (4.45 F) (4.0 R) Waist to shoulder, Mushy fun to semi hollow; fast down the line point breaks.
Dominator in Trifin setup Tim Stamps (4.45" F) (4.45 R) Shoulder to Head high, semi hollow; reef and down the line point breaks.
Dominator in Quadfin setup AM-2 (4.79" F) Rusty(4.38 R) Shoulder to Head high, semi hollow; reef and down the line point breaks.

Hell Fire Trifin set up with AM-2's (4.79" F)(4.5" R) for shoulder to over head +1/2: for hollow reef and powerful down the line
Hell Fire Quad fin set up with Tim Stamps (4.45" F) (4.0" R) for over head to double over head +1/2: for fast semi hollow down the line point breaks.

Quadra -Five in Trifin set up with AM-2's (4.79" F)(4.5" R) for over head to double over head; hollow to semi hollow reef and down the line
Quadra -Five in Quad fin set up with Tim Stamps (4.45" F) (4.0" R) for over head to double over head: semi hollow down the line point breaks.

Could this be a possible Forum thread, for the resale of Firewire (USED or nearly new)
We already use craigslist and the local surfshops. But it would be nice to have a regular thread here to help resale of FIREWIREsfor those who ordered too much volume or not enough, or just did not order the right perfomance board for themselves.

Hi Chris, NEV
The new 2011 Hell Fire I just received has a label on the board that basically says "after heatTesting, there was no measurable difference. The FST eliminated its vent plug.
" Questions I have are:
1) Was there any testing done for Altitude pressure/Aircraft Travel, compensation for the airpressure in the cargo bays, in which can be a 10,000+ alt difference.
Reason I am asking is because I travel inter-Island for surf and the aircraft cargo underbelly is not pressurized like the passenger cabin. Also I live at 2800 feet elevation in Hawaii.
2) if the vents are not needed, then can I plug the vent on my new Quadra-five so it wont take in any water, I would plug it at sea level so the air trapped inside is at par with normal surfing pressures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyle's_law taking into consideration Boyle's law, Charles's law, and Gay-Lussac's law form the combined gas law. The three gas laws in combination with Avogadro's law can be generalized by the ideal gas law.


Thanks for your feedback.