I'm the same size as you Live4truth see above.

Great feedback here! Chris, you told me to buy a 5'4" so if I have a heart attack trying to catch a Florida waist-slappin' crumbler on the damned thing then well ... I guess my dying thought will be, should have gotten the 5'06"! I have erred on the side of volume with each and every Firewire I have purchased. At first it seemed like a good idea that is until I bought the FHZ 5'11". The guy I buy these through told me to buy the 6'1" and I decided to throw caution to the wind and buy the 5'11". It turned out to be the very best decision, albeit by chance, I could have made. It is the best performing board I have ever owned. Of course that's probably by chance as well but that's beside the point. If I wanted to cruise I wouldn't be considering buying a Vanguard right?

Thanks man! That's what I thought too about it being an original but my buddy said it had the FW logo. He certainly could have been mistaken on this. After looking at the pictures and description it looks like a thicker mini driver. I'm looking at the Vanguard as a small wave annihilator. I'm still very confused on what to get though. Chris says 5'04" but our waves are typically gutless and the 5'06" is virtually the same volume as my Hellrazor which would most likely not work for most of the waves that come through FL. If it gets good I'll be riding that as I'm a lot like Chris in that when it's good I want to be on what makes me the most comfortable. What's your thoughts gang?

Hi Chris,

I surfed yesterday in New Symrna, FL and my buddy whom I went with said he saw a guy with a Vanguard. I didn't know those were out yet, did you guys have a demo or something that a pro was using? I wish I could have talked to the guy about it or maybe even traded boards for a bit as I had my Hellrazor. The waves were really good but super crowded.

On another note: I just received a copy of the latest Transworld Surf and it had an advertisement for your boards two of which were listed incorrectly as it had the Michel Bourez Pro model listed as your Spitfire and the Spitfire vice a versa just an FYI, I'm sure your marketing guys were already aware of this. Any info on the Unibrow? What kind of waves is this for? Inquiring minds want to know!!

Nice!! Sooo looking forward to your review! Perhaps some pics of you ripping it? That would sell some boards!

Great news and thanks very much for your response. I bought a Super Brand Vapor 5'06" in Fiber Flex with very similar dimensions. Hated it! I surfed it six times with thruster and quad set-ups and it sucked. Slow with poor manners. I have surfed a PU in a 5'07" and liked it better but the hing dings just looking at it! Really interested in hearing how you like the 5'06". This would also be my first Rapid fire. Do those come in white without the bamboo deck?

I am still not sure what size to ride but Tomo's website says it should be ridden at chin height. This is very similar to snowboard sizing. I ride a 157cm snowboard period! I have tried several different sizes but this is by far the best for me. From the way they talk about performance and how you dominate the board, my recommend size is a 5'02" board but it's only 22.9L. My 6'1" FFE DD is 25.4L, I can paddle it but it's definitely a work out and that board only works in powerful surf which I'm not exactly blessed with most of the time. I have tended to go a little longer and more volume than I would normally do with mixed results. It's a delima for sure compounded by the fact that this board is offered in such broad range. What do you guys think? I can't see myself riding a 5'02" and the 5'04" is questionable as well. Maybe I'll wait and see what you have to say after riding your 5"06" pjrwebb as we are about the same size. Thanks for your input!

Just a thought... Getting tired of paying to travel boards. I'll tell you one thing though, I remember being in my local surf shop and saw the first Sweet Potato and everyone in the shop, myself included said, " I will NOT be getting or be seen riding one of those. I have one and couldn't be happier. One thing I've learned in life Never say never.

I tell you man we are in the same boat here! I waited and waited to get that SP, then I had to wait some more to get it with futures, I got it, loved it and now wanting a BP in uh FST of course.

But hey I just bought a PN thinking yea this will be my small wave board only to find out it isn't the SP so can't get sell it. I'm really liking the Tomo but it doesn't and probably won't come in FST and even if it did it won't be the same due to higher weight.

Decisions, decisions what to do? So little time, so many choices, so little money....

I got the same problem as you kdropin!

OK so if you had to sell a board to get this one would it be the Potatonator or keep the Potatonator for small waves and sell the Sweet Potato? Also given my height and weight 5'06" 05 5'04"? See my signature below:

I had an idea about a two or three piece board for traveling. Has this been tried before? Ff this could be made to work with your current designs you would have an absolute winner! The airlines of course would hate you but how cool would that be? No more, OK sir/maam, how many boards do you have in your surfboard bag?

Huh, that's interesting cause the FW website says that size board is 25.6L, guess that's why they call it a prototype. Thanks for sharing!

Hey thanks very much! Your advice is spot on and I agree completely with you. Does Firewire still make the Flexfire in DD or do you recommend something with a springer with a roundtail? As far as big goes: I train with Jim Hogan in CR and he will call it head to three feet overhead but there are sneaker sets that come up every hour or so that are twice that! I have ridden there when Surfline has called it 8-10+ and it's hollow. Not as Hollow as Pipe or Puerto Escondido but plenty of power for sure. I live in Florida and want to start going to Puerto Rico as well and know that it gets very heavy there. I have a hard time judging size coming from Florida and also once I drop in I'm not thinking about how big the wave is. I'm getting along in age and have been surfing for 25 years but have recently learned I was doing it all wrong (arms and upper body out of whack). It's actually really cool though because I am getting to apply world class coaching and am filled with new confidence. It's like learning to surf all over again but on a professional level. Can't recommend Jim Hogan enough!

Thanks as always for your help.

Hey guys has anybody tried these yet? Tehy come in FCS and Futures www.3dfins.com

Hey Chris, is there a board that you recommend above others for larger, more powerful surf? I have the 6'1" FFDD and I rode my 5'11" HZ during Hurricane Sandy and they went fine but I go to Costa Rica Playa Hermosa a lot and it's sometimes scary big. I saw where you have the artillery series board. How are these to paddle, duck dive, ride etc. I want to go out but want to surf and not just get punished. Thanks a lot for your input!

For what it's worth, I just got back from Costa Rica and surfed Hermosa on Tech flex EAs with a deviant fin and then switched to a V2 quad set-up for low tide on a 5'11" HZ. I got the longest and best barrel of my life on those things. I have a sweet potato with controllers and thought I went fast on that but this was like warp speed! Several times I had to wipe off speed and never felt the need to pump. Love, love this board! It's easier to paddle than my 6'1" flexfire DD and performs as good if not better and forget about it as you have the quad option which is insane. I think i may be Firewire's best short board to date though I would like to try the Profile V1 or MB models.

Hey Tre, Are you heading down south with practically everyone else this weekend?

Wow! That is so sick! Thanks for sharing, I live in Florida and we either dream or travel for waves like that. I just got to come and visit.

Wow! That is so sick! Thanks for sharing, I live in Florida and we either dream or travel for waves like that. I just got to to come and visit.

I am 5'10" 165 and have had several FW dating back to my first three Quadraflexes. At one point I had five different boards but now five years later I have settled on these: 5'2" Sweet Potato for the really small weak days 1-3 ft. (a really fat mushy three feet), 5'10" Hellfire for the bigger punchier 2-3foot, and a 6'1" Flexfire Direct Drive for everything else.

I do admit though, I have ordered and am waiting to get a 5'6" Potatonator, and a 5'11" Hellrazor to possibly take the place of or compliment the sweet potato and Hellfire. I will never sell or get rid of my Direct Drive and god forbid if it ever breaks I will immediately buy another one with the same dimensions. I have ridden this board in double and approaching triple Overhead waves in Cost Rica and Hurricane swells in Florida and it has never let me down and fills me up with confidence when the waves are consequential. Please do add this to your quiver!

Hey, brand new at this, can you tell me how to list the age, weight boards etc. that others have attached to their profiles?

It looks like definitely like it in the photo, however in the video it starts out with him walking out with a board that looks like it has a stringer down the middle and hard to tell from there on. He kills on anything and would probably be World Champion by now if he was riding Firewires! Hint, hint to you Chuy.