Kdropin, how do you like your unibrow? I am a little surprised that you went 5'10" and and not 5'9" but a little extra foam can't hurt.

Hey Chris,
Thanks for getting back to me and I agree on the wave quality. It is hard to say what is perfect for someone with the limited information available but I think the Potatonator was a good call. I wanted something for smaller beach break days that don't have a ton of punch. I am still adjusting to riding a board such a wide tail but I am having a blast and think it is going to help me surf of my back foot more.

I hope that I can squeeze a unibrown in my quiver sown the line. How are you liking your 5.10? I rode the 5.9 and loved it at County Line but I think the 5.10 would have a bit more drive in smaller days. Cheers!

I tried the K2.1 quad setup on my 5.6 nator this week and found the board to be really responsive. I have only surfed the board the 3 times (2x on GMB-5) so it is too early to tell but in waist to shoulder+ surf I thought the K2.1 setup felt great. For the ankle-chest days the GMB-5 quad will probably provide more drive but I really liked the shorter turning radius in better and steeper surf of the K2.1. No nubster yet but one is on its way

The potatonator will definitely be more versitile if this is your only board. I would say maybe 5'10" (36.8L) or 6' (40.2). I am 175 and just got a 5'6" (30L) but I am little more experienced. IMO the potatonator would cover the 2-5 range really well. Any of the potatoes would work well as they are stable boards that have a lot of get up and go. It just depends if you want a lower end or higher end.

My biggest recommendation would be to find you optimum volume. For example I bought a 5'11" Activator (32.9) that turned out to be too big for me. Because it had too much float I had a hard time sinking the tail and setting my on turns. I caught a ton a waves and speed was always there but the performance wasn't. The activator is a great board but beacuse it was sized wrong for me I ended up selling it. I would try to demo a board at or below 40L. If you are looking to advance your performance go as small as you can. If you just want to catch more waves go a little bigger.

Thanks for the feedback! I tried the Potatonator for the first time this morning with the GMB-5 quads instead and it felt great....but I have nothing to comare it to. I think the K2.1 are probably better suited for my hellrazor but I will do some experimenting over the next few weeks.

I only surfed for like an hour before work in waist to chest conditions but I am already loving the feel of the board. As everyone else has already stated, it is just flat out fun. Super quick from the start, loose, and had plenty of drive thru turns. I was kinda tripping at first as everyone else had longboards and I was on a 5'6" but after a few waves guys started asking what I was riding. It was hillarious seeing their reactions when I said it was a 5'6" and they were all on 9ft+ boards.

Does anyone have experience with the K2.1 quads on a 5.6 Potatonator? I am picking up my poatonator tonight after work and I don't know what fins will work best.

I just got a really good deal on the PC K2.1 (five fin set) and haven't tried them yet. At 175lbs or 80kg I am worried that they might be a little small but i mostly surf beach breaks and heard great things. I also have the GMB-5s (five fin), K3s and MR TFX to mess around with.

Good memories Myles! I still have the FW baord bag that came with my first FW 5'10" Futura. God I loved that board! It had a robin egg blue deck and a yellow bottom....super retro looking. The oringinal FW logo and pinstriping between the deck and balsa rails was classic. As beautiful as the board was it surfed even better.

Nice video Megsy! The BP looked right at home in those waves. Did I see that you were riding it as a thruster with JW-1s? Do you prefer it is a thruster over a quad? Cheers

Thanks kdropin! That is just what I want to hear and glad you had a good session except the frigid water...and I thought the water was cold here in the low 50s. I didn't expect the board to thrive in the barrel but it is always worth the try. Hopefully spring comes soon and brings warmer water.

Hi Chris, I know this a Unibrow and Dominator forum so sorry for getting off topic but it sounds like the potatonator fell out a favor with the TG BP and Unibrow? I can understand why as everyone is frothing on the TG Baked Potato and I loved the unibrow at the County Line demo a few weeks ago. I agree with your thoughts on the unibrow over the dominator.

My dilemma is that I need a groveler to pair with my Hellrazor and I think that I will only have funds for a two board quiver in the foreseable future. I loved the Unibrow but thought that had too much overlap with the Hellrazor and need a board with a lower bottom end (knee to shoulder) . I haven't tried the BP but thought potatonator would be more versatile. I am not too worried about 1-2ft days that the BP woudl be better in. Do you think the Potatonator is the right choice? I ordered the 5.6 Potatonator last week but I can change my mind. I demoed the potatonator at C Street and loved it but I think I over analyze every purchase. Thanks for your honest opinion!

Thanks el02! I am glad to hear it went well for you and your post makes me that much more excited to get mine. I ordered a 5.6 Potatonator last week as I am around 80kg. I demoed the board a few weeks ago and at first I wasn't sold because I had never rode a board that short, wide, and with such little rocker. However after a few waves I was loving how quick and loose the board was in smaller surf. I will have to play with the fins more when I get it as I think it depends a lot on personal preferences and wave types. Thanks for the feebdack and let us know what you are thinking after a few more sessions.

Thanks Iggy! I know that means a lot as you are somewhat of an expert on this forum and have some epic gopro videos to prove your surfing ability. Keep making the videos and sharing the love.

I cannot wait to get my Potoatonator and will have to try it as a thruster. All of my boards are FCS but I will have to find something comprable to the SOLUS. I have the K3s and Mayhem GMB 5 perforamnce (5 Fin set) right now. I recon a bigger fin template would do better in the potatonator but I will do some experimeting in the next few months.

Nice looking board! I am curious how the the Mayhem GMB 5 fins work on the Potatonator so give us an update after your ride it.

Iggy, are you still loving your potatonator? I am about to order a 5.6 Potatonator to cover the lower end. I have a hellrazor for 3-4+ surf so I am not worried so much about the higher end of groverlers (spitfire, dominator, etc...) but want something that I can surf like a shortboard in 2-4ft surf. I am an intermediate surfer...hopefully the potatonator will get me in the water more and bring me closer to an advanced surfer. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks kdropin. The sweet potato just looks a little too flat and bulky for me so I thought the Potatonator would be a good compromise. I demoed the 5.6 last Sunday for only about a hour and half but I really liked it. The board was really lose and responsive despite the wide tail. What fins do you use? I tried it with the clay marzo quads

Kdropin...Ya I saw we have a very similar quiver. I was meaning to ask how you like the Potatonator? I rode the unibrow as a thruster but they were just the plastic demo fins. I drove 2.5 hours for the demo so I didn't get there with enough time to play with fin setups.

The 5.9 felt great to me but I was afraid of the overlap with the hellrazor and need a groveler for 1-4ft surf for the summer. I put on like 20 lbs (luckily mostly muscle) in the last few years and I went way too big on my activator. I think I found my optimal volume now and hopefully will have the basics necessities covered soon so then I can consider a unibrow. I might go techno grain on my next board. They had an unmarked unibrow at the demo and it looked sick. So light and I love the environmental aspects! Looking forward to hearing what you decide on.

I rode both the Unibrow and CC last weekend at the demo at County Line near Malibu. I rode the 5.10 CC and 5.9 Unibrow so both were 28.7L. Personally I thought the unibrow paddled better with more volume through the middle of the board but each paddled well. My take was the Unibrow had more of a performance hybrid feel and the CC had more shortboard DNA. I only rode each for about an hour in packed shoulder to head high surf so my sample was limited.

I have to say that when I switched to the Unibrow a set came to me and I got a sick right. I am an intermediate surfer but felt I surfed the wave as well as good as I can remember surfing a wave. The board was really fast off the drop and with the sensitized tail it was super responsive. I set it on rail in good bottom turn to do a big roundhouse cutty. I went at it hard and sprayed some guy paddling over the wave on the shoulder. I had so much speed I linked the roundhouse off the bottom coming back in to the pocket to a little backhand snap. Then I setup for a snap at the section coming at me and stuck it. For me that was a great wave especially in a demo.

I am sure the CC would have gone equally as well if I had caught a set but i felt that I had work it a little more to get it going where the unibrow went easier on its own. The waves really turned on when I was on the unibrow. I was actually considering the unibrow for my groveler because it surfed so well but I decided the 5.6 potatonator would cover more needs as I already have a 6.1 hellrazor. Hopefully a unibrow will make it into my quiver soon!

BTW my father who is 56, surfs well, and can paddle like crazy rode the 5.11 unibrow on Sunday at C Street in Ventrua and he loved it. He is around 180 and more of a stationary/backfooted surfer from his longboard days (he doesn't pump well) but managed to get some good turns and caught a ton of waves. Demo them if you can but I don't think you can wrong.

Hi Deon, can you clarify what you mean as less lateral?

Also, what is the smallest surf you have rode your activator in?

Nice spray job that looks sick! Agree that the activator is a great board. I am on a 5.11 right now but it is way too big for me and I will be going to a 5.9 Activator or 5.6 Potatonator soon.

Hey Chris, I am interested in a semi-gun for surf over head and a half and wondering if anything comes with a 5 fin setup. I was looking at the 6'8" Flexifire step-up and 6'5" Artillery but it appears like both only come with a thruster setup. I know that more people are starting to ride quads for the the extra hold in steeper waves and having the flexibility would be really nice. If a 5-fin setup is not available it might be something to consider in the future. Thanks!

Madprof, can I ask how much you weigh? I have a 5.11 and think that I am overvolumed right now. I was training heavily for hockey when i ordered mine and thought that I was going to end up over 180 and need lots of volume. The 5.11 catches waves like a beast and has tons of speed in small surf but I have to load up on the tail more than i would prefer when turning.

I have only rode the Hellrazor a few times now but I will give my first impressions. Keep in mind I am no expert so feel free to chime in if anyone disagrees. The Hellrazor is narrower and has more rocker than the Futura but surprisingly still grovels well. With more volume forward and less rocker the Futura probably grovels and paddles better than the HZ but not by much. The Futura is more stable in my opinion with the HZ being more fine tuned for better waves and high performance. The tail on the Futura is incredibly thin tho so that keeps it really responsive. IMO the Futura is a potential one board quiver for 2-6ft surf...I used it everything while in college and it did really well.

I had the HZ in some 3-5ft hollow beach breaks over the weekend and was so glad I was on it. The additional rocker and thinner profile helped me make some late drops that would have been tough on the Futura. I am really looking forward to getting on waves with shape so I can do more turns as so far I have only been surfing beach breaks (closeout barrels).

Overall both are sick boards and I think it depends on your personal preferences and quiver. The Futura will always be a favorite of mine as I rode it for over 5 years but I have to say that when the waves get good I will be grabbing my HZ. Futura probably excels in 2-5ft open faced waves with the HZ in 3-6 ft steeper waves. I hope that helps Custom and thanks Chris!

Very nice photos!!! I just got 6'1" HZ and agree that it goes well in just about everything. What fins are you using? Have you tried it as a quad? I have only surfed it a handfull of times with K3's but I haven't felt that I need quads for more drive yet.

I got a 6'1" Hell Razor as an xmas/engagement present and am loving it. I haven't rode a high performance board in a while so it took a little getting used to but after a few waves I felt really comfortable on it. Board is so fast and responsive. I went for broke on a couple sections and nearly killed myself because I wasn't expecting the board to be as responsive and have as much drive as it did. So much fun! I rode it with k3's and in 4-6ft surf in bitter cold weather for me. (40 air/ 53 water) Super stoked on this board and I can't wait to see where it takes my surfing.

Thanks for the feedback and recommendations on sizing. The 6'1" HZ sounds like it should be good but I am going to try to demo one to make sure. I wear a 4/3 Mutant year round at my local breaks with a hood and booties in the winter so the extra volume is probably good. Thanks for the advice on the fins. I have been using the PC K-3s lately for the extra drive but I haven't done much experimenting. I will definitely try the AM2's sometime soon. Glad to hear you scored some solid surf!

Thanks for the feedback Timmy and that is just what I wanted to hear! It seems like a really sick board for everyday surf and would really thrive in a solid swell.

Can I ask what size you ride or preferred volumes given that we have almost the exact same specs. Earlier this year I was riding a 5'10 Futura (26.7 L) but I bought that when I was in college and 145 Lbs. I just switched to a 6'0" (29.4 L) and seem to have much more drive without losing performance. I also have a 5'11" Activator (32.7 L) that I bought bigger as recommend for smaller waves but I think it is too big. It is super fast but I am having a hard time snapping it around with the extra volume. I know volume depends a lot on personal preference but I am struggling to find my optimal volume after hitting the gym and putting on weight for hockey. Thanks!

Hi Chris,

Do you know what shapes will be available? I am looking to get a 6'1" Hellrazor and love the idea of the enviroflex. I live in San Luis Obispo,CA but frequent LA and SD to visit family so I could stop by any vendor along the coast. Thanks!

I rode a futura almost every surf for 5 years and completely agree that it is underrated! Board flies and is very performance focused. Rode it in crap California summer waves to perfect overhead Maldives.

I liked mine with MR TFX fins on small days and K3's on bigger days. I had one of the first ones with only three fin boxes so I never had the option of riding it with quads but bet it would be really fun. I hope to add a Futura to my quiver again sometime soon.

I live is San Luis Obispo which is just a few hours south of Santa Cruz and most people wear 4/3s year round because the water stays around mid 50 F (Sorry not sure what that is C) . It can get near 60 but that is a 3/2 for most. I go without booties and hood until late fall but I hate wearing booties (I wear a O'neil Mutant 4/3mm with a zip-in hood for the colder days).

I think the Fall is actualy the best for the central coast as the North Pacific gets going and the weather is still pleasant. It gets bigger in the winter but it normally means more wind and rubber to avoid ice cream headaches. I hope the swell kicks up while you are here and you can get in the water. I would definitely demo a board and rent/buy a suit if you get a chance.

I went there a few years ago and agree with the previous posts. High performance and perforance hybrid would be fine. I rode a 5'10" Futura most days in head high surf and loved it!!! The last two days the waves jumped and guys were grabbing bigger boards. We caught a solid swell that about double overhead on the sets so I would recommend a bigger board just in case. Most guys were ridding boards in the upper 6 to 7 range but one guys broke an 8'4" gun on a set at Chickens. I was in college and just around 150 so a 6'4" Tuflite Flyer had enought float and lenghth for me. Make sure you hit up Chickens and Colas...two of the heavier waves that were a good way to cap off the trip. Have a great time!

Henry, I saw your post...I just bought a 5'11" Activator or v2 of the Dominator but I think I might have gone a little too big. I purchased the board 2 months ago and surfed it 5 times. Board flies but it had more volume than I expected ( I went from 26L to 32.8 and need to be around 30). It is basically new when you take off the wax. If you are looking to save a couple hundred bucks for an almost new version let me know. I would have to ask $550 considering a new board and traction pad is almost $800 after tax. Message me if interested!

Cheers,
Corey

This is my first post so take it easy on me. I just got the 5'11" Activator FST and am loving it. I rode a 5'10" Futura for 6 years before but recently put on over 25lbs for hockey and needed to go bigger. I was looking for a board I could ride almost everyday with more volume and drive. I have rode it from around knee to a foot overhead and it is working really well. I have the Mayhem quad fins and the board is so fast. Also rode it with the K3s but like the quad is fun for the small summer surf.

Other than the Activator I would lean towards a Hellrazor for a single board quiver to have a better board on the high performance days. I think the next board I will add is a 6'1" Hellrazor. I am hoping to demo one this fall when the NW swells start to fill in.