Dom v Pot; FST v Rapid

[gja61]

Hi Guys,
First post for me so just want to ask a couple of questions.
1) Same size (roughly) Dominator and Potatonator- which one catches more waves (potentially that is)?
2) Does one type of construction equate to more paddle power than the other?
Thanks for any advice you can provide.

[prjwebb]

The Potatonator will have a small wave advantage over the Dominator. The Rapidfire construction is lighter and feels a little more responsive and lively in small waves but the FST is more durable so it's a bit of a trade off. I wouldn't say either one paddled better than the other, but haven't tried to identical boards in the two constructions to say for sure.

[Roger]

I have a Dom and a PN of roughly the same volume (the PN is 4" shorter and 1 liter smaller).The 'Nator paddles, catches waves and duck dives better. It is definitely the board for 2 to 3 foot. The Dom seems to surf better, especially as the size gets bigger.

I do not notice any difference in durability between the construction types (I manage to ding every board somehow within the first few weeks, perhaps I was cursed by some sea witch or something. Thank God for Board Bog!). I choose RF or FST based upon appearance, and have two RF and 3 FSTs.

[Chris]

thanks for the feedback folks!!

[gja61]

Thanks for the responses. Helps alot, especially Rogers as it is what I thought.

[C-Ray]

Hey all, just wanted to agree with roger. Just got a 5'4" potatonator this past week and my 5'6" Dom can handle a wider range. Both in fst. If the waves are fat/mushy, potatonator. Anything else Dom. Still getting used to the potatonator but still love my Dom. She's been good to me.

[Bumper]

I agree.

Knee to waist and weak, I like the SWEET POTATO
Thigh to stomach and good powerful, fast, and punchy I like the PNATOR
Waist to Chest weak and mushy, I like the PNATOR
Solid, good, powerful stomach to head I like the DOM
Mushy, weak Chest to maybe a bit overhead i like the DOM
Solid chest to overhead I like the HF

I really don't need my dominator but It's too fun of a board to part with

I think the PNATOR covers the range a bit better at the smaller weaker end.
If you have a HF / HELLRAZER or are really strong on a TAJ, BOUREZ or ALTERNATOR. or FLEXFIRE in medium size waves then no need for the DOM in my opinion. The PNATOR will be fine in those under waist high waves as long as they are not TOO small or weak. EAST COAST USA under waist is really weak so the SP is a necessity IMO

A PNATOR, HF / HELLRAZER and STEP UP quiver might be all you need in alot of places

[kreidel]

I agree.

Knee to waist and weak, I like the SWEET POTATO
Thigh to stomach and good powerful, fast, and punchy I like the PNATOR
Waist to Chest weak and mushy, I like the PNATOR
Solid, good, powerful stomach to head I like the DOM
Mushy, weak Chest to maybe a bit overhead i like the DOM
Solid chest to overhead I like the HF

I really don't need my dominator but It's too fun of a board to part with

I think the PNATOR covers the range a bit better at the smaller weaker end.
If you have a HF / HELLRAZER or are really strong on a TAJ, BOUREZ or ALTERNATOR. or FLEXFIRE in medium size waves then no need for the DOM in my opinion. The PNATOR will be fine in those under waist high waves as long as they are not TOO small or weak. EAST COAST USA under waist is really weak so the SP is a necessity IMO

A PNATOR, HF / HELLRAZER and STEP UP quiver might be all you need in alot of places

Bumper,

Having had ridden your 5'6" SP and 6' PN do you feel that you have the correct volume or would you like a little more? What has been your heaviest weight you have ridden them at(holiday pounds or wetsuits)? Thanks

[50young]

Just to add my 2 cents worth. I'm 91kg without a wetsuit and find the volumes in my PN and BP great with a full 2/3 Steamer

[Bumper]

Kreidel,

Right now I'm 185, in the winter add five to eight pounds. I had a 5'8 sp but I had a chance to sell it and downsize to the 5'6. No complaints so far. Although I lost a little of the knee to thigh high wave catching ability I like the fact that the 5'6 gets on rail a little quicker for me and can hop up on the white water a little better. When it's really weak I have a LOST plank that takes over where my 5'8 worked well but if it's a fun thigh to waist high swell especially with a rampy high tide take off I take out the sp every time. I've had the 6'0 pn since may and I've had a ton of fun days on it in every condition. Like most boards, when the wave is fun and clean or has a nice take off in onshore waves with a nice wall the board has been terrific. No way would I go bigger than the 6'0, in fact lately I've been thinking I might eventually go down to the 5'10. I did notice when I first bought the board (on order) that it was thicker than I thought it would be. When the waves are good I havn't had a problem turning it and riding it well. In fact I think the float has actually benefited me as far as getting into bigger, faster waves and getting down the line. I was on a 6'2 king fish that is 3 inches think and it caught everything and turned well but I needed something with similar paddling abilities but with a more short board feel to help me transform into more of a top to bottom surfer. That's why I went with the pnator. Yesterday I had a really nice session on the pnator in clean back side lefts and made some nice turns despite being a weaker back side surfer. I actually surprised myself a few times with multiple turns. When the winds came up and the waves started to close out and dump I found myself blowing a couple of front side turns in the wind chop and bump. PRoblably more the rider than the board but I did wonder if a 5'10 with less volume and rail might have helped me turn a bit better in the worsening conditions. My 6'2 dom has always felt perfect for me so i used it as my measuring stick when I bought the pnator so I'm going to keep playing with it. I still have a hard time thinking about possibly down sizing to a board (5'10, 36L) that has less volume than the 6'2 dom (38 L) . The whole point in getting the pnator was to have something that might surf smaller, weaker waves better than the king fish and dominator. It's always taken me a while to dial in to a new board so I'm sure more time on it and better wave selection in poor conditions will help. I rode it alot in May and June but July and August were terrible here on the east coast so I'm still getting a feel for it. Good luck.