Dom/Spit/Elf or Activator?

[Stoop-a-loop]

Hi guys,
This is my first post. I have recently caught the firewire bug and it has got me thinking its time to change a couple of my boards and try out the Fires. I am thinking of going slightly shorter and slighty wider to spice things up a bit. I am currently riding a 5'8,19,2 1/4 as my small wave board, a 6'0, 18 3/8, 2 1/4 for good waves and I also have a 6'3 for when it gets heavy. I am 5"11 66kg, 27 and Quite fit, and have been surfing for about 12 years. I am looking to swap my 5'8 for a dom/spit/elf or acivator, something that will be my go to board from knee to head high? I really like the look of the dom/spit but my volume falls in between the 5'4 and 5'6 at about 26 to 27 litres.
Should I consider the 5'6 at 28.3 litres?
or perhaps the 5'7 elf at 26.7 litres? or 5'7 activator at 27.4 litres?
If it helps I am looking at getting a 5'10 alternator at 25.9 litres for my performance board.
P.S wicked forum, and sorry for writting a novel.....Stoop.

[buzzy]

I'm going to be a serial responder!

I use a Dom as my small wave board. I use that in anything above say knee high. Knee high and below I use a longboard. I found the Dom worked really well up to around head high. It still surfed head high and above up to say 1.5X overhead fine, but it was really more comfortable head high and below, and in particular in that waist to chest high range.

I coupled that board with an Alt as a two board quiver for a long time and it worked really, really well.

I've kept the Dom for small waves but now added a Unibrow for small medium waves. So basically the Dom is relegated to waist high and below days, or really mushy days below head high. Otherwise I suspect the Unibrow would be my daily driver. I reduced the volume for the Alt and went to a Q5 which is basically a swallow tail Alt. I love that board at least as much as the Alt, possibly more.

So that's my personal experience.

How do YOU choose? Well, the Dom is a small wave pogo stick. It's ideal wave has some pocket. It's not necessarily throwing out hollow, but the pocket has some power. It'll surf lined up walls too mind you, but the pocket is what this board is about. It encourages you to surf vertically, but with rounded, smooth turns. It's a back foot board. Tom Curren or Parko.

A Spit is a Dom with a diamond tail rather than round tail, and a slight chime to the rail. That encourages the rail to bite, and gives it a touch more performance as waves get more power. The downside is it carries a touch less float in smaller waves. Since I preferred the smoothness of the round tail and the Dom was intended solely for small waves I didn't see any great advantage to a Spit, but that's purely a personal decision. This is also a back foot board. Particularly if you want this board to be more of an all rounder the Spit may be a better choice.

The Activator is purportedly a double flyer, swallow tail Dom. To be honest I don't like the aesthetics of the board. It may well surf with better bite off the tail but I personally think the big tail is an advantage on small days, so the point of shrinking it is lost on me. That's not to say it's a bad board - I've never surfed it and Firewire don't bring bad boards to market - just it doesn't float my boat.

The El Fuego is much flatter rockered than a Dom or Spit. It would therefore go much faster. It would also have much less tolerance for late takeoffs. It is designed for more lateral surfing, and carves on the face rather than in the pocket. It purportedly surfs bigger waves better than the Dom/Spit. This is more afront footed board. It's also a reasonable choice.

[Stoop-a-loop]

Thanks Buzzy. the dom sounds good just not sure whether to go 5'4 or 5'6?

[Chris]

stoop do you know the volume of the board you are riding?