step down: longboard to something shorter

[rossco]

Hi,

I'm 37, 70kg's, 6'2" and still in decent shape. I started surfing 9 months ago on a 9' longboard, not as often as I'd like (once/twice a week) and not in very challenging conditions (up to shoulder high but a forgiving beach break). I want to get a shorter board and I've heard good things about the firewire hybrids.

I took a quick look through the forum and I see the Addvance and Dominator are recommended for a lot of beginners. From what i can see the Addvance might be too small a step down from the longboard so i was considering the Dominator. Please could someone let me know their thoughts on what might be best for me? I don't want to spend the next six months falling off the thing but I'd really like to experience something looser than the board i'm on now, and that I will be able to take to more serious breaks and develop on over the next year or two.

any help much appreciated,
ross

[rossco]

I should add that my current longboard measures around 9': 22 1/4: 2.7"
Ross

[iggy]

Do you have any problems standing up, going down the line??. If those stages are conquered already, I think you should be looking at the Addvance.
Firstly the Addvance has a wider surface areas overall than the Dominator which will make things easier for you, the board is incredibly stable but yet when pushed, it can deliver. Is a board that will allow you to progress rapidly.
Secondly the board packs quite a bit of volume so the feeling volume wise will be closer to that of a fun board.
The Dominator is a great board for someone who has mastered the Addvance. Going too big on the Dominator will make it too corky

[iggy]

As far as size, and even though the 6'6" will float you plenty, I think that the 6'10" will ease your transition

[rossco]

Hi Iggy, and thanks for your response.
yeah i have no problem paddling, popping, and down the line. I spoke to the distributor here and he suggested the Addvance too, but the 7'6" which seems pretty big to me, considering that i have a longboard already. Specs of the longboard are 9'; 22 1/4; 2.7

I didn't want to find i ride the addvance for 6 months and then need to go for another board (like my current situation) but... maybe i can replace my current longboard with the addvance, get something shorter once i've got it licked and keep it as my longboard option for the future. From the sounds of it the board, even at 6'6" or 6'10", will work as well as my current longboard in the kinda surf i'm spending time in.

[prjwebb]

I think the Addvance is a great idea. 100% agree with Iggy.
You could get a Dominator, but in order to get enough stability from the board you will have to grossly oversize the board and then it isn't going to perform as intended. Whereas the Addvance is designed to perform at that higher volume so will be much more manoeuvrable than what you've been riding but still paddle and catch waves easy and most important, give you a solid platform to improve on. It's exactly what the Addvance was designed for.

I recommend you read Nev's post on the old forum regarding the Addvance and it's purpose. "Guys on the way up, or guys on the way down". More specifically the coming down part. A bit of a read, but very worth it and I'm sure you'll be buzzing to get one afterwards.
http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/fo...ce-and-firefly

Coming Down.

You ride a Mini Mal, or Longboard and love the paddle and the inherent glide, but you wish you could hit the lip, or pull off a clean roundhouse in the pocket like you used to...
Or maybe you have always ridden a longboard and you want to feel what shortboard freedom is all about but don’t want to lose the paddle. You have tried Big Fishes but you don’t get the glide as they are too foiled (thin) in the nose and tail, and too wide under your back foot!
Enter the Addvance. It has similar volume as a longer mini mal, or long board, but is shorter and wider, with the volume evenly distributed from nose to tail and out to the rail.
Combine this with a fuller nose template and a narrower swallow tail, and you have a board that has supreme paddle, instant up and glide, totally forgiving rails, and surprisingly positive in the pocket drive from the narrower tail.
There is a sweet concave under front foot for lift and speed, running into a double concave tail vee, for rail to rail manoeuvrability and squirt.
The entry nose curve is contemporary with nice Rail Chines forward to keep the front rail free and fast. Tail curve has a bit of kick, which helps it to turn on a dime.
The result of all this is that if you for example, came down from a 9’0”, to a 7’2” Addvance, you will catch as many waves, but you will be absolutely ripping the bag baby! Chicks may even start digging you (again)
...Oh yeah, and for the girls, you will tick off your Tanker riding boyfriend big time by surfing circles around him....
Vance Burrow, (Taj’s old man who is about 5’8”x 80+ kilos and 60+ years young) has been my collaborator in the design of this evil surfboard. He rips on his 6’10 “Little Boat”, the original prototype of the Addvance.
He believes in having an unfair Addvantage...

Difference between the Advance and Dominator?

The Dominator should be considered a high performance board for smaller gutless waves, in lieu of a wide tail Fish, Pod.
It is usually a step down from your normal board, but not too wide in the tail to inhibit performance surfing.
A Dominator will still go square off the bottom and into a vertical turn. If you rip go 6” shorter than your normal short board. If more average in ability go 4” shorter. We have ex WQS standard surfers who ride their Dominators 80% of the time, they go that good.

The Addvance can be a legitimate switch, from long boarding to short boarding without sacrificing paddle and glide. Or it can be a fun addition to the quiver for more paddle and glide, in lieu of resorting to a long board.

The volume and stability of both boards are perfect for beginner to average ability surfers who need every bit of help they can get, but who also don’t want to ride a long board. Although there are only two boards in the range that match, (the 6’10” and the 6’6”) my preference for the beginner to average surfer is to go for the Addvance, if you are trying to choose the one that will be easiest to surf. The reason being is that whilst they have similar volume for paddling, the Addvance had a bit more bottom curve and a slightly narrower tail, allowing for quicker response to a turn. It takes more power and drive (experience) to put the Dominator on rail for a turn. A better example is my personal choice of the 5’8” Dominator. I surfed the 5’10 first, which I thought would be perfect for my 69kg frame and experience, however It was too thick in the tail. It lacked drive off the bottom, which is the turn that set’s up all manoeuvres. I dropped down to the 5’8” and viola! Perfect!

[iggy]

Hi Iggy, and thanks for your response.
yeah i have no problem paddling, popping, and down the line. I spoke to the distributor here and he suggested the Addvance too, but the 7'6" which seems pretty big to me, considering that i have a longboard already. Specs of the longboard are 9'; 22 1/4; 2.7

I didn't want to find i ride the addvance for 6 months and then need to go for another board (like my current situation) but... maybe i can replace my current longboard with the addvance, get something shorter once i've got it licked and keep it as my longboard option for the future. From the sounds of it the board, even at 6'6" or 6'10", will work as well as my current longboard in the kinda surf i'm spending time in.

Hey Rosco, that's the plan, not to oversize the board. The Addvance you'll get to keep it for a looong time and chances are your longboard will be receiving less and less water time.
Right after I think you could be looking at the Spitfire/Dominator/.
The 6'6'' will float you plenty, no doubt about it, and since you have no problem popping up and riding down the line I think that, despite the reduction in rail, that could be the option to consider. If you're hesitating on that regard, then don't think it twice and go for the 6'10'', specially if you are planning on replacing your longboard with it

[Chris]

hey rossco,
its important to remember that an advance 606 or 610 is not going to replace a longboard. It is exactly what you are after, a shorter, high volume and versatile board but it doesn't paddle as easily or catch waves in the same way a long board does.

The smartest way to compare the two options is to look at the advance as a mid-range board that will float a lot, but will offer you the opportunity to develop new mechanics in your surfing that closer resemble those found in short boarding. I just don't want it to seem like it WILL BE long boarding because it is a bit different....

Cheers

[iggy]

Agreed!!

[rossco]

Thanks fellas, your comments have all been constructive and helpful. I haven't had to wade through all the nonsense you usually have to put up with from all the pretenders when you ask a question in an internet forum, just relevant info from people who know. Which is refreshing.
So i'm sorted! I'll think about 606 vs 610 for a day or two and place my order :-)
Rossco