Need an honest opinion

[kdropin]

get one. i rec. them to my friends and family.. we are all on them now.. been on them for like 7 years i think.. lost track

[surfgumby]

Hi ne surfer, just joined this forum but have been riding FW for a couple of years now & have no regrets! I always get the fst tech & love the way it feels underfoot plus its seems heaps stronger than the pu boards I used to ride! I reckon you will be stocked by a fw board as long as you get the right size & volume, the fw team appear to actually care about their customers & take care of them if there is any untoward happenings with their product! Anyway, hope you bite the bullet, go for it & enjoy!

[Bumper]

FireWire guy going on four years. Have 5 fw all in good shape. No problems here.

[nesurf]

Thanks for all the replies!


I also thank firewire for having such an open response forum. It is impressive.


I took out a shops 5'8 sweet potato (way too big for me) but was in heaven. I was amazed at how well it performed and how loose it was. I am definitely sold on the design.

For those who have commented about having boards last 5 years is a pipe dream I do understand that the traditional surfer will break boards quite often. However, I surf in New Hampshire mostly in small (chest or under) soft waves and only weigh 145lbs. I also don't make it out for more than 30 sessions a year maybe. Therefore, I do expect to have a board last 5+ years as my PU board has lasted 8+ years with multiple dings and glassed fins and still rides fine.

I don't want to upset anyone and don't intend to have a negative connotation when saying this but I have done research and found delam problems that seem to be closely associated with the valve in FST. This was discovered through multiple forum readings etc. The cause of these delams is unknown and can only be speculated. However, it does appear to be a more prevalent problem with firewire technology than for traditional PU boards (admittedly, this is my own opinion through my personal research and is subject to debate). It also appears that Firewire was aware of some type of systemic issues regarding certain boards of the assembly line but, according to statements of others on forums, have corrected the issue through quality control.

Basically, I have come across statements that people have ridden their firewires for less than a year, some just at one month, and began to experience delams. Again, I do not want to upset anyone. I am just trying to inquire about the technology because I do not have much money to be throwing around.

I understand surfboards are delicate equipment and each person surfs differently under different conditions etc but from my experiences through research I have found enough documentation by other people to be concerned about delams and other potential structural issues. What I would greatly appreciate is if anyone can comment to this, and I would love to hear from a firewire representative if possible.

Thanks again to firewire for being so open. This is not meant to be an attack against you. Rather, I compliment and admire your actions at providing this forum and also would like to state that the sweet potato is one hell of a ride.

Thanks to all who replied and to those who will reply.