Firewire Slab vs Hellrazor II
Not sure where ya live PB, or if available in your area, but on the Goldy, you can demo FW boards at a few shops. Maybe a test ride before you buy?
While we're at it, anybody got anything to say on the Unibrow? I'm looking for a bit more of a performance shape (am currently still riding an epoxy Ch. Is. Biscuit 5'11" but getting a bit bored) that still has a quite a bit of volume and goes well in everyday conditions but can handle it when the waves ramp up a bit. Something that would go well in similar waves to the Oz east coast. I like the look of the Unibrow shape and am happy with the couple of Firewires I've had overall.
PB, I had a 6'6" Flexfire pin but sold it as it was just gathering dust here. Too much board for the very rare occaisions that I could use it. I have a 6'4" Merrick that I use as a step up and if the waves are good I usually ride my 6'2" FW Alternator. The Flexfire as I mentioned before in another forum didn't really stand out to me in any areas. It was a nice clean shape and went well for me the couple of times I rode it. I reckon in bigger, hollower waves it would go really well, but in bigger, softer rolling kind of waves it kind of ran out on me if that makes sense. Hollow, down the line waves is where I think it would come in to its own.
My thanks in advance too.
I tried a unibrow for one session in sub-optimal surf. I found it to be too high performancie for the waves I was in at the time. The thing had flashes of brilliance but was unforgiving and struggled in the mixed-up chop. You definitely need to be on your game to keep your lines clean on one of those. I imagine on a clean hollow day and with some time to get used to it, it'd blow doors.
Sweet Mk1, cheers.
I've got a Unibrow 6'4" love this board, I find it easy to ride, great to paddle, great everyday board could have gone the 6'2"
Was looking at the 6'2".
How big are 50? I'm 6' 93 kegs.
I'm wondering if I should go up to the 6'4". I was riding 6'3" 's, 6'4" 's in the 90's. No worries there.
6'1" 90 kg at 53yrs young I can ride the 6'4' down to 1 ft and have riden it when I was 92kg easy go the 6'2" at 35.6l I've also just got a 5'7" Vanguard 32l what a machine!!!! like riding a hoverboard. Only get to surf weekends so my paddle fitness is definitely not at it's best
zenagain wrote:PB, I had a 6'6" Flexfire pin but sold it as it was just gathering dust here. Too much board for the very rare occaisions that I could use it. I have a 6'4" Merrick that I use as a step up and if the waves are good I usually ride my 6'2" FW Alternator. The Flexfire as I mentioned before in another forum didn't really stand out to me in any areas. It was a nice clean shape and went well for me the couple of times I rode it. I reckon in bigger, hollower waves it would go really well, but in bigger, softer rolling kind of waves it kind of ran out on me if that makes sense. Hollow, down the line waves is where I think it would come in to its own.
Cheers Zen, that's the info I am after as I pretty much would be getting the board for hollower stuff like Gnarloo, Big Indo etc. Was it a super tight or could you still wrap a decent turn on it without it feeling too knifey/narrow? (age old problem of needing a board that will hold when it's big but still be loose enough when get it out on the face)
Also if I can bombard you with another Q, how do you rate the Altenator? Is it single or single to double?
Cheers
Dunno how you feel about swallow tails Zen, but I've ridden my Quadra (always as thruster) in everything from waist high slop to solid 5ft hollow SW WA beachies and froth on it, still has a decent amount of volume, awesome all rounder and a pretty stock standard shorty, I assume much like the altenator but maybe just a little looser for tight turns etc, single to double too so good in junky surf.
I reckon mk1 is prob on the money, with the roundtail Unibrow would be a little unforgiving in junkier surf and more suited to drawn out lines/cleaner waves. That said I've got a dom which is an epic grovel board and has similar tail but has loose feel thanks to it being short, stubby and thick as shit.
PB, I don't think the Flexfire is going to be too narrow especially if you're looking at a step up for bigger, hollower waves like Indo or the NW. At 18 3/4 seems to be right on the money.
I'll try and put a couple of pics up of both boards together. The Flexfire looks quite thin compared to the alternator but under your arm it isn't.
Both are nice clean shapes and kind of the go to performance boards in the Firewire range. I'm a heavier kind of fella so i put a set of big SA25's on the Alternator (pictured) but then went back to a set of FG-5's which I think are a good match. The Flexfire had future fins and I went with a set of AM2's but you could probably go smaller.
People write off Firewires but I really like them and the only reason I got rid of the pin is that I never really used it. Kind of regret it now cause I want to get a new one.
Also, not averse to swallow tails, I've got a 5'8" swallowtail fish, super fat and wide but I keep stepping off the back of it and scraping my ankle;) It's got a timber finish so I don't want to put a tail patch on it- it's too pretty. I just kind of stick with the squash/round tails because it's what I know and I'm pretty set in my ways.
See how these pics go, I'm not real good at this stuff.
Ok, pics didn't work- will try again.
See how this goes.
And this is what it looks like when you don't change the wax all winter:)
(with the FG-5's in)
I had a 6,3 squash tail flex fire, never really surfed it much as had other boards i preferred at the time and needed room (excuse with the wife) for new boards so got rid of it.
It was 18 3/4 which for me these days is too narrow by about 1/4"
I also like to keep all my boards to have the five fin option now as I feel it gives me almost two boards in one.
Overall not a bad board, just a very standard high performance shape, but for me feels a bit dated.
BTW. I really like the look of the Hellrazor 2, i have a Hellfire and its one of the best boards I've had, I'm a huge fan of the step down rail thing in the tail thats on both boards, really seems to work for me.
Cheers for the pics Zen, like the look of the outline on the FF, that's definitely a big wave weapon with the full pin on it! I will definitely go the roundtail I reckon.
Cheers Indo, yeah I actually had a HZ II on order but cancelled it at the last minute as got my Quadra first and it ended up having me covered for the same kind of waves I would have used the HZ in. The Quadra has me covered up to 6ft so trying to find a FW stepup for 6ft + surf, though there doesn't seem to be many options aside from the flexfire (HZ is still pretty short lengthwise).
indo-dreaming wrote:I had a 6,3 squash tail flex fire, never really surfed it much as had other boards i preferred at the time and needed room (excuse with the wife) for new boards so got rid of it.
It was 18 3/4 which for me these days is too narrow by about 1/4"
I also like to keep all my boards to have the five fin option now as I feel it gives me almost two boards in one.
Overall not a bad board, just a very standard high performance shape, but for me feels a bit dated.
BTW. I really like the look of the Hellrazor 2, i have a Hellfire and its one of the best boards I've had, I'm a huge fan of the step down rail thing in the tail thats on both boards, really seems to work for me.
I'm chasing feedback from anyone who has ridden Firewires Slab or Hellrazor II models.
I currently have a 6'0 Quadra 5 which I ride as my standard shorty for 3-5ft punchy waves. Love the Quadra but am looking to get a 6'0 Slab or 6'0 HZ II as a semi stepup from my Quadra for 5-6ft surf (head and a half - double overhead Southwest Oz / Indo reefs etc).
I am after something that will hold a solid bottom turn in bigger surf without sacrificing a bit of looseness/snapiness in the pocket, sort of the hold of a roundtail with the responsiveness/snapiness of a swallow tail (I realise these are somewhat opposing goals!). Am thinking the Slab looks like a looser board than HZ and like it's width up front as opposed to the narrower HZ but am wondering if it might be less of a high performance board than the HZ?
Does anyone know what the concave is on the Slab? I prefer single to double and am told the HZ has this but no idea of concave on Slab?
Also be interested to know if anyone has feedback on the flexfire also (looking at a 6'3 FF as stepup for 6-8ft).
Thanks in advance.