Webber Afterburner or Fatburner?

[JimmyYeh]

My weight is only 125lb, height 1.72m.
I'm choosing a board to suit summer small wave(about 1/2~1 person height), but in winter, the wave is usually above 1 person high.

I'm looking for Webber afterburner and fatburner.
Dimensions are as follow:
fatburner: 6'0" x 19 3/4" x 2 1/2"
afterburner: 6'0" x 19 x 2 1/4"

Does fatburner have more buoyance than afterburner?

In summer time, I will choose fatburner to catch more waves.
On the other hand, in winter, I wonder if I can use fatburner to duck dive?

Does anyone use this kind of fish/short board to duck dive?

It's a dilemma to me, plz give me some advice~

[vandangos]

hi alright iv got an after burner (6"4, 19 1/4, 2 1/2) and to be honest its pretty much a regular shortboard with slightly abit more vol. i can duck it quite easy but i am 6"3 and 190lb. the fatburner is more of a summer /small wave board because it has a wider more chunky template and you may have a harder time trying to duck dive it on larger days due to your weight. if you can i would try out boards of similar dims and see how they feel.

if i was only able to have one board i would get an afterburner with more volume to suit both types of waves.

hope this helps but i would recommend trying boards out of similar dims

[eastcoaster]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7542271.stm

[O_Danny_Boy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7542271.stm

great post geta clue

theres a difference between chinnese mass produced pop-outs and legit shapers from different countries selling their wares internationally

[crepuscular]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7542271.stm

great post geta clue

theres a difference between chinnese mass produced pop-outs and legit shapers from different countries selling their wares internationally

all pop out boards are crap! they soak up like a sponge from a tiny ding, who knows what sortta chemicals they used to make these boards...

hand shaped is the way to go, so much refined

[JimmyYeh]

I'm surely know that handcraft boards are much better, but the price
is also much much higher, though...

[raekwon chef]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7542271.stm

Excellent contribution to the thread.

Back on topic, look for demos to try out. If you're confident in your duck diving ability, go for the afterburner. If you want the fatburner you might as well invest in a fish for the summer mush. It is quite a dilema, but the fatburner's width is the only major difference.

[Banks]

I ride the new 08' SLX Fatburner - 6'6". No problems duck-diving it at all despite it bein a tad on the thick and wide side - 2' 3/4 and 20' 3/4 respectively. Love the thing tho, the double concave makes the thing glide a beaut! the thickness is the main difference between the two boards so it depends what you're after. I enjoy the smooth down-the-line feel of the fatburner which in comparison may not be matched by the afterburner because it's slightly thinner. However, I haven't had the opportunity of trying the Afterburner yet so I cannot confirm this. I also was out in 6ft+ surf last week with the thing and it was handling the chunky surf pretty well!

Although it is designed for the 1-4ft range, whereas the Afterburner is more suited for 2-5ft... just depends on what your average wave height is really! I plan on taking my Fatburner out in winter conditions tho (i'm expecting "above 1 person high" waves, as you would say, during those sessions)

hope this helps

[drowningbitbybit]

who knows what sortta chemicals they used to make these boards...

As opposed to those lovely environmentally friendly fibreglass customs...?

[drowningbitbybit]

On the other hand, in winter, I wonder if I can use fatburner to duck dive?

Does anyone use this kind of fish/short board to duck dive?

No problem with those dimensions.

Retro fishes can be a problem to sink the tail, but the fatburner shouldnt be too much of an issue.

[ANZAC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7542271.stm

great post geta clue

theres a difference between chinnese mass produced pop-outs and legit shapers from different countries selling their wares internationally

I guess the one thing these people dont want, is to get better at surfing.....
Any half decent surfer knows the difference after just one wave...

Pop-outs suck.

[isaluteyou]

I'm surely know that handcraft boards are much better, but the price
is also much much higher, though...

Ummmm not really i can buy a custom hand shaped board for around $400 (I get it less but thats another story) And most popouts will set you back 300+ so id hardly call that a huge price gallop

[more betterness]

Im 6' 3" and around 170 dry and after not surfing for about 2 years i picked up an afterburner and tried to shake off the rust... GREAT board for getting used to how a shortie rides again... The extra width helps loads when paddling but it still has thin enough rails to be be able to facilitate aggressive surfing... It was also pretty easy to duckdive in even the biggest surf i took it out in (about 7-8')

[WilburKookmyer]

Webber is a great shaper and I would go the Afterburner myself, but thats for how i surf. But I dont know how you surf and what you want to achieve! I reccommend talking or emailing Webber himself, or even a read on his website about the designs of the boards and what they are made to achieve!

On my own personal little agenda, why not find a quality local shaper you can talk to and give feedback for your next board? My guy shapes to what i want and need!

[IB_Surfer]

Local shaper is better! I buy locally, the lesser known shapers are not that expensive, I get my surfboards custom made, they can copy anything from any magazine because most used to be team riders or ghost shpares.

For example, my shaper made me a replica of a Xanadu pig quad cause I like the half moon tail and the extra boxy rails, I needed it a little longer for my big fat arse. Epoxy with fins incuded came out to $450. My carbon fiber shortboard was only $575. Carbon wrapped blank, not a hollow core.

If you like the afterburner but it's not exactly right, have a local shaper make you one like it with adjustments to your needs (longer if it feels squirley, less rocker for more glide, harder rails if it slides out, quad if you want to paddle it easier, double concave if you want to charge...)

[Henryrchurchill]

If you wanted to try out a Fatburner. theres A shop on the south coast which has one for demo. Its called Shore. And there website is www.shore.co.uk