firewire surfboard

[michel27]

hello I would like to know if the addvance firewire surf board will be the right board for me(begginer surfer can catch waves)
im 6ft and 190ibs 28 years old
I dont know what will be better the 6.10 addvance or 7ft? addvance for 1-5 ft waves
btw what do you think about this board for begginer surfers?
or mabey other board/size?
thanks

[Tudeo]

I've got the Addvance 6'6", 48L. I'm 6' 165lbs, intermediate, 54 yo. I like mine in medium sized waves, over shoulder high the board gets a bit hard to control on the backside because of the high volume and thick rails.
These boards are built for people (older surfers) who already know how to surf but need some extra volume for paddle power, and don't want to loose the dynamics of shorter boards. Wide nosed longboards, Malibu's, are much slower to turn because of the weight in the nose of the board.
A Malibu is the easiest to learn on but you can learn on the Add but it will be harder because you'll need better timing and positioning and takeoff skills.

Best would be to try one before you buy, because every learner has different wants and abillities. Good luck!

[waikikikichan]

I think the answer lies in the name of the board itself ........... Addvance. So it is not a board for Beeginners.

But since almost all people want to get better not worse, Do you think this board will make you surf or learn to surf better ? It depends on what your riding currently and how you are riding it. If you can NOT bottom turn, cutback and kick out all under control consistently going backside on your current board, then the Addvance will not help you in your quest ( not right now, but later yes )

By the way 1-5 is a big gap. Do you usually surf in 1-2 foot or 4-5 foot waves. Of course, it's depending on the swell, time of year, etc. But at what size do you feel comfortable and surf well ?

[dtc]

I think Tudeo has the Addvance market down well - its a board for people who can surf already who need or want a bigger board, for whatever reason. Dont get sucked in by the volume of the board - volume is one factor out of about 10 in seeing whether a board is suitable for your needs. So high volume, on its own, tells you nothing about whether the board is appropriate

In this case, if you are a beginner, I would say 'no, its not appropriate'. A long board is much more suitable - at 190lbs you are pretty big for a surfer, dont be too tempted in trying to go shorter. For a beginner, there is only one benefit in going shorter to start off with - in 5 years time, when you have the skills, you wont need to buy a new board. But if you buy a 9ft board now, then in 2 years time, when you have the skills (faster development because you started off with a more appropriate board), then you may want to buy a new board that is a bit shorter. Of course, second hand and selling the longboard may make that transition relatively painless on the hip pocket; or you may feel that not spending several years progressing more slowly than you otherwise would progress is worth a few dollars.

[michel27]

thanks for the advises
during the summer im surfing 2-4 feet waves most of the time mabey 2-3 ft
im looking for an easier surfboard that will help me to catch the waves easily
im surfing 6.1 ft board the volume is 39 it was hard for me to catch the waves cause its a 6.2 ft board so its a bit small for me
i really like the longboard surf style I surfed with a long board a few weeks and i catches waves easily than my current board I could turn to bothsides but still not so good
I heard that the add firewire board mix the benefits of a longboard cause there is alot of volume
and still not big as a long board so could be a good board before a shorter board
i dont wanna keep surfing with the longboard cause its too big and hard to carry so im looking for an easy board that will help me to be better
so what do you think?mabey the greedy beaver will be a better option cause the shape?and what do you think about the submoon at 7.6 ft?
thanks

[dtc]

What about a Seaxe - I've tried them, they are pretty good, very lightweight. 7ft2 even, or 7ft6

The submoon and greedy beaver are both good as well, although the greedy beaver maxes out at 6ft10. But those shapes (more rounded etc) and size in 7-8ft can be found on many boards. If you like firewire then one of these three I think are better than the Addvance, for you. I would probably say the greedy beaver the least suited, but its not terrible.

[michel27]

thanks for the advice
I dont understand why the seaxe/submoon I saw they have the same volume
what the difference between them BTW?
will be better than the addvance for beginners?
the addvnace have more volume and mabey an easier shape?
so which board do you think will be the best for me and which size?
what do you think about the al meric water hog compare to firewire?
thanks

[Oldie]

I (51 yo 6.3 200lbs beginner) used the 7.6 Addvance during a two week vacation and i own a 8.4 x 23 x 3 1/4 water hog at 71.5l. Even though both have a very similiar volume, there is no comparison in surfing characteristics. The water hog is much faster to paddle, much more stable and much easier to catch waves with. I think the Addvance is more for experienced surfers as the name and marketing suggests.

[dtc]

thanks for the advice
I dont understand why the seaxe/submoon I saw they have the same volume
what the difference between them BTW?
will be better than the addvance for beginners?
the addvnace have more volume and mabey an easier shape?
so which board do you think will be the best for me and which size?
what do you think about the al meric water hog compare to firewire?
thanks

I think the Addvance has a harder shape - the pointier nose, in particular, will make it less stable. yes, easier to turn (stability and turning ability are generally inversely related ie less stable = easier to turn). Higher volume doesnt make it easier to ride

The SeAxe and Submoon are similar but have some small differences eg Submoon is wider and thicker, but the nose is rounder. The 'foil' (thickness distribution) is a bit different - the nose of the submoon starts getting thinner a lot earlier than in the SeAxe, which means it has slightly less volume overall even though its wider and thicker at the maximum point. However, the SeAxe is thick in the middle but thins out quite quickly going toward the side and has thinner rails, the submoon rails are quite thick. The submoon rails (side of the board) are in a continual curve, the SeAxe has a section in the middle where the rails run parallel (ie straight). the submoon has more tail rocker

so....lots of jargon and little things. End of the day, the SeAxe is a bit easier to turn but a bit less stable; the thinner rails mean you need to have your board balance and positioning right. Submoon is lower volume and kind of unusual tail - its not a cruisy longboard

The waterhog looks better, actually, than either firewire - although of the firewires I would go with the SeAxe.

Or just look at the Torq boards - torq 7ft6 mod fun, for examples

[michel27]

thank you all for the answers

so if im going for the waterhog which size will be the best for me?
I think mabey go for 7.6 ft what do you think?

[Tudeo]

what do you think about the submoon at 7.6 ft?
thanks

I've got a Submoon 8'2" @ 60 liters, I think it's a very versatile board. It let's me walk the nose a bit when the wave is weak, which is a lot of fun. You can stand in the thick middle area for relaxed cruising or step back on the thin tail for nice carves in stronger waves. I like it a lot because it helps me catch waves in crowded situations and still offers a dynamic (up and down) ride.

It handles bigger, overhead, waves a lot better then my ADD 606, because the tail is very thin. That gives a nice 'buttery' feeling instead of rock hard 'almost out off control' bumping of thicker rails. I use medium sized fins and never had the feeling they're too small.

I'm very interested in a 7'2" SeaAxe for a step up board. (What size did you try dtc?) I have a Firewire Hashtag 6'2" for bigger and hollower, but after being on the SM for a long time it's a big (wobbly) step down..

But please understand the submoon is aimed at the same group of (older) experienced surfers as the Addvance. Meaning, you'll need good timing and positioning to catch waves.

[dtc]

Ive heard the submoon is good as a 'performance' longboard but doesnt quite work in shorter lengths. But that is just 2nd hand

Tudeo, I borrowed a friends 7ft2 SeAxe. It was a big day (2OH) but pretty fat crumbly waves and I swapped from surfing a 6ft10 hybrid for 30 minutes or so. The lightness threw me a bit - made it a bit more twitchy I felt than I'm used to. But it was still stable, so probably 'looser' is a better term than 'twitchy'. Caught waves easily; I was disappointed they dont have a shorter version or I may be very tempted (as I have a 7ft4 that I really like so no point getting a 7ft2; but not so enamored of my 6'10). I dont know how it would go in smaller surf, but the person I borrowed it off said it went really well. Of course, she was 5ft3 and weighed about 45kg

[michel27]

ok so I think that seaxe/water hog will be the best for me?
which size do you think will be the best for me in each board?
thanks

[Oldie]

Firewires volume calculator gives you an 8.11 Submoon for weaker waves, no Seaxe. Firewire does not really have good beginner boards. Aside from that, you will draw attention with these boards on the beach and in the lineup, so you should be ready to back them up with your surfing

From CI you get very quick responses when using their chat.

[michel27]

ok so if im going for the water hog
do you think 7.6ft will be good for me?

[dtc]

For a beginner surfer I would still suggest a 9ft board. Particularly as you are fairly heavy.

But if you really want a shorter board, then the water hog is a pretty good choice. But would you be willing to get the 8'2 or 8'4?

[Oldie]

I suggest to check with CI, too. They have a chat function on their website and will guide you on the right dimensions. I would not go shorter than 2 ft above your height and I would add 5-10% on their volume guidance by adding thickness.

[Tudeo]

I swapped from surfing a 6ft10 hybrid for 30 minutes or so. The lightness threw me a bit - made it a bit more twitchy I felt than I'm used to. But it was still stable, so probably 'looser' is a better term than 'twitchy'.

Thanks for the info on the SeaAxe dtc, I think I'll go for a closer look next time I'm around the toko. What strikes me though is that you mention the 7'2" SeaAxe felt 'looser' compared to your 6'10" hybrid! Do you have any idea why?
Is it, like you mentioned, the lighter epoxy/timbertec build, is there such a big difference in weight with your 6'10"? Or maybe your 5ft3, 45kg friend used the tiniest (loosest right?) of fins on the SeaAxe?

[dtc]

My 6'10 is heavy! Its second hand so I dont know the glassing but I'm thinking 6+6 and it has glassed in fins. Very old school. My other regular board, 7ft4, is heavy as well (its 6+6 glass plus another 4oz around the fins and leash fixture)

Firewires I can pick up between two fingers, they are just a different ball game from traditional materials. But you are used to firewires so probably its just normal for you

I would do an upper body twist or, particularly, an 'ankle turn' (as old man calls them) perhaps with the 'strength' for a heavy board and I guess 'over torque' it, and end up turning more than I wanted. Whether that is the weight or the board or my style or the fins, as you say, I dont know. Maybe a combination of everything. But I can recall popping up and doing an ankle turn to go down the line and having the nose end up pointing up the wave instead.

then again, 30 min and a handful of waves - its entirely possible that it was just me not adjusting to the board very well or stuffing things up. Like every board, it will react differently and I'm not good enough to make the transition very quickly

Nice board though. My friend really loves it; she isnt a brilliant surfer (she is 64! Started surfing in her 50s - super fit though, is a swimming and yoga instructor) but has had several boards in her surfing life and reckons this is the best by far. For her, of course, its pretty close to a long board

[Aggiegrl]

I'm a 5'7" gal who is living in Southern California and have just started surfing in the last year. I started with a friend's 8'10" longboard and was having a ton of fun learning in the whitewash and catching some green face waves. After that, I was hooked on surfing and decided to get my own board. I opted for an 8'4" BIC (bc I didn't want a foamie, but I also didn't want to spend a fortune for a custom board). I've been riding that thing more seriously in the last 6 months and felt ready to do a step down without losing volume, but adding more maneuverability. At 130lb, I felt the 7'6" ADDVANCE was perfect! I'm still a beginner. I ride whitewash and green waves depending on the conditions. I can paddle out to the lineup. I prefer the smaller waves as I can still get intimidated with the bigger sets. Out where I surf... I usually prefer some mushy conditions anywhere from 2-6ft. I'm still learning. The biggest transitions for me from the 8'4" BIC to the 7'6" Addvance is finding the sweet spot on the board. The addvance paddles well! Almost as easy as the BIC despite the size difference. I'm having more fun catching steeper waves bc there's a bit more rocker on the addvance vs the BIC. This is allowing me to gain confidence and push myself to try the bigger waves. Next up, I want to learn bottom turns... and I think this board will definitely help me do that! Cheers!