FW vs. Coil

DPSUP likes Coil... Baddy likes Firewire.

 

i like firewire.
don't work for 'em.
never received a check from ANYTHING SURF RELATED.

BUT i've never tried a coil...so theoretically....all it takes is a stick that GOES REALLY WELL to
change my mind. and change i do...heres whats in my trash dump...

lost, ci, claude codgen, bing, hobie, weber, (fitzgerald design), bonzer (s), MB, countless others.....

 

And thats just it. Comparing boards on performance is really only relative to the individual riding them. However, Materials used and construction is the only thing that could swing opinion without said individual testing each one.

 

I do love my Coil, I don't work for them though. I have never ridden a FW so I can't speak to them other than what I have heard from others who own / ride them, and what I've heard from several shapers. I believe any board will go if you put a competent surfer on it. I don't like to reinvent the wheel so when I find something that works and exceeds my expectations then I stick with it, so if I buy another board, it will most definitely be another Coil. I know this doesn't answer your question Emass, but maybe you can ride them both a bit more and report back with your own observations. I have seen some FW that look really cool, and if others swear by them, they can't be all that bad I would think. To it's their own I suppose.

 

One of my local shops carries a ton of Firewires, but at that shop, I always see used Firewires on the rack for sale that look abused and tons of boards on the repair rack. Never see a Coils with those problems.

 

Firewires are easier to get a hold of, and they are probably the same quality as Coils. I owned a Coil, and the shape I had was just a dud, I didn't like it. I like my Firewire. A little light and corky feeling at first, but they are responsive and very durable. Plus, Nev Hyman is the shaper behind a lot of the models, and that guy is an O.G. Aussie shaper. To each his own, though. And yeah, I know they are constructed in Thailand. I like other things from Thailand. I like Thai food, especially green curry. So what does this all mean? I don't know. But I like my Firewire and would buy another one. They are now comparable to the price of PU boards by big named shapers.

 

you probable see more Firewires used on the rack and getting fixed simply because more people own them. I think they call that observational bias.

 

But does your local shop sell Coils? I don't see many Coils by me so it would make sense that I wouldn't see many used in shops.

 

They stock a few shops but most of what they do is direct to the consumer. Lots own them, few need repair. Don't take my word for it though, read up on hundreds of ride reports, you'll be there a while...

http://www.swaylocks.com/forums/coil-ride-reports

 

True, a ton more people have Firewires. I suppose if we're going to get into the nitty-gritty of my study, my sample size of Firewires comes from the local shop and the googlemachine. My sample of Coils comes from the googlemachine and a chance unicorn-sighting in the local shop. The Firewires have scars, the Coils don't. Not sure what else to say.

 

Totally different boards in terms of construction and design. Coils are totally customizable compared to your model shopping when purchasing a FW. Construction: Coil--infused resins, composite materials, focus on flex, unique foils, etc. made in the USA; FW: parabolic rails/timberflex--vacuum bagged composite design...boards made in internationally.

I've ridden both (wider wider board, dominator, potatonator, Taj model). I liked the design of the coil and the focus on flex/tech. Coil didn't "feel" nearly as stiff as the FST FW I rode, but designs. Overall, liked the design concepts behind the coil, but would be happy to ride a Tomo in FW. Other than Tomo's designs...not all that into them... They may be tough, but FW and coils both ding, crease, etc.

 

I've read them. And I'm sure they are very durable... There's just not many people riding them up here, so it makes sense that they're not on used racks.

 

I hear ya, makes sense I suppose.

 

I have both.

Currently have or had a Potatonator, Dominator, Spitfire (all FST). On the Coil side, I currently have a MegaMind and have an M80 being shaped.

Overall, my early FST firewires where fairly strong. The newer ones seem to be of a softer epoxy. The RapidFires are lighter and weaker than the FST. Timbertek is too soft. I have seen them at a major shop in California full of fingernail gouges from people trying to see how strong the construction was.

If you find a shape that works from firewire, you can pretty much replace the board and get the same performance. They are CNC made in Thailand.

Coils are hand made in Satellite Beach, Florida. You will speak with the shaper and have it made to your specifications. The coil construction and strength to weight ratio is far superior in the Coil.

I tried to have a mix quiver, but after seeing how light the Coils are, I did not like going back in forth to the Firewires. I find them too heavy.

If you go Firewire, be careful with their volume recommendations. They tend to recommend too small a board and thats why you see so many on the market.

With Coil, you tell them your weight/abilities/ and what you want out of the board and Mike will make it happen.

I'm selling all my Firewires and going to a Coil only quiver.

 

Firewires previously owned: Quadfish, Alternator, Dominator

Coils previously owned: Qualifier, Widerboard squash, M80, Flashback Fish
Coils currently own: M80 diamond tail, M80 round tail, Springfish, Widerboard roundtail

The new Coil Kick tech is superior to the Firewires. I was shocked at the super light weight of the kick boards. The flex and projection is better than any board I've owned. The Alternator felt 'dead' after a while. While I always kicked myself for selling the Firewire quadfish, my all time favorite board, I just had the Coil guys tweak the dims & foil of the spring fish to match that of the Quadfish. As previously said, Mike is awesome about working with you to give you exactly what you want. The reason you dont see them much in shops is they really mostly work on word of mouth, no real marketing like Firewire. Small operation that has more than enough work to keep them busy. I think the wait is around 8 weeks now.
I would still buy a Firewire if it was a unique shape that noone was doing, or the Coil guys might not do. One things for certain, with the advances in the materials out there now, I'm never going back to PU/PE.

 

Emass: sure, right after you get me those Carver pics...

I loved the pre-kick Coils... a great thing somehow got even better is how I look at it. And when the base price of a Coil Kick board is $600, i dont know why you wouldnt try it (though since theyre not really in many shops, you're also paying $100 for shipping). Like I said, flex & projection is great, not corky like epoxy, feels like poly under your feet...only better. Out of all those Coils I've owned, the ONLY ding I've ever fixed is when I let my kid sled on it and he missed the ramp and went into the street...thats how confident I was that nothing would happen to it.

Does every shape work for everyone? No. Salt didnt like his Coil. I tried the Megamind, wasnt for my style. Qualifier was too HP for me. But that can happen with any board you buy. I'm happy with my quiver, but of course, every time they come out with a new shape, I get that itch... currently, its the Chopstick. But I just picked up an Aviso RNF and a Ghostbuster, so its on hold for a while