FireWires... And other Epoxies

eps/epoxy boards have their pros and cons, depending on the conditions. My experience is most of them are still basically too light. I'm guessing the eps foam (same type styrofoam as in coffee cups) is the main culprit...and most all brands have their own eps formulation/buoyancy and epoxy mixes/flex, so you'd really need to try them all to find the one for you.

I would still be testing them, but I can't afford the money or time I'd need to invest. At this point, the only thing close I'd even consider paying for is Hydroflex "natural" (epoxy glass over PU foam).

 

I hate to complicate things but I don't think you can lump "Firewire...and other Epoxies" into one category that are going to be similar.

Firewires have parabolic rails and are sandwich construction...that's going have its own feel.
hand shaped / laminated EPS/epoxy board with a middle stringer...that's going to have its own feel.
Surftech feels completely different to me than either of these.

Of all these, just a plain hand laminated EPS epoxy board, with lighter glassing, and a bit more thinned out, can feel pretty similar to a PU/PE board to me.

I agree with Waterbaby that Epoxy glassing over Poly foam gets you extra durability and keeps the poly feel.

 

One word... Coil.

 

I have had two PU Ron Jons which both got dinged up really easy. Of course that could just be because they are Ron Jons. I just picked up an epoxy Santa Cruz thruster. The SC is very buoyant and light but in my opinion I like both of those attributes. I think I'll probably get a hand shaped epoxy next year. I just like how durable they are known to be.

 

I love my firewires and although I always rode poly boards before don't see anything but positive characteristics in the epoxy.

 

Firewires are popouts.

 

The parabolic rail does something very specific that I don't pretend to understand, but the finished project has a very distinct feel. I have a Firewire Flexfire, which is designed for steep/good waves. It feels slightly lighter than air, is unbelievably responsive and throws spray higher than my ability dictates. Regardless, it's just not that much fun to ride. I far prefer a heavy poly.

 

word.

 

Any board with a signature name is a pop out. Anytime you can make the same board, the same way, twice---pop out. I love my spitfire and sweet potato from FW. Although I had an older Resin8 Sam Egan that I liked more. Still sandwich epoxy.

 

Is this a joke or are you serious? I think the term pop-out is being used incorrectly--FW or any machines board aren't necessarily being "pored into a mold" and then popped out of said mold. Someone is finishing them...

 

all the lost and channel islands models are sig names, but not "pop outs". Shaped by a computerized machine, each one is exactly alike, but they're fine tuned, glassed, fin boxed and finish sanded by hand...old school.

The sandwich/vacuum bag method ("pop out") is, only to a small extent, still finished by hand. I'm guessing these type boards get a bad rep because it probably doesn't take much skill to do the minimal finishing these boards require...many of the people who finish them are not surfers, have never surfed and/or have never had any interest in surfing.

 

Test ride or rent a Firewire and you can be the judge. The only drawback is that they are almost too light. You can be blown off of waves with hard offshores, etc. Or maybe that's just rider malfunction. Either way, I've had my Firewire for like 5 years, and it is still holding-up great. I have traveled to multiple places with it on airlines, etc. I've beaten the snot out of it. It still is responsive and only has a couple of cracks on it. Great great great boards. Yes, they are manufactured in Thailand or whatever, but they are top-notch.
As for Tuflite construction and all that stuff, I can't stand the feel of it. Very stiff and planky.
There you go, there's my sh**ty review of alternative surfboard construction.

 

Haha. OK. Well, I love my pop-out. I'll buy another one.

 

i dont know why in the **** anyone would buy a firewire, chinese pop out that cost $899....

 

Because they are trendy, look cool, has a name that rhymes, i.e. very catch like a Pop song. And lots of people like them. Not me, never ridden one, but many seem to like how they ride. I've heard some who hate em too. People see others with them, so they follow the crowd I guess, just like CI, Lost, Rusty, etc.

 

for most people, main draw for epoxy is durability...they can be at their peak performance for over twice as long as a poly board. (although I've read firewires are hit or miss, as far as durability)

 

Yep. Hey, I ride boards hand-shaped by local guys in NJ. I also ride Firewires, and I happen to like them a lot. I've ridden Coils before, and i wasn't a fan of the model I rode. I ride what I like, period, and I don't give two sh**ts if it's made by Mr. Loc'ed-out down the street guy or from Nev Hyman's company manufactured in Thai sweatshop. I been doing this here surfing thing since 1988 and been through too many boards. If something feels good under the feet and lasts THREE TIMES AS LONG, sign me the F up. Call me a trendy a-hole, etc.

 

Firewires are the sh**. Sorry man. I don't know any other way to tell you. Let's price some things out, shall we? Here's the breakdown:
Firewire Baked Potato 5'5 x 21 3/4 x 2 1/2 36L FST Surfboard=$749. If a normal human being rides this board (e.g. someone not pulling an air reverse every other wave or riding shallow reef breaks or basically beating the living sh** out of this) it'll last 3-4 years and still look and feel pretty new. The deck will hold-up and these are very resistant to pressure dings/delams/etc.
Channel Islands Average Joe 5'7 x 21 7/8 x 2 5/8 Surfboard= $649. P/U glass and foam, shaped by a robot and finished and glassed by a human. This board will last about 2 years until the deck has dents all over it (or delams), and it starts to have that dead lifeless feeling after surfing it a lot (under normal circumstances).
Lost Couch Potato 5'8 x 22 x 2.5 36.05L 5-fin Surfboard= $679. Same thing as the C.I longevity.

So, the best bang for your buck is the Firewire if you are a regular surfer like me on a budget. You'll get more out of if in the long-haul. Suq it.