Filed in: Surfboard Reviews | On: May 4th, 2008 | Comments: (7)
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After writing a post on Firewire Surfboards back in March of 2007, I finally got a chance to try one of these hyped up boards. Luckily for me, Kumau at Tropical Blends was cool enough to let me his personal board. For some reason, the Firewire people have been uninterested in letting me demo a board…who knows, perhaps they’re not into free publicity? Anyway, I recently got a chance to try a 5’10 Futura on a dying south swell which would be a good test to see how this board worked in less than perfect surf. The Futura is available in 3 models: 5’10 x 19 1/2″ 2 1/4″ All come with swallow tails and a thruster FCS setup. An interesting note on Kumau’s board…he set it up with FCS MR twin fins (glass) and added the smaller trailer to it. I had never heard of anyone riding this other than as a thruster but he said it worked well for him so I figured it would be very interesting.
This board has a somewhat fuller shortboard outline, lower rocker, yet overall the board is pretty thin…especially in the nose area. Paddling was very easy and it definitely floated a lot better than it would have if it were traditional polyurethane. I ate sh!t on the first wave…guess I wasn’t prepared for the slippiness of the twin fin setup but after a few more waves I figured out where my weight needed to be and voila…I was very impressed at how responsive the board felt. The biggest thing I’ve heard about Firewire boards is how they flex out of turns. Well I didn’t really feel the board pushing out of turns and giving me a boost of speed (probably because the surf was only waist/chest high at best) but the board did feel a bit more springy and lively than even a fresh fiberglass board. The Futura demonstrated exactly what the Firewire website claimed: “The Future Series merges the innate performance of new school fish design with the acceleration of Future Shapes Technology, creating a surfboard with pedal to the metal top end speed and remarkably tight turning radius. Buckle your seatbelt.’ This board could definitely fly and I was blazing on the small little walls. It’s hard to say if it’s because of the flex in the board or more because of the twin fin setups which usually go faster than tri-fins. Either way, this particular setup is killer for smaller days head high and under with twin fin speed and thruster performance. The Future basically rides like a traditional shortboard yet it’s so much more forgiving in less than ideal surf. I have another day to try this board out in a tri-fin setup so I’ll report back on my findings. So far, the hype is true and these boards are quite remarkable. Best thing about them, they’re pretty resilient to dings and damage so if you’re the type of surfer that always wrecks your boards, you may want to try a Firewire. 7 Comments »By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to the TERMS OF SERVICE. Any violations of these terms may result in account suspension or deactivation. Please keep your comments civil and in good taste. To report a comment, email info@surfboardshack.comJackson, on October 9, 2008 @ 9:05 am |I just bought a FUTURA from a guy here in San Diego and rode it at one of my favorite La Jolla Reefs. The board is somewhat similar to the CI Sashimi I have been riding for over a year and loving, but is thinner yet floats the same as the 2 3/8 on the CI. Overall, the any buyers remorse was wiped away on my second wave when I came straight off the bottom for nice first lipper then went straight into an uber tight cutback and right back into the lip off the rebound. SPringy? Fast? Responsive? YES YES YES! Really stoked on the board, I think i will be adding one of their shortboards to the quiver as well. I love the durability of the deck too. I surf hard and this thing does not pressure ding. Also, at 6’0″ 185Lbs I would say I am at the upper end of the weight spectrum for the 5-10 futura. Surfer mom, on January 27, 2009 @ 6:40 am |I do not know much about FireWire, however, I found a 6 ft quad second hand. my son is 5’5” and growing. He weighs 106lbs. Is this a good board to begin with? He has been using his buddies, but that gets old. Time for his own. Please help and advise. Thanks. Brandon, on February 8, 2009 @ 5:31 pm |Hi im in the same situation as your son I’m 5’7″ and about 130 pounds and growing ( I’m 14) any ways how much time does he spend surfing? I bought a six foot futura but I spend all my time in the water even in the 40degree water of the dead of winter. The board is great however if your son is a beginner he may want a fun board or some thing to learn the basics. rang, on March 8, 2010 @ 8:42 pm |Yeah just brought a 6’2 futura and my 1st surf was with factory fins which felt 2stiff, so tryed the G6 side fins and a small trail middle fin and my board was sweet. hahaha mean kumau thanks for the idea Ian, on March 16, 2010 @ 3:33 pm |I just bought this board used for $300 a couple weeks ago. I am 6’0 and 180lbs and I bought the 5’10. I have only used it once in crappy waves but I loved it. It kept a good speed and had smooth turns. I would definatly recommend this board joe, on July 14, 2010 @ 1:03 am |Hi, i was glad to find your review about the futura. Leave a comment |
Deon - JBAY, on July 30, 2008 @ 9:43 pm |
Found your comments very helpful
I’m looking to get a Futura,
I weigh 200 pounds, am 5’10” and am fairly surf fit
I’ve been on the alternator 6’2″ swallow for about a year, and its bouyancy etc is perfect for me – and I do enjoy the board, esp. in small surf.
Was just wandering if you thought the 6’0″ or the 6’2″ Futura would be better?
the 6’0″ specs look like it might have enough all round volume to hold me, and the last thing I want is a board with too much volume (which I’m scared about with the 6’2″) that I’ll have too nurse off the top at high speed
I generally surf pretty good waves
I’d appreciate any input fron you thanks