This board, of all I've ever ridden has me guessing. It feels rather un predictable to a point were i feel it really has different gears (if that makes sense). I find in solid waves it runs well enough especially when it is stepper. but i often feel in smaller waves i really have to work it rather hard. On a single wave i can speed off and slow it down dramatically. Most previous boards have felt more like I'm just driving and along for the ride. This one i feel i need to be constantly changing gears and working at getting it to do what i want. (I know that's a rather bad way of explaining it but its the best i can do)
I have dropped down in fins to loosen it up on turns and I'm now running medium Jordies (way to small for me but the shops all pointed that way) but they have given me the loose feeling and helps with sharp turns, but I'm just now struggling with this bottom turn slide out. When i drop in late, pull straight under the lip, it feels fine, its really i guess more just on the bottom turn sometimes it just slides out flat..Maybe its just me being a kook
SO yes i found stamping on my tail pad makes a massive difference, so do i need to be focusing on driving of the tail only, or more force on rails also, or just try a different fin..? I have been told this model prefers quads, but i wanted to get a better feel of this before i moved on to something else.. The Dominator has had some massive raps on the net and from nearly everyone I've seen riding them, but I'm still well and truly sitting on the fence. Ive had some amazing waves on it, but it still is probably my least fav board

So I've been told to stamp(more weight) my back foot, I agree and will move my tail pad further back, to help with this. I have been told its just more the shape of the board.

It would be good to get some more feedback, even if it is that I'm just a kook..

Take the tail pad off altogether. Do not put it back on. Wax the tail ride it 3 or four times. Put cheap plastic fcs in it. Go straight and hard bottom turn look at your back foot. Put good fcs fins in repeat straight gander bottom turn forehand backhand. If you must get a tail pad get a wide one. I use the dusty Payne one mainly cause it was the widest they had. I always like to have my back foot particularly on short boards over the back centre fin. That's all I got, some boards are good some of the time in some of the conditions

Is it too highly volumed? The Dom has super thick rails so I would think it would be hard to get the rails to bite on a bottom turn if its to much volume for yr weight.
I reckon they need to thin the tail out on it.

I think if it is over volumed you get more of a skipping stone type feeling going through the whole wave. I had that sliding out on the bottom turn for a while and had a thread about it.

I found in the end that I was not getting my back foot on the sweet spot over the fins. It was not a matter of stomping on it,just better placement

96 kg equals bigger fins.

If you can get the pad off in one piece, it was gonna fall off very soon anyway. Time to open the wallet, I'm afraid.

There is a natural graffiti remover you can buy from bunnings that gets the glue residue off your board once you pull the tail pad off. But I don't like your chances of getting the whole pad off in one piece. Look near the spray cans and masking tape

I rented a 6'4 Dom in Phuket last year. Went great in small waves, but I had trouble turning tight in the pocket in anything over waist height. I think the Dom is one board you can safely wack your info into their volume calculator & go with the board volume they recommend. But bare in mind it is not designed to have the performance of the Spit in under head or hellfire in over. What size is it & what fins are you using? Whats your weight & what kind of waves are you surfing?

For me being overvolumed kept me off the LB in small waves..............& I agree with the above...over volumed means bigger fins

I ride a higher volume short board and found with a thruster set up it was too ridged. So changed to a smaller quad and found that the back end slid out on bottom turns or cut backs. After sticking with it for a month or two I found the slide to be a benefit, now to the point where I rely on it. Maybe try and play with it for a while to see if you can make it work for you.

I might be wrong (it has been a while know) but on the inspection I had of a dominator in the shop it appeared to have a single concave bottom? On the single concaves I have used you have to really surf it of your back foot and I found it worked best in clean waves with nice wall sections. Once I figured this out, I found the single concave contour really came to life in the conditions mentioned, I'm stoked to have it in my quiver now, but I to really struggled with it at the start. I found taking it out in Beachies I struggled on it and my scud came into its own, so maybe right board wrong conditions ? ( I haven't seen what conditions it targeted out on the website, just my expirience with single concave boards). Good luck with it I would stick with the thruster setup with that board tho, but that's just me .

Thanks for all the replies, Its got me thinking for sure.

As for the volume calculator, the firewire site talks about me at 96 kilos riding 42 to 45 l which i find ridiculous. The Dom is 6'2" and about 37 l from memory so i can't see it being over volume. I tend to agree about the tail and maybe i should have grabbed a Spitfire instead? I wanted this board as i said for when it was a little messier so its not doing what i want ATM..

I will preserver some more though. I know the fins are too small, even though they have done what i wanted (loosen it up) so will try a large again but in a different fin then i first tried. Originally i tried the tech flex but they felt too stiff and were all wrong, i will try my Honeycomb back in. I did find the medium Jordies made it much easier to make tight turns at the top of the wave and gripped well, its just the bottom turn it slide out on me so i liked how they felt when up and going..
I really want a fin in large that has less hold?
I have a set of quads Simon Anderson's but i feel that would make it harder to turn again so maybe a smaller rear set would help, is that how it works?

As i said some waves it goes great and then the next one is just big slide and face plant, but will try and get used to that somehow.

I will remove the tail pad. I think it is too far forward and thanks for that advise. (lets hope this is the easy answer i'm wanting). i had actually thought about no pad (as i tend to kick my toe on the kicker) but i do like the feel of knowing my foot is sitting in the right spot. For some reason it gives me that extra confidence into turns...

I really need time to sit at the beach and just try different things, problem with that is who has the time these days

Thanks again..

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Ctngoodvibes said..
Is it too highly volumed? The Dom has super thick rails so I would think it would be hard to get the rails to bite on a bottom turn if its to much volume for yr weight.
I reckon they need to thin the tail out on it.

Just reading the 2014 Firewire book and read this

Dominator=Designed by Dan Mann, the Dominator is perhaps the most versatile board in the Firewire quiver to date. It combines a full outline with a thick foil from nose to tail and 5/4/3 fin configuration.

Spitfire=Our marketing director, Chuy Reyna, was looking for all the benefits of the Dominator with enhanced performance. The Spitfire combines a Diamond tail and step-down tail rail, giving the Spitfire the tail bite of a thinner board, without losing the Dominators speed and floatation.

Seems I've bought the wrong board

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bjshack said..
... fins ...

It's not the fins. It's the board.

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bjshack said..
... volume ...

The volume is a little high for you at 37L but not too bad. Given your body type/age/fitness/etc it's probably fine. But it's not the volume, it's the board.

If you asked for a board for mush then they probably sold you the right board. That board should float over anything, like the video Mick posted. It should be forgiving and "soft". It's not ever going to be a high performance board for hollow beachbreaks.

Nothing wrong with that but don't expect to fit a round peg in a square hole.

I'll bet I have fun (again) on my "fish" shape. It's a great board but like yours there are things it does well and things it doesn't do well. Conversely a high performance shortboard isn't ideal in 1' summer wind swell.

Treat your board as a fun board. Work it (like you found), jump around on it, play with your feet, load and unload, try to spin it flat. I'll bet it's fun. Don't try to bury a rail and set a line. Don't try big arcing turns. It's not the right tool.

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jbshack said..
Thanks for all the replies, Its got me thinking for sure.

As for the volume calculator, the firewire site talks about me at 96 kilos riding 42 to 45 l which i find ridiculous. The Dom is 6'2" and about 37 l from memory so i can't see it being over volume. I tend to agree about the tail and maybe i should have grabbed a Spitfire instead? I wanted this board as i said for when it was a little messier so its not doing what i want ATM..

I will preserver some more though. I know the fins are too small, even though they have done what i wanted (loosen it up) so will try a large again but in a different fin then i first tried. Originally i tried the tech flex but they felt too stiff and were all wrong, i will try my Honeycomb back in. I did find the medium Jordies made it much easier to make tight turns at the top of the wave and gripped well, its just the bottom turn it slide out on me so i liked how they felt when up and going..
I really want a fin in large that has less hold?
I have a set of quads Simon Anderson's but i feel that would make it harder to turn again so maybe a smaller rear set would help, is that how it works?

As i said some waves it goes great and then the next one is just big slide and face plant, but will try and get used to that somehow.

I will remove the tail pad. I think it is too far forward and thanks for that advise. (lets hope this is the easy answer i'm wanting). i had actually thought about no pad (as i tend to kick my toe on the kicker) but i do like the feel of knowing my foot is sitting in the right spot. For some reason it gives me that extra confidence into turns...

I really need time to sit at the beach and just try different things, problem with that is who has the time these days

Thanks again..

Fins don't have to be ridden in sets. Try your biggest side fins with your smallest centre. And visa-versa.
Shiiiiiit, I blew the boys away by going with 3 different fins. Handled pretty well from memory ('twas years ago).

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Legion said..

bjshack said..
... fins ...

It's not the fins. It's the board.

bjshack said..
... volume ...

The volume is a little high for you at 37L but not too bad. Given your body type/age/fitness/etc it's probably fine. But it's not the volume, it's the board.

If you asked for a board for mush then they probably sold you the right board. That board should float over anything, like the video Mick posted. It should be forgiving and "soft". It's not ever going to be a high performance board for hollow beachbreaks.

Nothing wrong with that but don't expect to fit a round peg in a square hole.

I'll bet I have fun (again) on my "fish" shape. It's a great board but like yours there are things it does well and things it doesn't do well. Conversely a high performance shortboard isn't ideal in 1' summer wind swell.

Treat your board as a fun board. Work it (like you found), jump around on it, play with your feet, load and unload, try to spin it flat. I'll bet it's fun. Don't try to bury a rail and set a line. Don't try big arcing turns. It's not the right tool.

So how do the people like Firewire get the calculator so wrong they also suggest i should be riding a 6'10" hellfire, (i ride it at 6'4" ) a 6'2" SP ( i ride that at 5'10" and it feels way to much,, id like it a lot less) They even say i should be on a 6'8" dom

I'd like to go back to the days of glassed in fins and less choice

Because with a shape like this it's safer for them to err on the side of caution. People will be much more upset if they buy a board that sinks and they can't paddle than if they have a boaty, floaty shape where performance suffers but paddles easily.

Things might be different with their calculator at the performance end of the range.

P.S. it's not the fins.

If you do play with the fins as per Buster's recommendation, a smaller centre is heaps of fun but much less hold. Be prepared for a slippery slide. Conversely a big centre should hold better. But it's still the board that's the culprit.

OK, I played with their calculator. If I go with their recommendation there are some boards that might work for me. If I lie about my age there are boards that would work better for me. But just looking at the recommendations there's no way I'd choose the dominator for fast hollow beachbreaks or hollow reefs. I'd choose something from their high performance range (some, not all) or if I was willing to compromise a bit something from their performance hybrid range (some, not all). If I wanted summer weak fun I might look at the dominator. At the far end of the scale, check out the artillery. Now there's a board for down the line barrels and hold. But it would suck for everyday Perth. Maybe pull it out occasionally on days like Saturday just for fun.

Kinetic racing fins phase 3 large are what I run on my biscuit and they are fooking sweet for the larger type no slide until you really really push buts its probably more to do with the board than the fins....how wide is the tail 12in from the end...

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Tux said..
Kinetic racing fins phase 3 large are what I run on my biscuit and they are fooking sweet for the larger type no slide until you really really push buts its probably more to do with the board than the fins....how wide is the tail 12in from the end...

Yeah im not sure but i do remember when they first came out i didn't like the look of the big arse. BUT i still eventually went it as a slight step down from their Hellfire that i love.

I think ill make the changes talked about but will keep an eye out for a Spitfire The guys at Vidlers did say i should be riding a SF over the Dom but everyone else said the opposite..Oh well its just money..

Edit i just went and measured it, 395mm wide at that point..

According to firewires website yr board is 38.1 litres. At 96 kg I think you would get away with 35. Remember boyancy is probably greater than a standard PU board as well. I still reckon your over volumed and the thick tail ain't helping.

No need to fret or get down on your board choice... try this first for the small stuff before you ditch the board.
If you're using fcs then get your hands on some AMT robber fins (True ames make them and will ship 2 pairs of fins for $20) with a small centre fin as a trailer, or MR tfx's with the trailer centre fin.
If you want to run it as a quad then use two small trailers instead of a centre one.
Come back on here and tell me if I'm wrong.
I've ridden a 6'4" dom (at 92kgs) in 1' Currumbin alley and had no issue getting it to scoot along with the MR's.
The 6'4" belonged to one of the staff who's 95 kgs btw.
Just look at wide tailed McCoys and the size of fins they use. Wide tailed board with loaf of bread rails that don't slide out.
In better waves you'll be able to use a fin with less area and use front and rear fins that are closer in size together.
Fins can make or break a boards performance and most surfers (and plenty of surf shop staff) have bugger all idea of fin mechanics.
I love to experiment with fins and am always learning.
I've demoed 3 different sizes of dominators in the past.
My mate who lived in WA surfing The bluff and so on while working as a cray fisherman (ie he's a good surfer with plenty of experience) had a couple of dominators he'd surf locally in everything here on the Sunshine coast as well as taking it to surf the Mentawaiis, Lakeys, Ulus and so on with no dramas whatsoever.

I'm 80kg and have a 5'8" (31ltr) Dom for a while. Run it with futures ea blackstix which are big fins for me and goes sweet, Super loose. If it's abit bigger I've been chucking in some stretch quad rears, also works well.

Thanks again, all my FW boards are futures. It gets bloody expensive trying different fins but ill look into those options tomorrow online maybe.

I picked up a new tail pad today but didn't go the Dusty Payne (But your right its wider) i went one with a slightly lower kicker to hopefully protect the toe a bit more..

Its this kind of perplexing fin rail volume stuff that drove me to single fins.
I got a six eight for big waves and a six o for small waves.
move the fin a bit in the box depending on wave size type if I remember.
They both go like **** of a stick and never slide...

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jbshack said...
Thanks again, all my FW boards are futures. It gets bloody expensive trying different fins but ill look into those options tomorrow online maybe.

I picked up a new tail pad today but didn't go the Dusty Payne (But your right its wider) i went one with a slightly lower kicker to hopefully protect the toe a bit more..

Are you going to ride it with no pad on it first or whack the new one on straight away.

Poor tradesman?

Btw, agree completely with Legian.

There is a reason why surfboards went from fat pigs with fat rails to the modern shape - because modern shapes work better.

that's an overly simplistic view.
The dominator is a modern hybrid shape.
It's not designed as a high performance shortboard.
It's a forgiving board made for smaller, average waves.

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jbshack said..
Thanks again, all my FW boards are futures. It gets bloody expensive trying different fins but ill look into those options tomorrow online maybe.

I picked up a new tail pad today but didn't go the Dusty Payne (But your right its wider) i went one with a slightly lower kicker to hopefully protect the toe a bit more..

I picked up a pair of Futures T1 twins in their composite material from my local surfshop's odds and ends fin box for $40 box the other day.
Worth seeing if the local shops have any. The composites are fine for smaller waves with their level of flex.
The composites with trailer are only $65 new anyway.
Cheaper than selling your board and buying another one.
I don't mind buying fins as they are easy to sell again if I don't like them.
It's worthwhile building a good varied fin quiver if you surf varied kinds of board shapes and sizes.
If you're only riding hpsbs (high performance shortboards) then its different because you can use the same kind of fin template (and adjust sizes) for the incremental changes in your board dimensions.

Have you seen this JB?

Very interesting what nev says about getting the wrong size dominator. Also interesting to hear its rocker is not actually that flat.

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Razzonater said..

jbshack said...
Thanks again, all my FW boards are futures. It gets bloody expensive trying different fins but ill look into those options tomorrow online maybe.

I picked up a new tail pad today but didn't go the Dusty Payne (But your right its wider) i went one with a slightly lower kicker to hopefully protect the toe a bit more..

Are you going to ride it with no pad on it first or whack the new one on straight away.

I don't really have that much time up my sleeve to try it a different way. Im of over seas in 6 weeks and really want to try and get it better before then. Sadly with work kids, and injury means at best one surf a week so although i completely understand your advice, I've already chucked the new tail pad back on. Looking at it more closer the pad was well forward, my foot was really forward of the rear fin more in the centre of all three fins, so I'm rather confident i had that way out.

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Ctngoodvibes said..
Have you seen this JB?

Very interesting what nev says about getting the wrong size dominator. Also interesting to hear its rocker is not actually that flat.

Actually that was originally one of the selling factors for me. I agree its interesting about the size issues he talks about and he even mentioned if its too big then the fat tail tends to slide. (Seems to be my issue) but as I pointed out their calculator puts me on a 6'8" 6" bigger than what I'm riding. The volume feels really nice when I'm in the water, duck diving is easy enough, paddling seems fine, when i sit the water is just on the line of my ribs so i think it volume is spot on..

His comments really make me think its just still set up wrong..