So I'm in the market for a new board for the summer months and I've narrowed it down to the following...

Firewire Baked Potato
Lost Bean Bag
CI Average Joe

Basically looking for something that is 5'7 to 5'8 (38-40ltrs) that is going to be super fun on those really small days.

Opinions please.

Go to your local shaper, get something made exactly how you want it and support your local community.

Select to expand quote

Jfunk said..
Go to your local shaper, get something made exactly how you want it and support your local community.

This

The Baked Potato is the best summer board for small ****ty waves.

Its light, in TimberTek looks the goods and it holds good resale, if you decided to move it on.

I'm all for local, but the durability of my latest few epoxy boards makes getting a poly local board, not worth it.

I would consider a local epoxy board, but i haven't found a shaper using it yet.

Just get a foamy. Did you see the clip of JOB riding one in indo?

Foamy:

Chippa goes alright on the foamy. Still keen on the $1000 firewire?

Select to expand quote

JBFletch said..
The Baked Potato is the best summer board for small ****ty waves.

Its light, in TimberTek looks the goods and it holds good resale, if you decided to move it on.

I'm all for local, but the durability of my latest few epoxy boards makes getting a poly local board, not worth it.

I would consider a local epoxy board, but i haven't found a shaper using it yet.

Yeah but don't you ride for Firewire?

Get a 5'10" twin fin, 6 channel, double flyers, 4 inch swallow. Double six ounce glass for durability. I got one 15 years ago. There have been six copies of it made by people who surfed mine and wanted one. Pulled in nose too, not the full fish shape.

Mine was a copy of a 1981 Murray Smith twinny I had had since 1986 or 87.

Select to expand quote

JBFletch said..

I'm all for local, but the durability of my latest few epoxy boards makes getting a poly local board, not worth it.

I would consider a local epoxy board, but i haven't found a shaper using it yet.

This

I had an SP and it lasted me 4.5 years. Loved that board. Well worth the dollars. I swapped that for a Nano which I loved but did not last as long. Here is the broken beast and after repairing her back to new again. SP the board for small gutleSs waves hand down.

I just put my second epoxy board, one a cheap SP rip off and one an expensive Firewire Potato-Nator, on the never to be used again rack due to cracks that have allowed water in (which I didn't notice!) and they now weigh more than me! Went to the local surf store and ordered me a custom traditional board. I love the epoxy's when there new, but I don't see the durability of them. There ability to suck in water...sucks!

Had my baked potato 2 years. Not a mark on it. Hands down the best summer board I've ever owned. Goes from knee high, to slightly overhead. Get some big fins though. I'm running futures MB2 quads.

Torquay Surf has heaps of firewires for sale at really good prices at the moment

Select to expand quote

Tux said..
Torquay Surf has heaps of firewires for sale at really good prices at the moment

Thanks Tux

Jeezus Ted!

What/where did that?

Is the construction a bit dodgy or was the wave just a beast!?

Unsure of just how gutless a wave you're talking, but check out these boards.

www.softechsoftboards.com/collections/boards

Much tougher construction than your El Nino flexi crap. I've got the 5'10" fish tail signature. Have owned plenty of softboards (and broken them). These ones are gold. Had a ball pulling into 1ft closeouts last night. Quad setup, wide boards. You can literally get into everything with ease. Perhaps not as easy to turn as fibreglass, but you can genuinely catch the smallest waves and get through fat sections with ease. You'll also find very few used ones being sold. People don't get rid of them once they have them.

Love my sweet potato, I'm 6'3 90kgs and I'm riding a 5'4. 35L... Best fun board for knee high up, get it planning and it flys. i have and will surf many more summer type days than I would if I didn't have one

Select to expand quote

MickCam said...
Jeezus Ted!

What/where did that?

Is the construction a bit dodgy or was the wave just a beast!?

that was the end result of a dredging 5 footer on low tide. Surprised it lasted that long to be honest. It got a truckload of beatings the last 6 months

I borrowed a mates 6'2 Firewire Dominator a little while back, amazing board.

I don't ride SB's that often and fell in love with the thing.

They have something special going on with that construction!

New shorty, based on Vadar, shaped by a mate. Goes unreal but likes good waves not so much the grovel rash.

I'd recomend adding the HS Hypto Krypto to your list. Board of the year last 2 years for a reason. It rips..

you have a lost couch potato on there..... i surfed a puddle jumper and thought it was super fun board...could probably push it way more than what it was designed for. it really made me smile

Select to expand quote

bene313 said..
Just get a foamy. Did you see the clip of JOB riding one in indo?

JOB is a freak

second the timbertek baked spud
gr8 board
i've a couple of timbertek, no issues at all

6'4 100kgs.
Ride a 5'11 BP (Not Timbertek).
Love it to bits.
Works anything from 1-4ft. Have ridden in bigger but I need a longer board with more rail at my height and weight in that size, especially on steeper take-offs.
Absolutely rockets in 2ft-3ft sucky beachies.
Ride as a quad. XL fins front. M rear.

Try it

Just been tuning in a 5'6 performance hull it' goes pretty dam good similar to the evo but much cheaper will put it on the demo rack if any one keen to try

Select to expand quote

katana said..
Just been tuning in a 5'6 performance hull it' goes pretty dam good similar to the evo but much cheaper will put it on the demo rack if any one keen to try

Tell me more Dave...... I'm not in WA so can't come for a test run. Any photos?

Hey salty the demo riding is 5'6 20 21/2 16 nose and 16 tail large rounded square nose /tail huge single right thru with a single 1/4 inch Chanel in the back third thruster set up with PC 7 and custom nubsters in front overlapping the front PCs heaps of hold even in 2x head drivey but pivots on a dime i can do for custom$850 plus 50 postage I will get a pick of my new 5'4 stable table

Dave Dims for mine on photo below, 17 inches for nose and tail. i've only ridden as a thruster so far.
Got 4 mini channels on tail and 3 nose channels. I'm about 70 kgs and think we got the volume spot on.

Has anyone tried one of these? Looks like cheap copy of those FireWire potato thingies
www.thesurfboardwarehouse.com.au/vessel-eco-bean/