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Firewire Hydroshort kite version

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purdyd
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Re: Firewire Hydroshort kite version

Postby purdyd » Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:56 pm

The board is a hoot. I just got my 5’ 4” hydroshort.

Weighed in at just under 2.3 kg, naked.

It planes up like a bigger board and shoots upwind. Has really good drive and while not as slashy as the evo, it can still pivot around off a face.

Rode it in sloppy wind swell with an occasional south swell leaker. Thigh to rare chest high wave. 8m kite well powered, side to side on wind.

This might be for me a one board quiver. I will have to see how it behaves in more wind.
8EC9A4CA-0FA8-4841-B995-75E2DE44BE31.jpeg
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adamj2281 (Wed Jun 24, 2020 4:40 pm)
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Re: Firewire Hydroshort kite version

Postby adamj2281 » Thu Jun 25, 2020 2:19 am

I just finished up my 2nd session on the 5'4" Hydroshort, I'm 170 lb (78 kg or so) roughly and it has no problem with respect to going upwind, etc. I'm still getting used to it, the main take away is that it's pretty lively under foot, and very light. With that lightness you still be careful with it, I have a small little hairline crack on the nose of it, and I have no clue how it happened as I baby'ed it.

Anyways, I've had it out in 9m conditions with knee to waist high surf one day, and knee high today. I think it will be a solid all-around board, and fill the main thing I'm looking for which is something that I can ride when conditions are decent to good ( for us that would be waist to shoulder) in a smaller package. I have the 5'2" Whip CSC for freestyle and really small stuff. The rails feel really thin cutting into the water and don't seem to get bogged down as much as my previous board.

I'm still debating how quick it's going to be on a slash on a wave, I need a good frontside day to compare.
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wara-wara (Sat Jun 27, 2020 9:00 pm)
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Re: Firewire Hydroshort kite version

Postby alfredo68 » Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:30 pm

Anyone that can compare it with a 5'1 Vader ??

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Re: Firewire Hydroshort kite version

Postby Onda » Thu Jun 25, 2020 1:13 pm

The comparison with the 5.1 Vader is interesting for me as well. Anyone?
I love the Vader for up to hip / chest high wind swell and particularly for jumping / tricks (sooo light!). For higher waves I have a 5.10 Pro Wam (a little large for me, but still absolutely fine, super smooth ride, very surfy).
If the Hydroshort could replace my Vader and Pro Wam > :D

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Re: Firewire Hydroshort kite version

Postby purdyd » Thu Jun 25, 2020 5:37 pm

I can give you some perspective.

I have a 4th 10” evo helium construction. I’ve ridden a 5’ 1” Vader in LFT. I have a 5’ 6” slingshot celeritas and a loyd custom 5’ 6”.

I am not an aerial trickster, but would say the shorter stubbier Vader and evo would be better for that.

The hydroshort is I believe more surf oriented.

The problem with the mph designs is that in steep waves the lack of nose can be a problem. Also the wide tails can be a handful when really powered and choppy. And it can be a challenge to drive a good bottom turn without the tail skipping out or pearling.

In fact I noticed Tomo has a revo with with a narrower tail than the evo.

The hydroshort gives you back the nose, but it is rounded off and the tail is wide but not overly so.

It is very light and planes up quickly so you can use a smaller board and still get good snap and charge mushy stuff and still attack the steeper stuff.

It remains to be seen by me how it , the hydroshort, will handle being really powered in rougher conditions on a 7m or 6m kite.

Right now I would say the 5’4” hydroshort Is a nice melding of my more classic surf boards and the evo.

I don’t think it as slashy as the evo but it is close enough and there is noticeably more drive.
Last edited by purdyd on Sun Jun 28, 2020 2:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Firewire Hydroshort kite version

Postby wara-wara » Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:57 pm

adamj2281 wrote:
Thu Jun 25, 2020 2:19 am
I think it will be a solid all-around board, and fill the main thing I'm looking for which is something that I can ride when conditions are decent to good ( for us that would be waist to shoulder) in a smaller package. I have the 5'2" Whip CSC for freestyle and really small stuff.
This is exactly why i'm looking at this board. I need something to complement my Vader on those powered up days/waves. Would you say the Vader and Hydroshort would be a good board quiver? I now have a Vader and Mitu ESL.

And still curious to know how people like the Hydroshort on the 6m kite size days.

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Re: Firewire Hydroshort kite version

Postby surfinsmiley » Wed Jul 01, 2020 3:40 am

Anybody in Australia or New Zealand seen these boards yet?

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Re: Firewire Hydroshort kite version

Postby BudhaNl » Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:32 am

wara-wara wrote:
Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:57 pm
adamj2281 wrote:
Thu Jun 25, 2020 2:19 am
I think it will be a solid all-around board, and fill the main thing I'm looking for which is something that I can ride when conditions are decent to good ( for us that would be waist to shoulder) in a smaller package. I have the 5'2" Whip CSC for freestyle and really small stuff.
This is exactly why i'm looking at this board. I need something to complement my Vader on those powered up days/waves. Would you say the Vader and Hydroshort would be a good board quiver? I now have a Vader and Mitu ESL.

And still curious to know how people like the Hydroshort on the 6m kite size days.
Hey fellow Dutchie!

I ride a BWS Stallion 5'2 which is comparable to your Vader on pretty much the same beaches :wink: and to complement that for the bigger days I've bought -on close out- their Overhead 5'4. Took it out Monday evening, and felt pretty good for a first session (was a bit overpowered on my 7m, should've gone down to my 6). Reading from the description of the Hydroshort, wouldn't that be too much of an overlap with your Vader? A board like the Naish Global or an Appletree Appleflap would be more complementary?


Maybe you really like the feel of the Vader construction and I can imagine that's why you want to stay with Firewire. I had a Vanguard in kite construction, after riding a Stallion for a short test drive I was sold on that feel, it's as if that board sets itself in the turns much better and the ride is more comfortable. I've no experience with the newer Firewire Helium tech so that may be an improvement over the old construction.

The BWS Stallions are *were* produced by Appletree so I imagine that the feel of that would be similar.
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wara-wara (Wed Jul 01, 2020 8:56 pm)
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Onda
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Re: Firewire Hydroshort kite version

Postby Onda » Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:39 am

I´m pretty sure Vader and Hydroshort is too similar / too much overlap.
I have a Vader 5.1 and a Duotone Pro Wam 5.10. For me, these boards perfectly complement each other. Vader for tricks and small waves (chest hight maybe), the ProWam for larger waves. In larger waves you (I) really want that stable drive and the surfy turning characteristics of a more classic shape. The Vader - for my taste - is too skatey here. And even if the Hydroshort will be more like a classic surfboard, it is still very much "Vader-like".
If I would travel a lot and would need a one-board solution for various conditions, I´d probably test the Hydroshort.
The Vader with its super light weight is still my dream board for jumping and tricks. Makes everything so easy :D And it is super durable as well. Extremely well done, Firewire.
Last edited by Onda on Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
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adamj2281
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Re: Firewire Hydroshort kite version

Postby adamj2281 » Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:39 am

wara-wara wrote:
Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:57 pm
adamj2281 wrote:
Thu Jun 25, 2020 2:19 am
I think it will be a solid all-around board, and fill the main thing I'm looking for which is something that I can ride when conditions are decent to good ( for us that would be waist to shoulder) in a smaller package. I have the 5'2" Whip CSC for freestyle and really small stuff.
This is exactly why i'm looking at this board. I need something to complement my Vader on those powered up days/waves. Would you say the Vader and Hydroshort would be a good board quiver? I now have a Vader and Mitu ESL.

And still curious to know how people like the Hydroshort on the 6m kite size days.
Wara-wara, so.....I still haven't had a high wind and/or bigger wave day, it's been mostly 9m conditions in knee to waist high wind swell. We may have one next week. I will say I rode the Hydroshort back to back with my 5'2" North Whip CSC, here are some observations:

-Whip is a cushier ride, Hydroshort is going to feel a bit of the chop a bit more, not as much chatter as my previous traditional shape board, but more than a Vader/Whip would.
-Hydroshort is more reactive and quicker rail to rail.
-Both go upwind pretty well, no issues there.
-Both are really easy to gybe, the Hydroshort being a bit narrower than my previous boards still is pretty easy.

Obviously the Whip is older and a basic construction, so it is quite a bit heavier than the Hydroshort. The Hydroshort held it's own in smaller stuff too, again, I got it to cover the bigger stuff (anything over stomach high basically), but in a smaller overall package. Now, with that said, the bigger stuff I'm having it cover is still east coast US waves, so.....we might have a few days of overhead surf during hurricane/fall/winter surf, but a not really powerful, steep wave where something with even more rocker and thinned out would be beneficial.

Far as the description on Firewire's website, I read that, and yeah, a torpedo rounded nose is easier for balancing out strapless airs, but.....I think this board is more surf-oriented than freestyle.
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