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.