A True Twin Fin? Firewire Great White Twin Surfboard Review

Рет қаралды 3,790

Күн бұрын

Finally getting around to reviewing the Firewire GWT (Great White Twin). I originally demo'd the board at HSS on one of the Firewire Demo days. I got to borrow it on two separate occasions but the waves really didn't cooperate. Luckily, however, my good Geoff, sold me his GWT for a great deal which has allowed me to be more selective of the days I surfed and also test out different fins.
Overall, the this Great White has some teeth. It is very performance oriented with think knifey rails and a super progressive rocker. Although the the entry rocker is medium, the tail rocker is rather aggressive which allows it to fit in really tight curved pockets. This turn bites, no pun intended, when you surf the pocket.
Surfer: 5'8" 145lbs | 172cm 66kg
Surfboard: 5'7" x 19 1/16" x 2 7/16" @27.5L
Fins: NVS Orcas, Kraken, Knox with and without a stabilizer
Traction: Creatures Fanning
Leash: DaKine
Wetsuit: Volcom 5/4/3 Modulator hooded (I'm a big wuss)
Upcoming board for 2024, in no particular order:
Firewire 5'2 Too Fish - DONE
Pyzel 5'3 White Tiger - DONE
CI 5'7 Dumpster Diver 2 - DONE
HELM Performance Fish - DONE
Firewire 5'7 GWT - DONE
Surftech AIPA Bone Fish - just added possibly next, new board not released yet
Album 5'4 Twinsman - possibly next
AIPA 5'7 Dark Horse
Lost 5'4 RNF Retro Revamp
HELM 6'8 Opener
Firewire 5'3 & 5'4 Revo
Firewire 5'8 Hydroshort
HI Moe Mini
HI Mid6 Mini (if I can get my hands on one)
Firewire Boss Up (if I can get my hands on one)
Firewire S-Boss (if I can get my hands on one)
Firewire New Releases (if any new ones come out)
#surfer #surf #surfing #surfboard #surfboards #surfboardreview #surfboardreviews #surfermag #stab #stabmag #surflesson #surflessons #surfergirl #asiansurfer #beginnersurflessons #beginnersurfer #learningtosurf

Пікірлер: 50

@ThomyeSurfs 7 күн бұрын

*IMPORTANT*: sorry everyone, I totally forgot to go over the construction of the board. I will try and cover it in my fin comparison video. Talk about a big brain fart. This was my first Volcanic board and I didn't even touch on it. haha So sorry.

@RuRuRarRar 6 күн бұрын

Super keen to hear your thoughts on the volcanic tech. It's heavier but that might be a good thing yeew!

@jasonjohnson2921 9 күн бұрын

Great review mate...loved the rocker profile comparison. It's something alot of reviewers don't do 🤙

@ThomyeSurfs 9 күн бұрын

thanks, after I did it and seeing that flat section (engine), it just confirmed why some boards just go better in small waves. I will say though, although I knew the Mashup had a bigger engine, I didn't think it was that much. coupled with the low tail rocker, the rocker exaggerates the size of the engine. making it actually bigger. Having said that, the GWT still worked great, slightly harder to grovel but still groveled well. I think they offset the tail rocker with slightly less nose rocker. it was hard to see but it had a fraction less nose rocker than the mashup. I will put it up against the FT and DD2 in the fin comparison video and see how it compares, the rocker that is.

@chucks222 8 күн бұрын

Rocker and fin placement comparison are super helpful!! Thanks

@gkl68 8 күн бұрын

Love the rocker profile comparison also. In general I really like you comparing with other models you’ve reviewed that helps a lot!

@SurfTechChannel 9 күн бұрын

Awesome review, the rocker comparison was sweet!!

@kylewattssurfing3266 7 күн бұрын

Nicccccceeee niccccccceeee yeeeaaahhh yeeeaaahhh!! Thanks!! 👏😎👏

@fox.709 9 күн бұрын

Always fun to watch, thanks Thomye.

@johns.9527 9 күн бұрын

Nice surfing! On the bigger and punchier waves your those frontside carves and snaps were looking pretty good!

@ThomyeSurfs 9 күн бұрын

Thanks, appreciate that. I really like the way the board just snaps in the pocket. I probably should have mentioned that although that only happened on one particular set of fins. Hopefully I'll get my fin comparison out so people can gauge what fins work best on this board.

@johns.9527 7 күн бұрын

@@ThomyeSurfs Looking forward to the follow-up video with the fin comparisons!

@catinthehat8412 7 күн бұрын

love your helper at the end 😻

@eddewes8409 8 күн бұрын

Probably the best comparison for rockers I've seen keep up the good work!

@doug5372 8 күн бұрын

Great analysis

@gilliamm.5732 9 күн бұрын

Great! Thanks!

@TheSurferYoda 9 күн бұрын

Another review I can grasp. So true on riding Twins made to be Twins vs boards with 5 boxes that some think a Twin plus Trailer will work. Showing the placement of the boxes was helpful. Now I want to try the GWT. LOL. I had a Chilli Black Vulture made as a straight Twin, two Futures boxes only, and they set what would be the two side Thruster set 1-1/4" back from where it normally sat. Riding True Ames TA Twins in it and it's turned into one of my favorite Twin Fins I've owned.

@Renegadee17 7 күн бұрын

I absolutely love my Great White Twin 5'10 32L with KS Endorfins. I've been surfing it for about 3 months. By far, my favorite board. I surf it at River Jetties and cliffs all the time

@ThomyeSurfs 7 күн бұрын

Have you surfed it as a pure twin? My last two days I've surfed it only as a pure twin and I am very surprised at how well it goes. I can't tell the difference at the moment at least not in the smaller stuff.

@Renegadee17 7 күн бұрын

@ThomyeSurfs I have, and I like it a lot. You get the release when you want it. You can definitely feel the difference when it's bigger. I've been surfing with the small trailer on bigger steeper days. I have yet to use the large trailer. I have a couple of Twinsman that are fun but get way too loose, but that's probably because I bought them too small for me. I'm 5'11" 190 and they are 5'7 27L and 5'8 28L. My sweet spot is 31-33L. My Sweet Potato 2 is 34L and I feel like I'm on a midsize.

@ThomyeSurfs 7 күн бұрын

@@Renegadee17 dang your twinsmans are tiny. My twinsman is 5'4 but 28L. Really fat.

@jasonking8937 7 күн бұрын

Yeah Nah that rocker comparison was bang on bro.. I think I would love both these boards but I don't think I can convince my wife I need them..

@ThomyeSurfs 7 күн бұрын

I started to channel by mistake cuz of random videos I posted. But then after it grew, it was easy to justify getting new boards, LOL. She's all for it now. A lot of these are borrowed boards from friends and others second hand. I also started to do my own oil changes and brake jobs on my car to save money. I keep a log of how much I save by not going to a mechanic and use that money to buy boards and wetsuits. It's helped a lot. We have 5 cars in my family. Each car is 3 oil changes a year, it costs me $30 to do it myself vs 75 to 150, depending on which car. I can safely say, i save minimum $50 per car 3x a year. that's is $750 in savings, 2 wetsuits. Brake pads is roughly once every 2 to 3 years and that saves me about 150 to 350 a year per car. That's easily a board a year, used to be two before covid supply issue and covid inflation. :( Rotors are where I save the most but that is only every 4 years per car so basically 1 of my cars a year although the timing hasn't worked out that way, I'm currently doing 3 cars in 1 year and then going 2 years without. Anyways, I year yah, I had 2 girls in private school and that was basically all my money. I had nothing and had to figure out how to make additional money and figured out one way was to save. I also gave up starbucks. That almost justified a board a year for me, also lost a crap ton of weight. LOL Went from 170 to 145 Sorry, didn't mean to give you too much info but I remember years ago, when I had a zero budget and thought about getting a 2nd job. Then the savings idea came to me. although if you are already doing your own maintenance, then it's even harder to justify. LOL Sorry for the long comment.

@vanislandsurf 8 күн бұрын

great review. really liked the rocker comparison and the fin setup comparisons. looking forward to the fin comparisons. do you already have a video on the Taylor Knox fins in some other boards?

@gilliamm.5732 9 күн бұрын

Thanks!

@ThomyeSurfs 9 күн бұрын

Thanks brotha, really appreciate it.

@csarquiweb 7 күн бұрын

Thanks Thomye. You were actually able to grovel more than I expected. Was that on the larger side of your usual volume?

@ThomyeSurfs 7 күн бұрын

most of the boards I have or tested are around that. The GWT was 27.5L compared to my other boards: Mashup - 27.1 Seaside - 28.2 Dumpster Diver 2 - 27.8 Too Fish - 27.8 Dark Twin - 28.86 Hydra - 27.2 Hypto Krypto - 28.62 White Tiger - 26.2 (but I preferred my other buddies 5'4 which is closer to 28) Sharpeye FT - 25.5 (this I consider my performance board and it needs better waves)

@AK-ms5zk 6 күн бұрын

Very front footed surfer 🏄🏻

@ThomyeSurfs 5 күн бұрын

me for sure. very front footed. Which is why this board is so surprising to me. I don't do well with big tail rockers usually especially in small waves. But this groveled way better than expected. BTW, were you referring to yourself or me.

@davidcallaway5697 9 күн бұрын

Great review Thomye! Love the analysis and helps with whether to pull the trigger on this one or pass. How did you find the volcanic lamination relative to the ibolic?

@ThomyeSurfs 9 күн бұрын

I like the weight and look of I-Bolic much better. But given that I don't surf a board much, other than the create the content, I like the idea of it now aging or not aging as much. It gives me an opportunity to surf it later and or sell it in excellent condition. The board seems super durable. in regards to surfing, not sure if it is better or worse, unless I surf an I-Bolic and Volcanic back to back in the same board, it is hard to tell if the sensation I'm feeling from surfing is the board design or the board construction.

@JIMOON 6 күн бұрын

Very comprehensive analysis, where can I get a shirt or sticker with that dope logo in the beginning of your video? :P

@ThomyeSurfs 5 күн бұрын

LOL, once I sticker all my boards, I will let you know. :)

@serfdogg 9 күн бұрын

Bought an old used Hypto Krypto yellow board. Put a Thomeye surfs paint job on it a& Taylor Knox NVS fins so I guess I'm a fan 😂👍

@ThomyeSurfs 9 күн бұрын

haha, nice. Thanks

@Iowa-dy2mi 9 күн бұрын

Great review again thomye stoked on the twinsman I got warped pin by album rode this winter I’m trying get the twinsman next or the bon dia asym would you do review on asyms ?

@ThomyeSurfs 9 күн бұрын

I love the idea of an Asym and would love to but funds are drained. I am lucky that some of my friends have a good collection of boards they are willing to let me ride/review. But that list is drying up soon. Not sure I can afford to buy an Album for the sake of a review, I would lose way too much money. But the concept of an asym makes total sense to me. In fact, I think a lot intermediate surfers should be on an asym, especially if their backhand isn't as strong as their forehand. It's crazy to me that more people aren't on them.

@Iowa-dy2mi 9 күн бұрын

@@ThomyeSurfs I agree they definitely help out I let you know if I get one and dims and if it works you more than welcome to do review

@owbei 9 күн бұрын

Great review. Looks like it preferred to be in the pocket. Most twins are difficult to surf in the pocket as they like to project. How did you find it backhand? You are correct, this isn’t a groveller. I would say a daily driver perhaps. 🤩

@ThomyeSurfs 9 күн бұрын

Backhand was good but not great. Better than the Fishbeard and toofiah for sure but that was to be expected. I think I had 1 backhand wave in the video. I will try and get more.

@scottsquire1053 9 күн бұрын

I find this with sci fi 2.0 I never got to ride sci fi 1.o but apparently it surfed better due to the low rocker. To much tail rocker can be so start and stop.

@ThomyeSurfs 9 күн бұрын

I try and be careful of what I say since surfing is somewhat subjective and rockers tend to favor the back footed surfer. The board paddled well cuz of the easy medium front rocker but then when you step on the back, if the wave was soft, it would pull the nose out of the water a bit more than normal, and that would push water. so I had to surf forward quite a bit to drive for speed. I'm getting better at that so more and more boards are staring to feel comfortable to me.used to be, I hated performance type boards, now it doesn't seem as bad as I remember.

@christiancasado6153 9 күн бұрын

You said you Never surfed a midlle lenghts but you forgot your Brother offered you a seaside and beyond couple years ago 😊

@ThomyeSurfs 8 күн бұрын

No, I meant when I was learning.

@ThomyeSurfs 8 күн бұрын

I think the Seaxe was my very first mid-length. Then the S&B was next.

@allsurf 9 күн бұрын

Was that a claim? Was it Brazil approved?😂 This board looks great for steeper waves etc. Probably not great for where I surf. Great review. 🤙🏼

@ThomyeSurfs 8 күн бұрын

I didn't think I was going to pull it off. I was so late to it. So technically yes I guess it was a claim lol.

@marlom7389 12 сағат бұрын

What fin set up did u prefer?

@ThomyeSurfs Сағат бұрын

I'll be putting out a video soon with the fins I tried. When using a stabilizer, I really liked the NVS Kraken, they are the smallest set of twin fins I have. It would be like using an XXL Toledo side fins if that made them. I tried the NVS Orcas plus stabilizer which were OK but a smidge tight, and also the NVS Taylor Knox with the Knox stabilizer and that was really tight. Lastly, I tried it as a pure twin with only the Orcas and that went insane. I didn't expect to be able to surf it as a pure twin but the board held and still had a ton of drive. so the short answer would be I liked the Orcas as a pure twin and the Kraken with the stabilizer. I'm certain that one would out perform the other in certain conditions but I don't get too much variation in waves. I'd imagine on a really hollow punchy wave, having a stabilizer would be beneficial. But in most conditions, I think I really liked it as a pure twin. seemed a bit faster in feel through the arch of a turn.