Thanks for another helpful review. I have a Seaside but thought the wide squash tail on the Machadocado would make it a superior groveler. My bank account is happy that this is not the case. Cheers Thomye.
Another great review! Because of you and Wooly I bought the Sweet Potato I just purchased the Machadocado but haven't ridden it yet (no waves) but your review gives me a good mental state going into it!~ Thanks for the review!
Nice review man! I agree it looked better in slightly bigger waves but it's not really marketed as an "uber groveler" so that tracks. I'm a new follower, I just discovered you after returing from a way too long break from surfing.... I'm a similar age and once I get all my mobility issues resolved, hopefully tracking back to a similar level. I'd love to see a review/comparison of the G-Skate and Mashup. When I came back I was convinced to buty the G-Skate by an old friend (and I like it), but your channel has me wondering about the Mashup... Anyway, great work!
Nice review man I was waiting to see what your thoughts were thanks for sharing! My wife got me the cado for my bday so super stoked. Thought I’d share my experience so far. Im 158lb and ride the 5’4 with machado fins. First thought was its crazy thin rails, nose and tail. I think like you said it’s best in waist high beach break little punchy stuff. I tried at a local reef break in SD (Del Mar) but I prefer the seaside in that condition. If I compare to my 5’4 seaside and 5”5 mashup I’d say it feels little different then both and kinda in the middle of them. Seaside is very stable great flow and smooth and forgiving in many conditions. Mashup feels little looser and squirely not quite as stable as I felt on the cado. I rode it in a decent size chest high beach break and it felt like it held pretty well in that size as well. One thing I’ve been struggling with a little is setting my line quickly it seem to wanna go straighter first not sure if that’s just me still adjusting or the fins . My first session I did a top turn that felt so good it held really well but not sticky and released all the fins out at the perfect time which I rearely can do so it definitely has great potential when there is decent surf which has been almost nonexistent this summer
Agreed. I sort of put it between the seaside and the mashup but leading a little bit more towards the seaside. The whitetail and relatively parallel rails makes the board feel super stable likely why it wants or feels like it wants to go straight.
Another banger vid, thanks. I enjoy the board visual concave comparisons. Interesting if the swirl color way is kinda volcanic and or a bit heavier. I was kinda keen on it but maybe not anymore. Although I rode a big Seaisde this weekend in Volcanic and rode longboard waves - felt great. Responsive and controllable like you said is the best way to put it for the Machadocado. It’s not as lightning fast as the Mashup, but easier to keep stable. I kinda wish I just had all the Firewire models. They do a good job of having boards different enough to have some variation, although in same general category. That last turn was sick.
thanks bro, always appreciate your comments. They are very thorough. That maneuver was funny because I saw the guy just inside and was initially thinking to follow through with the off the lip with more speed and carry it into the flats out in front of the left. But last minutes, I changed my mind, LOL. I decided to go back and stay clear of the surfer. Which is why it looked sort of weird, like I was hung up. Anyways, I am hoping to get the Cado out again but as a twin only to compare keel vs more upright. Maybe even the NVS convertible Ono's.
@@ThomyeSurfs haha ah the dreaded person on the inside - we all know them well. Well whatever you did, it was the right play as that was some solid sliding. I noticed the Helium tech does that nicely - keeps its stability while giving you some room to adjust. The Mashup in particular is like tik-tacking a skateboard, so precise. Always happy to try to go in depth on the comments as I can - appreciate your input always as well. Reckon we gotta collab one of these days, see if I can grovel those waves you shred 😎
Another awesome review bro! I'm loving mine so far on the few session I've had inbetween injuries - but I'm looking forward to some above waist high lefts on it soon!haha! If you want some extra insight into how it compares with Robs other boards I got to interview him last week and chatted though it v the Seaside, Mashup and Too Fish :)
it's a matter of getting hold of one. I did the hydra thanks to my friend Bien. He also let me ride his quiver killer but I never got any decent waves to test it. He is the only one of my friends that buy Lost boards. I reached out to Lost boards a while ago but they never responded. I no only borrow, demo, or buy used to save money.
Glad I watched this. I found this board frustratingly slow so far. I will take it to BSR shortly to give it another try with a couple of different fin setups. I'm 200lbs and have the 5'8". Maybe I should have gone up in size a bit.
wow, you are surfing it at a factor of .172 which is like pro level for a performance board. I'm 145 on the 5'2 which puts me at .184. the stock 5'2 would not have enough liters for me. This 5'2 luckily has more volume. But I think for me at 5'8 145lbs, the 5'4 is the best choice.
@@ThomyeSurfs I also have a 5’8 Cymatic that put me at a .172. I need a snorkel to paddle but somehow it still catches waves and it surfs so good. I was shocked the first time I took it out.
My two cents - Mashup is more like a shortboard. Cado is boatier and feels more like a fish. Mashup is actually not the best super groveler in my experience - needs at least waist high wave to get up and go. Cado has heaps more foam near nose (you can almost cheater 5 on it) and does better on gutless surf. If you live on the East Coast I’d say Cado all day. If you surf punchier waves more then Mashup.
If I can put it as simple as possible I would say the mashup just has better performance. Obviously it all depends on sizing but for me the 5'4 mashup has more performance. The Cado feels super stable and just a little tight around the tail especially with speed. It's responsive rail to rail likely cuz of the concaves but in the end I think it's all a matter of preference. I am gravitating towards swallows these days. I'm actually trying to figure out exactly what it is to describe in words why I like them over other tails. But I guess it all depends on the board too.
Thanks for great review and interesting board comparisons! Could you comment on “forgiveness” of the different Firewire grovelers….which is more forgiving of imperfect foot placement. Thanks!
For me and based on a lot of people that have tried the board, the seaside is likely the most user friendly. It just covers you on the low end of the spectrum. Small waves, soft waves, even good waves if it's under head high the seaside is the most forgiving. Obviously the too fish is going to be more sensitive to foot placement. It's a true twin with its fins set further back. I took the tailpad off of mine so that I could place my feet anywhere on the tail. The mashup is good too but sizing is important on that board. Especially if you're looking for performance. The seaside something about that board I'm able to ride every size all the way up to a 6 ft version and still surf it really well. I can't do that with too many other boards. Anyways it's all subjective so hopefully you can demo one to see if it works for you. I only know one guy off the top of my head that didn't like the seaside.
Love the review, I got the 6’0”. I agree with your opinion, waist down sweet potato, waist up the Cado livens up! Are you gonna review the Boss up? Would love to hear your thoughts on it, especially when compared with seaside & beyond. 🤙🏻
regarding the Boss Up, yeah, I'm trying to get hold of one. I have a few people reach out to me offering theirs but they are too long. I wanted to try teh 6'6 or the 6'8. Anyways, stay tuned for that.
It's completely sold out online in the USA so at moment it's academic. Hopefully they don't do their normal thing of releasing a new model before they restock the last release so I can get one.
Good review- I’m loving my 5’8” with RFC Twin Fish fins and a Futures trailer. I really want to be able to ride the Machadocado as a pure twin but I think the boxes are too high up. I’m curious to try out the NVS convertible twin set up to try to get those things a little bit closer to the tail
Yes convertibles sound amazing for this board. NVS has two versions, one kraken and one ono. The onos are modern keels, so they would truly be converting to a twin. After I get a couple other board reviews out I plan to go back to the cado and try it as a pure twin. I'll test uprights, keels, and I'll try the convertible that I have which is the kraken.
for my waves, I would say Seaside, then Cado, then SP. If I surfed HB or Tresltes more, maybe the Cado first, then the seaside. Having said that, of the three, for the smallest days, I would prefer the SP for uber groveling. Take into consideration that I would be surfing the SP 4L more than my other boards since 5'2 is the shortest version they have. Hope that makes sense.
@ Thanks for the response! If you don’t mind me asking one more question - what do you think feels less skatey and more stable. Cado or Seaside? Cheers!!
@@Tehwhsyeg77 Seaside, the swallow tail bites a little bit, just enough to make the board feel like it is on tracks. But the quad makes it loose when you need it. most versatile of the bunch
Try the Rusty Blade. I'm a major fan of that style of rail, - flat deck making a thicker angle rail makes great drive. Rusty Hatchet is another. Check out Letty Mortensen from the 2019 vid of the Blade. If you get a Blade, request that 2019 outline / pull-ratio. Rusty has an alternate more pulled ratio 'file' for the Blade but it's not the good one. The good one is with the fuller/wider pull ratio, not the narrower pull-ratio (pull ratio = mid width / tail width)
Thanks for another great review! Do you think the Cado or Lost Hydra is a better groveler in below waist high waves? Also suggest a review on the Album Plasmic. I've heard great things about that one as a groveler.
I think the Hydra has a slight advantage in the smaller softer waves. There's probably a little overlap around the 2 to 3 ft but I think as the waves get steeper the cotto wins for performance
Oh, regarding the plasmic. I really want to try that board. Of all of albums board it's the one that draws my attention the most. I do have the twins min now and hopefully I can get to that soon but the plasmic was the first board I wanted to review but just couldn't get a hold of one.
I think I would prefer it a tad bigger. Unless you are advanced, it's just easier if it were bigger and it would grovel much better. At the size I rode it, was groveled, but not as much as I would have thought. Maybe just too much foam missing in those deep concaves.
I could be wrong but I think the ‘swirl’ is their volcanic glass over helium construction. Has volcanic fibres threaded in for strength and flex characteristics. Carbon substitute…
I got a message from Mark at Firewire and he said that the swirl is just resin tint. It looks really cool but relative to the white one, it seemed heavier.
I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't review the Modern Highline. It's been around for a long time and is very similar to this board. Rob's board is a finer product but also twice the price.
looks like a decent board, definitely my type of board, but unless they let me borrow it or gave it to me, I just don't have the money to review it. Also, not enough surf :( It's been so sad lately. I am however, going to review some budget soon, Aloha and Element. They look like Modern boards and priced about the same.
Hey Thomye board looked good but not for me. Since you were talking about fins in the video I reached out to NVS and asked them about a quad set up for my slater No Brainer. They suggested the Dan Mann quads. Have you surfed those quads? But after watching this video I’m still looking for the best board to buy for small east coast NJ surf and pools. The problem is I don’t want one of those sweet potato type big boards and I’m not sold on the Mashup. Still looking for an Evo and might have to give the Noel Apia supernova a serious look even though the prices are super high. Looking for your thoughts but I know you’ve given me a lot of ideas already
I have the Dan Man's but not the quads. The quad rears are what I would need to complete that set. Yeah I definitely if you're looking for a small wave board with performance there are likely better options. This one was exceptional in anything above waist high with little steepness. I really like the bobby quad and I know you said you're not sold on the mashup but that is my favorite. It makes me sad I don't get to ride it often because I'm a little behind on my reviews. I may need to wax it up tonight to surf it tomorrow
@@ThomyeSurfs as far as the mashup I’m going by what you said about it not the best option for smaller east coast waves. I the mashup was probably going to be the board but that comment has me thinking maybe not the way to go???
Do you think this could be upsized a bit without losing too much performance because of how low the rails are and/or the foiled tail? I usually surf 30 litres in my 5/4 wetsuit, but I'm stuck with either 28l (I happily surf this range in boardshorts in good waves) in the 5'4 or 33l in the 5'6. Leaning towards upszizing in this case but curious to hear your thoughts.
I think it also depends on how tall you are. I'm 5'8 and I found the 5'2, a bit short so I would likely have enjoyed the 5'4 more. Having said that, you could use your height to help determine that.
I don't think it was superior but it has a slightly wider base and a slightly wider tip. So it push back a little bit more where the front fins were creating better drive for me. Also the smaller trailer fin that I used from NVS loosened up the board a bit. Having said that if you watched the video, that maneuver I did was on the Machado 2 + 1s. So those fins are great too but it's all a matter of preference. I have a lot of NVS fins so I try to avoid buying new fins and use the savings towards boards instead. So definitely not superior in fact very similar.
I think you have an earlier prototype or are the dimensions a mistake? You have 26.8L in the description. Rob's site says: 5'2" X 19 13/16" X 2 1/4" 25.9L
Mark at Firewire contacted me to give me the 411. He said that this was supposed to be the stock before they changed it to a smaller version. So out there somewhere there's a bunch of these floating around. It is 26.8 L so definitely not a mistake. It does feel a little bit bigger wider than the stock 5.2.
What a riot!! I wonder what the 25.9 would feel like in a 5’2. Do you think it would feel very different for all the folks looking to buy a 5’2 right now? Part of my hesitancy is the 25.9 L seems a tiny bit low to then I want. The 5’4 might be too big.
Did you ever ride the Chumlee? It was my favorite small wave board of all time…I’m on my 3rd one. It was discontinued a long time ago but they let me order a custom one a couple of years ago. I just tried to order a new one and they said I’m out of luck. I would have ordered 10 last time if I’d known…lol. Anyway, looking for a replacement small wave board and thinking this. Any insight?
I have tried the Chumlee, 5'3 version. However, I never really connected with it. I was great for paddling, catching waves, and going down the line, but I had a really difficult time doing any sort of heel side turn, ie cutbacks or top turns. I remember watching another guy on a larger Chumlee and he was ripping. At that point, I knew it was me and not the board, LOL. Anyways, I don't feel they are similar. Maybe in the larger sizes but not the 5'2 that I tried. 5'2 compared to my 5'3 Chumlee were totally different. Cado had more performance for me at the shorter size. I think I have a few videos of the Chumlee if you look in my library. Sorry I can't be more helpful.
What do people think is the best uber groveler with performance? Is there even a performance uber groveler or not really? I've tried a regular uber groveler like the sweet potato 2 in knee to thigh/waist high waves and it felt hard to turn.
Definitely performance will be relative. More skill you have probably the easier. But I found the sweet potato too also difficult to do any high performance turns. I think I mentioned that in the video where I reviewed it that I had to adjust the type of maneuvers. I was doing more floaters and rebounds but no off the lips. I don't know which is the best since I haven't tried all but in regards to firewire alone, I like the baked potato best of the 4. Sweet potato, baked potato, twice baked, sweet potato too.
each day was at a different beach. the small crappy day was Bolsa and one was HB. The last day was the Voldemort spot of surfing. haha. Can't say the name or people get mad.
Concerning what you said about riding it bigger to circumvent the tail foil/float thing… that isn’t accurate in my experience. My liters are usually 40-45 and I made the mistake of going with the 6’2” at 47 liters. When trying to push that front down all the foam pushes back and given the foil in the back… it somehow rocks back and slows you down. Honestly to me that’s a design flaw and FW (which I love) should address it in the larger boards. Hard pass for bigger guys looking to grovel. Coming from a Seaside lover.
I agree with what you're saying. I find that true with my mid-length type boards. But by bigger I meant bigger than my ratio which was less than 0.2. so for me a 5-4 would have probably gone way better. The smaller one you mentioned is likely still taller than you so you don't have a large portion of your lower body hanging out the back. There is definitely a balance between two small and too big. Sizing is difficult even now after 40 years of surfing lol
@@biff022 dang bro, genetic lottery. LOL Can you loan me like 2". haha i'm 5'8 the cado was 5'2. I've surfed a 5'1 before, Baked Potato, and had no issues. The cado depending on the fins dragged a bit, but likely the 5'4 for me would have been perfect. I went to my local surf shop and the 5'4 felt good. 5'3 is likely perfect, 5'4 just better than 5'2.
oh my god, I know. the crazy thing is, they got 4 of them in my local shop and one is in my size. but I can't justify spending the money to buy it just for the review. :( I should start a gofundme for the Flat Earth, LOL
@@thebensman9786 no. under 2ft, SP2 can catch everything and the board is still short enough to do your normal surfing (slowed of course). But above 2ft, the cado surf better, it's more of a performance fish with a big squash tail and a pretty strong emphasis on performance. If you surfed them at the same height, then they would be 5L apart. if you surfed them at the same liters, then the cado would be like 4 to 6 inches longer than the sp2. I guess if you really tall, this might work well. Anyways, the board was fast but not naturally fast. i needed me to use the fins and put it on rail.
Thank you! Great review - I love the comparison between other boards to give us an idea of how this one really feels and where it fits in.
Quality review. Board really turns on when presented with better conditions. Glad you were able to get a glimpse of that on video.
Thanks Thomye! Love your videos. I hope to surf as well as you some day.
Really appreciate it. Repetition is key, more waves the faster you get better. :)
Thanks for another helpful review. I have a Seaside but thought the wide squash tail on the Machadocado would make it a superior groveler. My bank account is happy that this is not the case. Cheers Thomye.
Another great review! Because of you and Wooly I bought the Sweet Potato I just purchased the Machadocado but haven't ridden it yet (no waves) but your review gives me a good mental state going into it!~ Thanks for the review!
the speed on that thing is pretty epic, right through those sections that most people (including me) could not make. Epic review
Good video, very good simple to understand verbiage. It has some great points, especially regarding fins!
Nice review man! I agree it looked better in slightly bigger waves but it's not really marketed as an "uber groveler" so that tracks. I'm a new follower, I just discovered you after returing from a way too long break from surfing.... I'm a similar age and once I get all my mobility issues resolved, hopefully tracking back to a similar level. I'd love to see a review/comparison of the G-Skate and Mashup. When I came back I was convinced to buty the G-Skate by an old friend (and I like it), but your channel has me wondering about the Mashup... Anyway, great work!
Those are the exact conditions I would take that board in, small gutless waves. It did great🤙🏽
Great review, thanks for sharing. Sounds like a fun board, a 5'5 would have been great from FW.
As always brother thank you.
Great review. Thanks Thomye.
Nice Tommy 🤙🏼
Thanks so much dude.
Thank you paulo
Nice review man I was waiting to see what your thoughts were thanks for sharing! My wife got me the cado for my bday so super stoked. Thought I’d share my experience so far. Im 158lb and ride the 5’4 with machado fins. First thought was its crazy thin rails, nose and tail. I think like you said it’s best in waist high beach break little punchy stuff. I tried at a local reef break in SD (Del Mar) but I prefer the seaside in that condition. If I compare to my 5’4 seaside and 5”5 mashup I’d say it feels little different then both and kinda in the middle of them. Seaside is very stable great flow and smooth and forgiving in many conditions. Mashup feels little looser and squirely not quite as stable as I felt on the cado. I rode it in a decent size chest high beach break and it felt like it held pretty well in that size as well. One thing I’ve been struggling with a little is setting my line quickly it seem to wanna go straighter first not sure if that’s just me still adjusting or the fins . My first session I did a top turn that felt so good it held really well but not sticky and released all the fins out at the perfect time which I rearely can do so it definitely has great potential when there is decent surf which has been almost nonexistent this summer
Agreed. I sort of put it between the seaside and the mashup but leading a little bit more towards the seaside. The whitetail and relatively parallel rails makes the board feel super stable likely why it wants or feels like it wants to go straight.
Looked good under your feet! Probably one I’ll pass on, but the deep concave almost reminded me of my past Bonzer’s. Malcolm likes deep concave.
Another banger vid, thanks. I enjoy the board visual concave comparisons. Interesting if the swirl color way is kinda volcanic and or a bit heavier. I was kinda keen on it but maybe not anymore. Although I rode a big Seaisde this weekend in Volcanic and rode longboard waves - felt great.
Responsive and controllable like you said is the best way to put it for the Machadocado. It’s not as lightning fast as the Mashup, but easier to keep stable. I kinda wish I just had all the Firewire models. They do a good job of having boards different enough to have some variation, although in same general category.
That last turn was sick.
thanks bro, always appreciate your comments. They are very thorough.
That maneuver was funny because I saw the guy just inside and was initially thinking to follow through with the off the lip with more speed and carry it into the flats out in front of the left. But last minutes, I changed my mind, LOL. I decided to go back and stay clear of the surfer. Which is why it looked sort of weird, like I was hung up.
Anyways, I am hoping to get the Cado out again but as a twin only to compare keel vs more upright. Maybe even the NVS convertible Ono's.
@@ThomyeSurfs haha ah the dreaded person on the inside - we all know them well. Well whatever you did, it was the right play as that was some solid sliding. I noticed the Helium tech does that nicely - keeps its stability while giving you some room to adjust. The Mashup in particular is like tik-tacking a skateboard, so precise.
Always happy to try to go in depth on the comments as I can - appreciate your input always as well. Reckon we gotta collab one of these days, see if I can grovel those waves you shred 😎
Another awesome review bro! I'm loving mine so far on the few session I've had inbetween injuries - but I'm looking forward to some above waist high lefts on it soon!haha! If you want some extra insight into how it compares with Robs other boards I got to interview him last week and chatted though it v the Seaside, Mashup and Too Fish :)
Yo. I saw that episode. Pretty rad. Insight would be much appreciated.
i love how you show rocker fin placement and and try different fins would you ever do reviews on mayhem boards 🙏🤙
it's a matter of getting hold of one. I did the hydra thanks to my friend Bien. He also let me ride his quiver killer but I never got any decent waves to test it. He is the only one of my friends that buy Lost boards. I reached out to Lost boards a while ago but they never responded. I no only borrow, demo, or buy used to save money.
Glad I watched this. I found this board frustratingly slow so far. I will take it to BSR shortly to give it another try with a couple of different fin setups. I'm 200lbs and have the 5'8". Maybe I should have gone up in size a bit.
I’m 6’0” and 195lbs. I got the 5’8” and felt similar to you. I actually went down to the 5’6” and it’s far superior. Food for thought.
wow, you are surfing it at a factor of .172 which is like pro level for a performance board. I'm 145 on the 5'2 which puts me at .184. the stock 5'2 would not have enough liters for me. This 5'2 luckily has more volume. But I think for me at 5'8 145lbs, the 5'4 is the best choice.
that's pretty crazy. maybe I am surfing mine too big. , haha
@@trestlesrocks Interesting. I will probably try that. Thanks for the feedback.
@@ThomyeSurfs I also have a 5’8 Cymatic that put me at a .172. I need a snorkel to paddle but somehow it still catches waves and it surfs so good. I was shocked the first time I took it out.
Thank you for the review. How would you compare to the Mashup? I don’t think you mentioned this. I apologize if you covered it.
My two cents - Mashup is more like a shortboard. Cado is boatier and feels more like a fish. Mashup is actually not the best super groveler in my experience - needs at least waist high wave to get up and go. Cado has heaps more foam near nose (you can almost cheater 5 on it) and does better on gutless surf.
If you live on the East Coast I’d say Cado all day. If you surf punchier waves more then Mashup.
If I can put it as simple as possible I would say the mashup just has better performance. Obviously it all depends on sizing but for me the 5'4 mashup has more performance. The Cado feels super stable and just a little tight around the tail especially with speed. It's responsive rail to rail likely cuz of the concaves but in the end I think it's all a matter of preference. I am gravitating towards swallows these days. I'm actually trying to figure out exactly what it is to describe in words why I like them over other tails. But I guess it all depends on the board too.
Thank you, Thomye and Travis! Both comments are very helpful.
Great vid..now get some waves
Thanks!
Really appreciate it. Thank you
Thanks for great review and interesting board comparisons!
Could you comment on “forgiveness” of the different Firewire grovelers….which is more forgiving of imperfect foot placement. Thanks!
For me and based on a lot of people that have tried the board, the seaside is likely the most user friendly. It just covers you on the low end of the spectrum. Small waves, soft waves, even good waves if it's under head high the seaside is the most forgiving. Obviously the too fish is going to be more sensitive to foot placement. It's a true twin with its fins set further back. I took the tailpad off of mine so that I could place my feet anywhere on the tail. The mashup is good too but sizing is important on that board. Especially if you're looking for performance. The seaside something about that board I'm able to ride every size all the way up to a 6 ft version and still surf it really well. I can't do that with too many other boards. Anyways it's all subjective so hopefully you can demo one to see if it works for you. I only know one guy off the top of my head that didn't like the seaside.
Thanks for your detailed reply! Very helpful.
Love the review, I got the 6’0”. I agree with your opinion, waist down sweet potato, waist up the Cado livens up! Are you gonna review the Boss up? Would love to hear your thoughts on it, especially when compared with seaside & beyond. 🤙🏻
regarding the Boss Up, yeah, I'm trying to get hold of one. I have a few people reach out to me offering theirs but they are too long. I wanted to try teh 6'6 or the 6'8. Anyways, stay tuned for that.
It's completely sold out online in the USA so at moment it's academic. Hopefully they don't do their normal thing of releasing a new model before they restock the last release so I can get one.
Good review- I’m loving my 5’8” with RFC Twin Fish fins and a Futures trailer.
I really want to be able to ride the Machadocado as a pure twin but I think the boxes are too high up. I’m curious to try out the NVS convertible twin set up to try to get those things a little bit closer to the tail
Also try a set of keels to get that fin area further back.
Yes convertibles sound amazing for this board. NVS has two versions, one kraken and one ono. The onos are modern keels, so they would truly be converting to a twin. After I get a couple other board reviews out I plan to go back to the cado and try it as a pure twin. I'll test uprights, keels, and I'll try the convertible that I have which is the kraken.
@@ThomyeSurfs can’t wait! Keep up the good work.
Love this review!
As a heavy front footed surfer - in what order would you prefer - seaside, sweet potato or machadocado?
Cheers!
for my waves, I would say Seaside, then Cado, then SP. If I surfed HB or Tresltes more, maybe the Cado first, then the seaside. Having said that, of the three, for the smallest days, I would prefer the SP for uber groveling. Take into consideration that I would be surfing the SP 4L more than my other boards since 5'2 is the shortest version they have. Hope that makes sense.
@
Thanks for the response! If you don’t mind me asking one more question - what do you think feels less skatey and more stable. Cado or Seaside?
Cheers!!
@@Tehwhsyeg77 Seaside, the swallow tail bites a little bit, just enough to make the board feel like it is on tracks. But the quad makes it loose when you need it. most versatile of the bunch
Try the Rusty Blade. I'm a major fan of that style of rail, - flat deck making a thicker angle rail makes great drive. Rusty Hatchet is another. Check out Letty Mortensen from the 2019 vid of the Blade. If you get a Blade, request that 2019 outline / pull-ratio. Rusty has an alternate more pulled ratio 'file' for the Blade but it's not the good one. The good one is with the fuller/wider pull ratio, not the narrower pull-ratio (pull ratio = mid width / tail width)
I'll take a look at that. thanks
Thanks for another great review!
Do you think the Cado or Lost Hydra is a better groveler in below waist high waves?
Also suggest a review on the Album Plasmic. I've heard great things about that one as a groveler.
I think the Hydra has a slight advantage in the smaller softer waves. There's probably a little overlap around the 2 to 3 ft but I think as the waves get steeper the cotto wins for performance
Oh, regarding the plasmic. I really want to try that board. Of all of albums board it's the one that draws my attention the most. I do have the twins min now and hopefully I can get to that soon but the plasmic was the first board I wanted to review but just couldn't get a hold of one.
In term of size do you think you will prefer the 5'4? Thanks for the review loved it
I think I would prefer it a tad bigger. Unless you are advanced, it's just easier if it were bigger and it would grovel much better. At the size I rode it, was groveled, but not as much as I would have thought. Maybe just too much foam missing in those deep concaves.
Machado originally wanted to name it Cado so it’s probably an earlier prototype you’ve seen
I could be wrong but I think the ‘swirl’ is their volcanic glass over helium construction.
Has volcanic fibres threaded in for strength and flex characteristics. Carbon substitute…
I got a message from Mark at Firewire and he said that the swirl is just resin tint. It looks really cool but relative to the white one, it seemed heavier.
@@ThomyeSurfs Ah okay 👍🏼
I stand corrected 😊
Cheers 🙏
I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't review the Modern Highline. It's been around for a long time and is very similar to this board. Rob's board is a finer product but also twice the price.
looks like a decent board, definitely my type of board, but unless they let me borrow it or gave it to me, I just don't have the money to review it. Also, not enough surf :( It's been so sad lately. I am however, going to review some budget soon, Aloha and Element. They look like Modern boards and priced about the same.
Awesome review but I’d rather have the seaside. 🤙🏾
Hey Thomye board looked good but not for me. Since you were talking about fins in the video I reached out to NVS and asked them about a quad set up for my slater No Brainer. They suggested the Dan Mann quads. Have you surfed those quads? But after watching this video I’m still looking for the best board to buy for small east coast NJ surf and pools. The problem is I don’t want one of those sweet potato type big boards and I’m not sold on the Mashup. Still looking for an Evo and might have to give the Noel Apia supernova a serious look even though the prices are super high. Looking for your thoughts but I know you’ve given me a lot of ideas already
I have the Dan Man's but not the quads. The quad rears are what I would need to complete that set. Yeah I definitely if you're looking for a small wave board with performance there are likely better options. This one was exceptional in anything above waist high with little steepness. I really like the bobby quad and I know you said you're not sold on the mashup but that is my favorite. It makes me sad I don't get to ride it often because I'm a little behind on my reviews. I may need to wax it up tonight to surf it tomorrow
@@ThomyeSurfs as far as the mashup I’m going by what you said about it not the best option for smaller east coast waves. I the mashup was probably going to be the board but that comment has me thinking maybe not the way to go???
@@ThomyeSurfs thanks for the info as always still just not sure. Unless I misunderstood your comment about the mashup??
Do you think this could be upsized a bit without losing too much performance because of how low the rails are and/or the foiled tail? I usually surf 30 litres in my 5/4 wetsuit, but I'm stuck with either 28l (I happily surf this range in boardshorts in good waves) in the 5'4 or 33l in the 5'6. Leaning towards upszizing in this case but curious to hear your thoughts.
I think it also depends on how tall you are. I'm 5'8 and I found the 5'2, a bit short so I would likely have enjoyed the 5'4 more. Having said that, you could use your height to help determine that.
Kraken with stabilizer was superior to the Machado fins?
I don't think it was superior but it has a slightly wider base and a slightly wider tip. So it push back a little bit more where the front fins were creating better drive for me. Also the smaller trailer fin that I used from NVS loosened up the board a bit. Having said that if you watched the video, that maneuver I did was on the Machado 2 + 1s. So those fins are great too but it's all a matter of preference. I have a lot of NVS fins so I try to avoid buying new fins and use the savings towards boards instead. So definitely not superior in fact very similar.
I think you have an earlier prototype or are the dimensions a mistake? You have 26.8L in the description. Rob's site says: 5'2" X 19 13/16" X 2 1/4" 25.9L
Mark at Firewire contacted me to give me the 411. He said that this was supposed to be the stock before they changed it to a smaller version. So out there somewhere there's a bunch of these floating around. It is 26.8 L so definitely not a mistake. It does feel a little bit bigger wider than the stock 5.2.
What a riot!! I wonder what the 25.9 would feel like in a 5’2. Do you think it would feel very different for all the folks looking to buy a 5’2 right now? Part of my hesitancy is the 25.9 L seems a tiny bit low to then I want. The 5’4 might be too big.
@@madscientistdanI think you can slightly under volume this design and not suffer for it.
True locals - so hardcore it's like they live there.
Did you ever ride the Chumlee? It was my favorite small wave board of all time…I’m on my 3rd one. It was discontinued a long time ago but they let me order a custom one a couple of years ago. I just tried to order a new one and they said I’m out of luck. I would have ordered 10 last time if I’d known…lol. Anyway, looking for a replacement small wave board and thinking this. Any insight?
I have tried the Chumlee, 5'3 version. However, I never really connected with it. I was great for paddling, catching waves, and going down the line, but I had a really difficult time doing any sort of heel side turn, ie cutbacks or top turns. I remember watching another guy on a larger Chumlee and he was ripping. At that point, I knew it was me and not the board, LOL.
Anyways, I don't feel they are similar. Maybe in the larger sizes but not the 5'2 that I tried. 5'2 compared to my 5'3 Chumlee were totally different. Cado had more performance for me at the shorter size. I think I have a few videos of the Chumlee if you look in my library. Sorry I can't be more helpful.
What do people think is the best uber groveler with performance? Is there even a performance uber groveler or not really? I've tried a regular uber groveler like the sweet potato 2 in knee to thigh/waist high waves and it felt hard to turn.
Definitely performance will be relative. More skill you have probably the easier. But I found the sweet potato too also difficult to do any high performance turns. I think I mentioned that in the video where I reviewed it that I had to adjust the type of maneuvers. I was doing more floaters and rebounds but no off the lips. I don't know which is the best since I haven't tried all but in regards to firewire alone, I like the baked potato best of the 4. Sweet potato, baked potato, twice baked, sweet potato too.
Hi there - what spot's that at?
each day was at a different beach. the small crappy day was Bolsa and one was HB. The last day was the Voldemort spot of surfing. haha. Can't say the name or people get mad.
Thanks a ton! I‘m not from the LA/OC area - just looking for some nice and not too overly crowded spots as I will be down in SD next spring. ;-)
Concerning what you said about riding it bigger to circumvent the tail foil/float thing… that isn’t accurate in my experience. My liters are usually 40-45 and I made the mistake of going with the 6’2” at 47 liters. When trying to push that front down all the foam pushes back and given the foil in the back… it somehow rocks back and slows you down. Honestly to me that’s a design flaw and FW (which I love) should address it in the larger boards. Hard pass for bigger guys looking to grovel. Coming from a Seaside lover.
I agree with what you're saying. I find that true with my mid-length type boards. But by bigger I meant bigger than my ratio which was less than 0.2. so for me a 5-4 would have probably gone way better. The smaller one you mentioned is likely still taller than you so you don't have a large portion of your lower body hanging out the back. There is definitely a balance between two small and too big. Sizing is difficult even now after 40 years of surfing lol
@@ThomyeSurfs oh no man… 6’4” 215 here. Legs dangle plenty!
@@biff022 dang bro, genetic lottery. LOL Can you loan me like 2". haha
i'm 5'8 the cado was 5'2. I've surfed a 5'1 before, Baked Potato, and had no issues. The cado depending on the fins dragged a bit, but likely the 5'4 for me would have been perfect. I went to my local surf shop and the 5'4 felt good. 5'3 is likely perfect, 5'4 just better than 5'2.
@@ThomyeSurfs LOL surfing is not a tall man’s game but I get by… yea by that accounting I oversized it for sure.
That flat earth review never materialized...😓
oh my god, I know. the crazy thing is, they got 4 of them in my local shop and one is in my size. but I can't justify spending the money to buy it just for the review. :( I should start a gofundme for the Flat Earth, LOL
Is this board from Temu😆😆
unfortunately no, cuz if it were, it would be way cheaper. haha
Dont complain about size of waves man… u could be in Florida fake surf paradise…. Where everything is a lie 😂😢
Lol. True that.
You’re right my man, I was thinking about that the other day when I was surfing 2 foot Oceanside
@@ThomyeSurfsin your BROfessional opinion, do you think this grovels as good as (or better than) the newest incarnation of the sweet potato 🍠?
@@thebensman9786 no. under 2ft, SP2 can catch everything and the board is still short enough to do your normal surfing (slowed of course). But above 2ft, the cado surf better, it's more of a performance fish with a big squash tail and a pretty strong emphasis on performance. If you surfed them at the same height, then they would be 5L apart. if you surfed them at the same liters, then the cado would be like 4 to 6 inches longer than the sp2. I guess if you really tall, this might work well. Anyways, the board was fast but not naturally fast. i needed me to use the fins and put it on rail.
@@ThomyeSurfs thanks 🙏 brother! Really appreciate what you do! Dig your reviews and the 360’s too!