Mannkine Chumlee by Firewire Helium + FCS Al Merrick Quad Fin Review - The Surfboard Guide
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- Опубліковано 20 гру 2018
- Welcome to the Mannkine (Dan Mann) Chumlee by Firewire Surfboards review - I have been riding the Chumlee in the stock 5'5 in the Firewire Helium technology which is 5'5 x 20 3/4 x 2 7/16 - 31.7L
The Chumlee is a stumpy fun little board built to get you out in average conditions and to up your wave count in crowded line ups, and it does both of those well. I surfed the Chumlee for a while and across a variety of conditions, but really loved it in waves around knee to chest high when I would normally not be interested in surfing. I also surfed it in waves head high and just over and the board worked just fine, but thats when I would normally grab a shortboard, but if limited to one board, the Chumlee will still perform in waves head high and above.
The surface area in the Chumlee makes paddling and surfing really easy and would benefit almost any surfer looking to have fun, regardless if you are a beginner or a pro, I felt almost anyone could enjoy surfing on this board.
One of the interesting characteristics of the board is its dropped rail that adds a lot of bite through turns and in the face of the wave. I really enjoyed sinking this in through turns and had a really nice feel to it in the face of the wave.
I tried a lot of fins with this board, but felt it was best as a quad, and it also needed a lot less fin than I thought a board with such a large tail would. I settle with the Al Merrick template by FCS with the mediums as the leading fins, and the large as the trailers.
From www.firewiresurfboards.com
The heir apparent to Dan Mann’s Potato dynasty.
We expected the Chumlee to be greeted with enthusiasm in 2017, but its interest amongst our audience on Instagram, Facebook (and everywhere else) out paced anything we’d expected.
This design mirrors the outline of Dan’s popular Sweet Potato from years ago, but its highly versatile foil is what has led to so many successful sessions in the water this year.
Simply put - it’s wide enough to keep speed in the small stuff and just barely thin enough to hold rail in the steep stuff.
A groveler in the truest sense, this Helium shape has surprising performance options when the waves have power. And that’s why for some Firewire employees in California, this is the board we surf on 75% of the days we get wet.
“I created this shape with a quad fin setup in mind and I even adjusted both sides of the double concave to funnel water best to those two quad trailers,” says Dan. But we’ve found it goes very well as a thruster too, especially thruster sets that have a lot of rake, and it’s one of our favorite small wave shapes for 2018.
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Thanks for watching!
riding boards with different placement of the widepoint really opens your eyes to your technique and how to utilize the board and wave. I have both the seaside 5'3 and Chumlee 5'5. You don't want to oversize the seaside cuz the wide nose will just plow water, but you can size up the chumlee cuz the volume is in the back and middle. I used to love my seaside, it's so fast and easy to surf, it's very responsive. But I can surf with more power on the chumlee and the wide tail throws more spray. On more hollow, small but slabby reef break, the chumlee was difficult to keep in the pocket. Seaside shines in those types of waves cuz it can go top to bottom super quick. Downside of the seaside is while it's very zippy and quick in the turn, you have to focus on drawing your turns out to make them look powerful. With the chumlee I can just attack hard. And the extra tail volume makes it really easy to surf when the waves are soft, the seaside requires more rail to rail input from the rider to maintain speed in super soft waves. Helium construction is amazing as always.
Thanks for sharing ✌️
I know I'm late to the party, but I just got a used 5'5 at 31.7 liters chumlee and am loving it. Tried the split keels at first and loved the speed and drive but it did feel a bit tracky, sliding backfoot back just a tad seemed to really loosen it up. Now I ride it with a normal quad set (dan mann) the board really becomes a performance board. 5'10 and 67 kilos and I'm absolutely loving this thing when its smaller. My shortboards are 25-26 liters and I love the 5'5 at 31.7. I'd like to try the 5'3 at 28.7 but I might choose to ride a different board instead. the volume of the 5'5 really lets me do performance turns on soft waves. I think extra volume is good for this board. Before the chumlee I was riding a 5'8 34 liter quadfish by stretch surfboards. The board is amazing, and easier to ride than the chumlee, but the extra width and length did hinder the performance. The chumlee feels just right. I can wrap cutbacks way tighter and go vertical off the rebound with tons of speed. I did notice the rails would catch a little at first with the narrower nose, but now that I'm used to it no issues at all. The wide, but round tail provides you all the speed but also gives you the option for tight, performance turns if you get your foot back and step on the tail.
Thanks again ✌️
Great review. I have ridden the Chumlee at 5'5 too and its worked for me at times. In my opinion Nick Blairs Cabsav is the better option for average summer surf. The Cabsav makes surfing so fun and I look forward to 1 foot waves.
Hey! Yeah the Chumlee was lots of fun, but I think i preferred the Cab Sav in really really small surf. It keeps so much pace across small and flat sections, unlike any other board I've ridden in this class!
I checked it out on his website. It looks just like Dan Manns baked potato.
The board is magic.
It's a fun board!
I’ve been riding this board since it come out... I agree it definitely goes way better as a quad. Also, I surf it with a additional knubster style fin I made up when the surf gets a little bit bigger.... ads a bit more control when its at the limit 👍
Matthew Harkness yeah it’s definitely a quad! Thanks for sharing!
Rode it as a standard quad. It ripped. I recently tried the CI AM Twin w/ stabilizer. It ripped too.
Great Review Daniel! How big of guy are you, height, weight? I can’t ride anything 30L with my 200lb weight. Can you do a review on the Rusty Dwart Too or the Rusty Big Block? Can’t find any reviews on either of these boards & they look like big guy friendly shapes. Thanks for the great surfboard reviews & keep ripping the shit out of it Bruddah 🤙🏾
Hey! Sorry I just saw this!
I'm 5'10 and 90kgs (i think thats roughly 200 pounds)
I'll chat with Rusty here in Australia, but sometimes we have different models than what is available in the U.S etc...
Thanks for the great review. I've been to a local surf shop and got this board recommended.
But I have some questions regarding the size...
I'm surfing since 3 years ish and making good progress as I took a year off for traveling and surfing the Atlantic coast.
I'm 175cm with 72kg. I would say that my surfing skills are still beginner. Starting to make some turns and catching waves is getting better and better.
Now to my questions: is this a board for me?
And, which size (volume) should I choose.
I've got a pretty good offer for the 5'7"
Too small or will it be ok?
Thanks in advance!
Hey! 5'7 sounds good, you don't want to go too big as they become very think and wide and kind of lose the fun side of the board. Good luck!
One of the best board for Sydney. Loved mine a lot, been pushing it up to 5 ft surf, but it def gets sketchy at that point. Wave lip snapped it in half like a knife one day unfortunately. They are also a big pain to work with if you get any damage, though as a surfer I loved Helium, so light
Nikita Butenko thanks for sharing! 🤙
It looks like you are plowing through the water. Any reason you didn't go for the 5'7? I'm thinking I might have bought mine too big. Watching your surf is making wonder if I should have gone smaller.
benjamin m I think the 5’7 would have been too big, even this felt on the big side, but the extra volume was great for these weak little waves! 🤙
@@TheSurfboardGuide I guess the waves here in NY are much weaker than where you are because i am in love with my 5'9.
Hey, I'm 5'11 (1m81) tall and 97kgs. which chumlee should i choose : 6'3 or 6'5? it's meant to be ridden from waist to over head in generally cool waves, not too hollow. Your point?
I'd go the smaller of the two - i'm same height as you and slightly lighter, and rode one much smaller.
Don't go too big...
Hi Greg, for a 76kg surfer on a high performance SB would you recommend size Large FCS fins for smaller waves in order to get more drive? Or would size Medium work better for this weight? Thanks
Hey! Do you mean for this board? Or just in general?
In general, I'd say see if you can try and test drive some as it's such a personal preference/feeling, as I'm quite heavy at 90kgs, but large fins that are quite stiff I struggle to turn. If you can't check some fins out, I'd say medium if you are under 6ft and large if you are over 6ft tall.
@@TheSurfboardGuide Hey Greg, thanks for replying! I mean in general but I also have a ...Lost 6'2 Voodoo Child in mind. I'm just under 5'10 so I guess you'd recommend size Medium. Contemplating the FCS Kolohe Andino or the Accelerators.
Phaidrus yeah from that combo I’d say medium. You aren’t heavy, and 6’2 is quite a lot of rail in the water. I think you’d find larges hard to turn. I just got some Kolohe Andino fins and they are my favourite FCS fin, they feel really good!
@@TheSurfboardGuide Thanks again Greg, I think I'll go for the KA Medium. Looking forward to your next review!
KA work really well. Best all round fin imo@@Phaidrus
Chumlee or the Hippy Fling? I would love to know your opinion. For average summer surf.
KC C hey! Either or, I really don’t think you could go wrong! If the waves have a flatter and fatter face, then I’d say the Chumlee! Maybe if it’s a little steeper or it might be sucky, then the Hippy Fling might be better...
Chumlee hands down. I had a fling, and it was fun, but nowhere near as funs as the chumlee. I also happen to mysteriously blow out the fin box after only my second session on the Fling, and the deck was beaten to hell after only two sessions. The chumlee is not only far more durable, but the rails are dam sexy and allow you to surf way more performancey than any small wave/grovler I've ever ridden.
Could you please compare this and the NB2 in terms of grovel and speed?
Paul John Balderston totally different boards - this is your tiny wave fun boards for waves up to chest high or so, where the NB2 is super versatile and would work in waves waist high to well overhead 🤙
I'm 6ft 90KG. What fin size would you recommend as a quad?
Hey! I would think you'd sit somewhere between Medium and Large pending on what feel you like. If you like a board that feels looser then maybe a medium, but if you like that really firm feeling, then maybe a large!
the good old 'for a beginner surfer'. if they get the popup right maybe.
It's very stable - so you'd have to sort getting up before getting onto this!
Im in Hawaii but I cant surf cause its either 15ft north shore or 2in south shore
That Kidd haha! Well this’d be good for the 2ft!
What's the price?
Chumlee or Machado seaside?
Never ridden a Seaside - so i'll say Chumlee!
Strictly only a summer board?
Not at all - but definitely a 2-3ft and under board!
@@TheSurfboardGuide I decided on the seaside. Probably the best board I’ve ever ridden.
Rails appear to be digging especially on forehand pumps hence sluggish momentum
Pretty average and slow waves - board feels fast and really lively.
Chumlee vs Evo? What's faster?
Paul John Balderston mate, I’ve never ridden an Evo so I can’t help you... 🤔
@@TheSurfboardGuide no worries
Ur ripping that chumlee
Justin Bordwell thanks! It’s lots of fun to surf! Those waves were really weak, and that board really keeps moving with not much push! 🤙