Firewire FRK+ Surfboard Review - Part 1 of 2 - a Dan Mann Board

This is only part 1 of 2, possibly 3. I have only had the opportunity to surf the frk+ in the Waco Surf wavepool. I am hoping to get this thing out in the ocean soon provided mother nature cooperates.
In a nutshell, I found the board to be super maneuverable rail to rail. It had great pivot in steep sections. It was a 7 of 10 in the pool for me. I found that once my legs got tired though, I lacked the strength to push the board around. The tail is very narrow compared to what I'm used to. Waco is a strange wave, it is steep in the pocket but also really slopey just outside of it.
Overall though, the frk+ reminds me of the dominator, spitfire, and dominator2. They seem like close cousins. They have similar outlines with the frk+ being super narrow for performance, both have their wide points back from center about the same amount, the concaves are similar as well and the rockers are close, both being medium entry and exit but the frk+ having probably a tad more since it is meant for high performance.
If you are looking for a step down from the original frk, the frk+ is ideal. If you loved the dominator, dominator 2 or spitfire and thought I wish it was leaner and meaner, wanting to shed some volume, then the frk+ might also be the right choice. However, if you are wanting more performance, you shouldn't target the volume, rather, target the length. Example being, if you loved and surfed a 5'10 dominator or D2 at 33 liters, don't target an frk+ at 33 L. Doing that will put the wide point further up in your stance, it would mean you would have to get the 6'0 frk+. Rather, get the 5'10 or 5'11 to keep the board feeling the same. Less volume will also help with the performance. If you don't like the idea of losing so much volume, then compromise but try and keep the board as close to your original d,d2, or spitfire.
Lastly, I'm 5'8 and weigh 145 lbs right now. The board is 5'8" x 18 1/2" X 2 3/8" coming in at 26.1L.
Stay tuned for part 2
‪@firewiresurfboards‬ ‪@Wacosurf‬
#firewirefrk+ #firewirefrkplus #firewiresurfboards #surf #surfing #surfboards #surfboardreview #surfboardreviews #surfing #surfer #surfers

[@ETYSURF]

Great review Thomye as always, ripping in the pool!

[@onshore1ft]

Great review, you cover unique aspects in articulate detail like no one else does

[@jakesboardreviews]

Great part 1 Thomye, loving those carving 360’s, you’re ripping mate 🔥

[@thestow35]

Love your content, Thomye. Excellent footage, detailed analysis and honest feedback

[@brian2973]

Looking forward to part 2!!

[@shannonyoung3465]

Your Backhand was looking super spicy!!! Killing it bro!!!

[@ThomyeSurfs]

the board helped. :) although it did get tougher as i got tired.

[@shannonyoung3465]

@@ThomyeSurfs I've got the 5'8 DOM 2.0 , the 5'6 REVO Ibolic, 5'6 Seaside Volcanic & the new 5'2 Sweet Potato, they all go mental! Still have 5'3 Timbertek Baked Potato & the 5'5 Chumlee. So you could say, I like them a lot! I just recently got the Sharpeye Inferno FT (Dark Arts) haven't had anything worth surfing it on yet tho.

[@ThomyeSurfs]

@@shannonyoung3465 what fins do you run on the Revo? I can't seem to make it work.

[@shannonyoung3465]

@@ThomyeSurfs raked AM2 quad. Same fins I used to use in my EVO.

[@shannonyoung3465]

*Mediums

[@daniel7___]

I just got one. I really wish I would’ve got the FRK not the plus. Barrels were harder to stay inside

[@ThomyeSurfs]

sorry, i did make some mistakes when talking about the board. I said I bought it at 25, I actually bought it at 26, due to the wide point. I wanted it around my front foot.

[@Ryan-tb7pp]

Awesome

[@mikeuptegrove]

What do you think of the MashUp? I was thinking of getting that next because of my love for the Seaside. Seaside was my groveler but because of a shoulder injury I started to use it in everything because of the extra liters…but now I love the thing, and I just switched out Rob’s fins for a H4 quad setup and it makes the board feel a lot more pulled in. But I got the H4’s to potentially run a MashUp as a quad. My thought process was much like yours with the Dominator and Spitfire, that the MashUp has that Seaside DNA, and would be the natural board for progression as far as DNA is involved.

[@ThomyeSurfs]

Love the Mashup and it is the perfect board to pair with the Seaside but only if you go smaller in liters. I guess if you stayed the same in liters, you would just end up with a slightly longer and narrower board but then I feel like you would overlap too much. Also, you end up losing a bit of flow. I went from the 5'3 Seaside 28.2L to the 5'4 Mashup 27.1L. Not much of a drop but enough. I do have to mention that I am 5'8 and 145lbs. I should be on a smaller Seaside but wanted something to grovel small waves on. The Mashup size that I got is still a good groveler for my weight and height. Anyways, if you can, you have to try and demo it if possible.

[@mikeuptegrove]

@@ThomyeSurfs yeah, I was thinking going from a 5’7 to 5’8, to keep my liters similar, but after watching your review I see that the mashup is for smaller waves than the seaside. I was thinking to use it in bigger stuff as it’s more pulled in at the nose. Also, as a groveler I kinda thought that I wouldn’t want to lose volume…but as you mentioned, it’s flatter through the middle. Does that translate to paddling and catching waves too? Or does it only translate once you’re up and moving down the line? If I stayed at 5’7 (same size as my seaside which is 33.6L) I think it’s under 32 liters which is what I ride in better surf. 31 liters is the lowest I surf just cause I don’t like paddling with less because of a rotator cuff injury. But now I’m thinking 5’6 or 5’7, but it sorta seemed like the 5’7 under my arm felt so so tiny compared to my seaside.

[@ThomyeSurfs]

@@mikeuptegrove Regarding one of your questions: Does that translate to paddling and catching waves too? A flatter board will improve paddle speed and catch waves better but only relative to another board with the same liters but more rocker. in the comparison of the seaside and mashup, not sure that the bottom will help with paddling. Width might play a bigger role. out of curiosity, how are your shoulders with the seaside vs one of your narrower boards. I would think that the Rotators would suffer on a wider board. with a narrower board, you are padding straight down which would use your rotators less. But i'm not sure. For me, I chose to drop a liter and add an inch. I wanted more rail line, narrower board, and better performance in roughly the same conditions. What I was trying to say in the video is that it works as good if not better in smaller conditions for "performance" not groveling. Hope that makes sense. From a groveling perspective, that extra liter probably doesn't do much however, what does help the seaside as a better groveler is that it is much wider, less speed required to plane. in your case, getting a 5'8 Mashup compared to your 5'7 Seaside would be the same thing as what I have done. Again, that liter difference might not make a huge difference. But what I see that will make a huge difference is the width and possibly where that volume is distributed. the Seaside is 1.5" wider in your case. That width makes the seaside a much better groveler in small waves. The mashup though would be a better performance board in the same conditions depending on your skill level. In bigger better waves, the Mashup could do better than the seaside but it depends on what you want it to do. I found that it is fast and great down the line. it is super fast and if your goal is to just race sections, it is an awesome board. But with that much speed, to then translate that into a turn is very difficult. Control becomes an issue. you have to somehow shed some speed so you don't just dig rain trying to put it on rail. Hope this makes sense. picking a board is super confusing, sizing a board is even more difficult. hope I didn't make that worse. haha

[@ThomyeSurfs]

@@mikeuptegrove BTW, have you ever thought about the Dominator 2?

[@mikeuptegrove]

@@ThomyeSurfs thanks for that response. My shoulder feels good now. 11 months into the rotator issue. I never lost strength. I lost mobility. I have both back now, with 11 months of routine training and stretching. I hadn’t considered width the issue, but makes sense. I was thinking in terms of dragging my ass through the water. 32L is what I rode when conditions are good here, like solid overhead surf. I ride the RNF96 black sheep and PU in 5’8. The extra rail line helps big time. My break is steep and fast off the start, then shouldery on small days, and fast but open on good days. It can get ledgy and slabby at low tide where you sit under it and take off from well underneath it on the first water sucking out as it comes in. My Seaside on big days requires chipping in at an angle cause it’s too flat for how steep the peak is. My RNF fits a bit nicer on good days. Sometimes it’s hard to slow down on my seaside if I charge the shoulder too immediately. I generally have to take one pump not two and set up my bottom turn so I can crank into the lip, or I’m going way too fast to do a tight wrap. And sometimes if I pump three times without setting up, I’m going so fast on the Seaside I’ll slip trying to wrap back. I kinda wanted the mashup for bigger days, thinking it was more knifey up front. I was gonna run it as a quad with H4s. That’s why I wanted to get one before getting FCS plugs are impossible. Even if I go up an inch to 5’8, from my 5’7 Seaside, I would be on less liters. Down almost a full liter. I’ve only been riding my seaside for liters so I had to pull less with my shoulder. I could’ve probably sized my seaside down to a 5’6 or maybe even 5’5, but I’m pretty comfortable with it at 5’7 with 33.6Ls now. But I really wouldn’t know if shorter was better. I sided down my EPF lightspeed RNF to a 5’7 and without the inch of rail line, It’s just not as fun. Plus I lost a full liter, so I barely ride the thing. I put three different fin sets on it to see if any would make it work better, but that one inch in rail line seems to make or break my experience on the RNF. Could be the eps too, but then again my black sheep is eps and it’s bad ass with the extra inch. I guess I’m worried, cause I don’t want to F up and get a board an inch too big or too small and have the same experience I had with my downsized RNF. 🙄 Freaking surfing is so technical and complicated!! Ha ha. But I appreciate your video. I guess I’d do what you did and size up an inch from seaside even though I’m mowing liters. And no, I hadn’t thought about the Dominator. Can it be set up as a quad?

[@jaekim7395]

what's up Thom when are you coming to san clemente again?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

what's up hyung. I go every once in a while but i did get the big group site this year. You should head down. Are you on Insta? if so, DM me and i'll send you my email and phone. If i get your info, i can loop you in. Hope you've been getting out there.

[@brian2973]

What do you think of the Mashup and FRK+ as a two board travel quiver?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

good actually. the mashup is a great small wave board, also good in bigger soft waves. The frk+ is great in anything waist high and above but punchy. the narrowness of it requires some push. I love my mashup at 27.1L and so far, the frk+ at 26.1 has been working out. Having said that, i could probably have gone longer on the frk+, like a 5'9 which is like 28.2L.

[@Surf_Salt]

Sweet review! What do you weigh on 25 Litres?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

145lbs / 66 kgs. btw, the board is actually 26 Liters. I think I was thinking about 5'7 but then went 5'8 cuz of the tail being so narrow.

[@Surf_Salt]

@@ThomyeSurfs thanks Thomye, looking awesome out there

[@russellfaulkner5478]

Where’s this wave pool??? 😃

[@ThomyeSurfs]

It's in Waco Texas. Yes, I said Texas, not a typo. LOL I did a video about it. There is a link at the end of this video.

[@BlueZoneSUP]

How is the ibolic tech holding up compared to FW helium or volcanic? A friend has an ibolic revo and he has pretty solid heel dents after a month. Perhaps they won't continue to increase in depth as I've heard some epoxy constructions will do. Thanks!

[@ThomyeSurfs]

holding up very well. I feel like the top is very similar to the Helium. Very shallow dents. I do like the tech cuz it is so light. I feel like it is lighter than Helium, at least lately. My new Helium boards feel a tad heavy compared to my old ones.

[@BlueZoneSUP]

@@ThomyeSurfs Awesome. Thanks so much for the insight!

[@josesnowsneves5132]

Man, you are surfing really well on that left. Funny to see that you can surf with such a low volume...I am 70Kg and I am using 29 to 30L....

[@ThomyeSurfs]

that seems about the same as me. I'm 65.77kg (145lbs). So my frk+ vol to kg weight ratio is .39684. your ratio, based on the volume you mentioned, is .4 - .4257 so that 28L board is virtually the same as what i was riding. In that pool, I think you want to ride it on the lower end of your volume vs high. I normally surf 27 to 29 in the ocean but bought the FRK+ at 26 because I was going to use it in the pool. Having said that, I am struggling a bit in the ocean with it. prt 2 is coming out soon. I just need one more session on it i think to really get a well rounded opinion of it. Overall positive but definitely in the ocean, I could have gone with a 5'9.

[@josesnowsneves5132]

@@ThomyeSurfs the problem when going a bit upper in the volume is that you get an higher (more volume) rail which make it harder to make hard turns (on the other hand you have more speed....) Down in Portugal we do not have yet a wave pool where I could try this lower volume approach ;) again, Great Performance you had in the video

[@kookpatrol7490]

I got one today 🥳

[@ThomyeSurfs]

what size?

[@kookpatrol7490]

@@ThomyeSurfs 6’ Worked perfect for me at 180lbs surfed it in trunks and suited. I’m on the beginner side of intermediate and was effortlessly have been able to get that thing vertical. Swell has been so good on the central coast that I haven’t needed to tick tack or pump munch but I’m hoping this will be the board i can learn to do that on 🤙

[@Carlosferreira1983]

Great video, but always firewire! (Im sure you're sponsored by them), why not other brunches that work better for guys heavier than 145lb that need more than 28litres?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

Haha. I wish I was. I pay full price for about 95% of my boards. They haved hooked me up before which is nice.

[@morF1ni]

thomy, whats the name of that wave pool you ripped

[@ThomyeSurfs]

It used to be called BSR but I think it's now waco surf.

[@matthewbrooks3362]

What is your height and weight Thomye?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

I am 5'8" and 145 lbs or 65.7kg

[@mralexchang]

Comparison with inferno ft?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

so if you watched my ft review and the bsr review, you will know these specific things about the board: the board is good on the low end (small soft waves), it ex excellent in the middle (mediocre to good waves waist to head high), and great on the high end (bigger waves). All around an excellent board. The frk+ is ok on the low end, great on the middle, and excellent on the high. I found the frk+ worked super well when I first started surfing but then got tired. when my legs weren't as strong and twitchy, I liked the ft better cuz it was easier to surf. Once i get the frk+ out in the ocean i'll know better. I did surf it in small trestles which is why I think it is only OK on the low end. I had no footage of it though.

[@BlueZoneSUP]

Great review! I'm 6'3, 195 lbs and have a 5'10 D2 at 33 liters. I like the board but it's a bit tricky when waves are bigger and better. Looking to get the frk + to fill that gap but stuck between the 6' and 6'1. It seems the 6' at 32.2 liters may be a bit small. Any thoughts would be great on which to go with. Thanks!

[@ThomyeSurfs]

i think 6'1. that might a tad more liters but the board is so narrow and the tail is so narrow that you won't feel the extra volume when surfing. but it might help with paddling. the one i surfed was 26.1L and it feels way smaller than the sharpeye ft that I surfed in the pool the same day at 25.5L. It feels way smaller surfing but paddles just as good into the waves. Since you are saying you want it to fell your top end, the extra paddle will be good but I think it will feel small. I think the frk+ will be about 1" narrower or close to.

[@BlueZoneSUP]

@@ThomyeSurfs Thanks for the response! Looking forward to getting one out here in Costa Rica 🤙🏻🙏🏼

[@Dill_doh]

@@ThomyeSurfs if I have a D2 and an frk, is the frk+ something I should consider or nah?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

@@Dill_doh skip, but if you replace the frk, then the + is a good option. It doesn't sit directly in the middle, it's leans more towards the frk. it is still a high performance board in my opinion. A groveler for a pro, a high performance board for an average joe, unless you get a bigger.

[@Dill_doh]

@@ThomyeSurfs ok right on thank you.. maybe I’ll use my funds for something experimental

[@billgates9996]

Thomye you speak Chinese?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

unfortunately no, a very good language to know. I'm alsoof Korean heritage. But I don't speak that either. :( which by the way my daughter is super angry about. She is mixed but is totally into K-Pop. So she is super pissed at me for not knowing or teaching her some Korean. haha So I'm shipping her off to Korea this summer. Hopefully she comes back with a better grasp of the language.

[@etienneboivin2640]

Thanks from France 🎉

[@joseaste259]

Awesome video! Cant wait for the mashup-FKR comparisons

[@gilliamm.5732]

Great video! Thanks!

[@Rafaelathia]

Hey Thomye, great review. What are the fins that is working well for you on the FRK+? Thanks!

[@ThomyeSurfs]

So all new firewire boards are now Futures only. I don't have too many futures sets so I've only tried it so far with the NVS Dan Mann (Mannkine) Thruster set. I just put some quad rears in it and hope to try it out this weekend as a quad. Although the board is a performance shape and likely is best as a thruster. But I will know better after my test.

[@Rafaelathia]

@@ThomyeSurfs thanks Thomye, I got mine this week and did not have a chance to paddle out, it is first board I have on futures that’s why I’m asking, not too familiar. I bought one thruster set of AMT, so I think it should be good.

[@craigrogers761]

Anything from waist high beach breaks to well overhead Kirra the FRK plus with JJF fins is epic.

[@csarquiweb]

Thanks for the review. Do you know if Firewire has made any improvements to the "yellowing" issue, with their new Ibolic tech?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

I don't know the answer to that. I will say however that many that have commented on my previous video about yellowing say that it is basically the nature of the beast. Epoxy yellows and there isn't much to be done about it. :( Having said that, I think there are 3 factors to consider: 1) seems all epoxy boards go yellow. I have a Sharpeye Modern2 and a T-Paterson epoxy that are both yellow. Doesn't bother me as much as it used to. 2) epoxy is environmentally better. I am not a huge climate guy and definitely don't believe the end is even remotely close, but I do like the idea of leaving a smaller footprint where possible. 3) the way I finally came to grips with it was knowing that I would rather have a yellow board that surfs like it was intended than a white PU that has lost its spring and flex. I will add though that I really like my carbon board so I hope FW consider staining some of their boards black. I think that would be cool looking. I didn't really like the colored firewires they had, I noticed they were a tad heavier than the white.

[@craigrogers761]

One thing that helps slow the yellowing is don’t leave it permanently stored in a board bag my mashups over 12 months surfed often and still white. It’s stored in a rack in the garage not in a bag.

[@ThomyeSurfs]

@@craigrogers761 I noticed that too about my boards. I think heat is a huge factor more than the sun. I think it is the head from the sun more often and not so much the light. One of my boards I put in a bag and then in a storage unit. It was a unit that wasn't climate controlled like a shed. When I took it out, only after 3 months, it looked like the color of honey. Brown. LOL I put all my favorite boards in the house now. always cooler than 80 degrees.

[@craigrogers761]

If I had my way I’d insult the garage door and install air con to maintain a perfect temperature. My wife strongly disagrees 😂

[@CainanParker]

I can see what you mean about feeling tired. You look like you were very much done around the 6:05 mark 😂

[@ThomyeSurfs]

What's really crazy is that was hour three of surfing. I had a total of 7 hours.

[@jsnmrtn]

Hey Thomye, I like the mashup for waves like Waco, but I'm looking for a board with a longer rail for when it's a bit bigger. Does the FRK+ fill that gap?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

I have only tested it in the pool so far so I can't really speak to the upper limits yet. But by design yes. I would think the purpose is a step up from the mashup and boards like it. In the firewire lineup something like the dominator 2 and the Scifi2 are a slight step up from the mashup but if you want something that's a pretty big jump in performance in bigger better punchier waves, the FRK Plus and the FRK is probably that board.

[@jsnmrtn]

Cool thanks. I was looking at a JS Raging Bull but the FRK+ caught my attention. I have a D2 but it's too wide and short for good waves

[@ThomyeSurfs]

@@jsnmrtn I had that same issue. If I wanted to be on the D2 with the proper volume, it would have to be 5'4. But then it is too short and worse, that wide point I mentioned in the video was behind my front foot. That made the board oddly squirrely and had very little drive. To get the board to feel right, I would have to go to a 5'7 or 5'8 but then it got too wide and way too bulky. I am pumped for better waves on it. it went really well in the pool so I think it will be epic on some decent waves.

[@eranherzog3467]

Hi, i usually ride on my PU boards with 27L and i am thinking to buy the 5.8 with 26.1L. do you think that i will get the same buoyancy? does Ibolic has more floatation than PU?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

yes, the ibolic compared to say an identically sized PU will have more buoyancy. Not sure how much more but more. The core is a 1.5 eps so definitely lighter and usually lighter equals more float. I think your logic is good for sizing. dropping a liter is safe. Having said that, buoyancy is only one factor so be careful. Keep in mind that the 5'8 is also only 18.5" wide. Width factors into how a board planes over water. The board is definitely a groveler for a Pro surfer like Kelly, but for every day surfers like myself, this is a very high performance board. You do need a decent wave or size to give you some push. On smaller days, I can make it work but have to try much harder and concentrate to make sure the board is always in the power zone. for smaller or weaker waves, there are definitely better choices, unless you really oversize it which defeats the purpose of this board. Anyways, hope that helps

[@thomasmennetrier2447]

Nice content! Do you know if firewire will release the sci-fi 2.0 in iBolic, in adult size?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

my guess is that they will as soon as their stock of LFT runs out. that is what I heard Chuy say in a video. Not specifically about the SciFi2.0 but all LFTs. Provided they don't discontinue the board, I'm guessing they will.

[@DarkWillg21]

How does this compare to the Sci Fi 2? What has more range? Also when's part 2?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

If you compare them by volume, they are super similar with the scifi2 having a little more grovel capabilities. Comparing the 26L versions which is the Scifi2 5'6 and the FRK+ 5'8, the scifi2 will likely surf a little easier in the same conditions when it is smaller or softer while the frk+ will require more push from you and/or the wave. The scifi2 has a wider tail and from recollection, I remember popping up and surfing right away with little to no thought. With the FRK+, because the tail is so narrow, I find that when the waves are softer or slower, I have to be really forward on my back foot somewhere on a wider part over the front fins, then move it back when going for a maneuver. When the waves have push (big or good), it's not as crucial. I don't surf the frk+ as far back as I do my other boards, the tails is really narrow. I think I would put the scifi2 in the middle of the frk+ and dominator2. As for when I'm putting out part 2, hoping this weekend. I had to get the Moe review out while I had the board.

[@bonsummers2657]

Where's that wavepool?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

it's in Waco Texas.

[@IIIxwaveIII]

Where's that pool?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

Waco Texas. :)

[@IIIxwaveIII]

Where's that pool?

[@ThomyeSurfs]

Waco Texas.