Firewire Machado Sunday Surfboard Review In 3-5 ft Waves

In this episode, I review Firewire Sunday designed by Rob Machado surfing in much better conditions - 3-5 ft East Coast size waves.
Last weekend, we got lucky on the East Coast and received a long period swell from Tropical Storm Ana.
I didn’t get a chance to ride Firewire Sunday at the peak of the swell. However I got out the next day on Sunday and Rob Machado would probably do the same.
I had one session on MR Twin Fin Set and the other one was on a 7” True Ames single fin.
I personally liked both fin setups but after surfing this swell, I think I love the single fin setup more and I will talk about that in this episode.
The twin fin setup gives me great speed down the line, sometimes it’s even too much and it surprisingly has a great hold through the turns. It doesn't slide off.
After putting more time into Sunday, I’m pretty happy that I finally dialed the take off game and was able to score a lot of inside waves that nobody could catch or wanted to.
After testing Firewire Sunday in pretty much all conditions, I started to love it more. It definitely opened up more options to ride this board especially as a single fin. But I don’t think any other fins would make any significant difference for changing performance for this board.
Enjoy this episode!
Don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already and drop the comments below. This will really help the channel to grow!
Feel free to add me on Instagram @skippersurfreview
My Height: 5’9” or 175.3 cm
My Weight: 155 lbs. or 70.3 kg
Board dimensions:
7' 0" X 21 1/2" X 3 1/8"
Volume: 53.76 L
Firewire Sunday comes in these dimensions:
5' 6" X 19 3/4" X 2 1/2" X 31.22
5' 9" X 20" X 2 5/8" X 34.66
6' 0" X 20 1/4" X 2 3/4" X 38.32
6' 4" X 20 3'4" X 3" X 45.11
6' 8" X 21" X 3" X 48.06
7' 0" X 21 1/2" X 3 1/8" x 53.76
7' 3" X 21 7/8" X 3 1/8" X 56.66
Filmed on Sony A7s III, DJI Mavic Air2 by @zanda_kaskieva
+ Soloshot Optic 25.

[@hylifter]

Finally a surfboard reviewer who is not a pro surfer. The pros can make every board work. Thanks. I love your reviews. Keep them coming.

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thank you🙏🏼

[@njsurfer2352]

That was a fun swell! You scored 🔥🔥🔥

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Indeed. Hope you got some fun ones!

[@antonyian3972]

Great review! Keep up the good work, Yuri.

[@simonfooks6962]

Love your reviews Yuri always very practical!

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thank you, Simon!

[@marklawlor1670]

Man...excellent review as always so detailed all questions seem to be answered by you in them...♥️🌊🇮🇪🤙🤙

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thank you, Mark. I appreciate that!

[@zandakaskieva2349]

Awesome waves! Great review of the board!

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thank you!

[@charleshawk6668]

Looks fun! Nice review!!

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thank you, Charles!

[@baro360]

Great review

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thank you🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@aloha808_lmh5]

Love this review! Bro, u shredding! I'll probably go with 5'9".

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thanks for watching! I'm actually thinking of getting the 6'0"

[@ThomyeSurfs]

Sweet, dude you surf the single so good, compared to me that is. huge mystery to me. I am going to try and surf the 6'8 as a single. awesome waves too. You guys need a few more of those.

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Hey Thomye! Thank you bruddah. You are killing it on the shorter size version. I'm actually considering now to get 6'0" to try it on bigger swells ahead of Hurricane Season. LOL. We definitely need more waves. I may have to come to CA to grab a few at Bolsa Chica😜

[@ThomyeSurfs]

@@SkipperSurfReview Bro, for sure. Definitely hit me up if you do. we'll do a Trestles run. :)

[@SkipperSurfReview]

@@ThomyeSurfs For sure! Miss those waves... 🤤🤤🤤

[@bbgboy808]

Thank you for the review. I’m debating between Seaside and beyond or FireWire Sunday for overall surf. What are your thoughts?

[@SkipperSurfReview]

If you are looking at mid length size, then I'd go with the Seaside and Beyond. I think it's more user friendly / catches waves easier and handles pumping surf better.

[@teahorseguitarstraps1856]

One glance at the title and I knew this was a must-see review. Very nice! One question: Do you have any ideas why this board doesn't paddle well for you? It seems like at this size, for your weight, it should move along pretty well.

[@SkipperSurfReview]

I think it’s the way the volume is distributed, not much in the rails and also having the longer Vee at the bottom increasing the drag but at the same time allowing this board to go rail to rail very easy. There are pros and cons. If I would just compare the paddling speed of my 7’2” Album Plasmic and Sunday, it’s a day and night. The Seaside and Beyond is somewhere in between. I was expecting it to paddle faster!

[@DannyCruzCreations]

@@SkipperSurfReview Interesting. I just bought a Sunday 6’4” with the hope of more paddle speed. Granted, I’m currently on a 5’6” 34L Quadfish, so the Sunday at 44L may still get me going more quickly.

[@tannerjames09]

@@SkipperSurfReview I have the 7 0" Sunday and I'm struggling with the paddling as well. I was hoping it would be a wave hog, but that hasn't been the case. I'm hoping it just needs a little more time to get it wired.

[@batm0014]

How’s the paddling been on your 6’4 Sunday? I just picked one up, stoked

[@duncantomlin6815]

Ripping switch, my dude

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thanks for watching, Duncan 🤙🏽

[@MrRobinski]

So does the solo shot 3 zoom in and out like that itself? It's pretty cool and how did you get up high like drone footage? Ta

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Yes, it does zoom in/out on it's own. You can change the frame settings to be wider but it reduces the quality a bit. Yes, we use DJI Mavic 2 from time to time to get some aerial shots.

[@DannyCruzCreations]

I just picked up a 6'4" and I rode it as a twin-fin in overhead surf and REALLY liked it. I'm tempted to get a 7'0" as well to use more with a single-fin. But I'm not sure if should just get that bigger size, or go with a completely different model. For reference, I'm 5'10" 180lbs and very experienced surfer.

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Hi Danny! It depends.. the 7'0" would feel more like a shortboard (extremely responsive) vs a proper PU mid length (single fin) which would give you a nice feel of glide. What are you expecting from the 7'0"? :) 6'4" can go as a single fin too.

[@DannyCruzCreations]

​@@SkipperSurfReview Hi, I decided against the second Sunday, to give myself some variety. I went to the shops today and narrowed it down to a 6'10" Seaside and Beyond and a 6'8" Greedy Beaver. Was a tough call between the two, and was about to go SAB, but ended up deciding on the Greedy Beaver for 3 reasons. 1. It's a tad more buoyant at a slightly shorter length (49L vs 47L) which puts it a bit further from the 6'4" Sunday. 2. That particular GB looked better built than the SAB (glassing, finish, and grain looked better). SAB had a spot where the sander went past the top coat and into the cloth... and 3. Overall, as cool as the never SAB is, I think the GB shape simply looks better.

[@DannyCruzCreations]

The GB likely catches waves marginally easier with the increased float, concentrated volume and wider nose... while the SAB will likely have more bite in steeper surf and more speed and glide due to the longer and more parallel rails. But in the end, dude, I doubt I could go wrong with either of them. I did consider a 7'0" Skindog OVA Thunderbolt as a 3rd option, but felt both the other two would be faster.

[@SkipperSurfReview]

@@DannyCruzCreations Hey Danny! Great choice. I was only surfing GB once. My buddy owns 6'0" and surfs mostly as quad. I tried it in mediocre waves and it was going pretty good. I can imagine how easy 6'8" will go. SAB would have more natural feel, less stiffer than GB but this is a very personal thing. haha. Anyway, Enjoy the board and shred!!

[@DannyCruzCreations]

@@SkipperSurfReview Thanks! I'm still in line for a small groveler, but I'm going to feel these two boards out for a few weeks before I decide on that.

[@jasoncook3842]

Great review! I have the 7' 0" and would like to try the single fin you were using. Do you mind telling me which exact 7" fin you bought?

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Hey Jason, oh great! I was using 7" True Ames. You can also go with the 6'5" to get more speed. I couldn't find a huge difference between them in terms of maneuverability.

[@jasoncook3842]

@@SkipperSurfReview Thanks!

[@professionalaesthetics]

Super helpful. Thanks! For me the whole point of this board would have been to sit 5-6 feet in front of shortboarders on days where it’s really fat. Sounds like the board can’t really do that.

[@professionalaesthetics]

i watched some of your other videos! I would love to hear your opinion on the mid-length the best lets you paddle into those fatter waves earlier, but are on the hard drive/can go vertical/shortboard side of the spectrum when it comes to turning? (as opposed to the smooth flow kinda boards) Thanks!

[@SkipperSurfReview]

@@professionalaesthetics I would say, Album Moonstone has a great propelling glide and once you up and riding, you can technically go vertical.. I personally can’t do those turns but 10 o’clock easy peasy😂 The JS Big Baron would be the most sensitive one with a shortboard feel but it would glide harder into the fatty ones. There is a trade off though.

[@professionalaesthetics]

@@SkipperSurfReview awesome thank you! I wonder how moonstone would ride with Twinzer knub fins added 🤔

[@davidstanfield7170]

Yo dude - I recently got the Sunday at 6’4”. I’ve been loving it but kind of wish I’d gotten longer for my small, weak waves, just to get the most out of every session. Let me know if you’d want to trade 6’4” for your 7’0”!!! Mine is mint condition, futures. Thanks for the great channel - been loving your videos!

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Hey David! Well, I don't have 7'0" anymore. I had to refresh my quiver 3 months ago. LOL. I recently reviewed 5'9" and I actually like it more than 7'0". What other boards you are liking to replace the 6'4"? I'm planning on doing the episode with Paul Surf after he gets back from Mexico trip. I used to have 4 boards from him a while back and would love to share my experience. My favorite one is Eggsperience www.paulsurf.com/midlengths Cheers!

[@davidstanfield7170]

@@SkipperSurfReview honestly dude I’d love to go with a local shaper, BUT It’s a bit scary to drop all that coin and not totally know what you’re getting, whereas with FireWire I feel like you go in with as much info as you can have…. if that makes sense. But yeh - if not local I’d love my next board to be a FireWire SSAB, either 7ft or 7’4” It just seems like so much fun, even on smaller, weaker days.

[@davidstanfield7170]

OR maybe even the 7’2” in TimberTek. Insane volume and therefore probably a bit less redundant in my quiver!!

[@SkipperSurfReview]

@@davidstanfield7170 I'm reaching out a few local shapers to see if they would be interested to provide some boards for review. Stay tuned! If you end up going with Firewire S&B, get it in LFT construction. My friend may sell one. I can ask if you are interested. He recently just gut a custom Seaside and Beyond from Rob Machado Surfboards :)

[@davidstanfield7170]

@@SkipperSurfReview oh man - if it’s the one from your recent vid of him unboxing it’s, it was sooooo sick!! What size is the one he’s selling?

[@terenceingram7786]

Now that you have tried them all what is your preferred mid length? CI Mid, Seaside & Beyond, Sunday?

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Terence, I'd prefer to go with the Seaside and Beyond in case, we consider one board out of 3. But my favorite mid length is Album Plasmic.

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Terence, Wanted to sort them out here: CI Mid in PU construction - the best glide, more drawing out lines, starts turning well in waves from 3 ft and over. Seaside&Beyond (LFT) - good glide, the closest shortboard feel out of all mid lengths, less durable. Can ride as a twin fin but gets pretty skatey. Firewire Sunday - less user friendly in terms of paddling/catching waves (takes a few sessions to get used it), better options in terms of fin setups: twin + single, glide is ok, user friendly in terms of maneuverability (holding the tail nicely) and overall, even if it’s steep, the most durable out of 3. Hope this helps.

[@user-kf1pk5gw8d]

@@SkipperSurfReview What size of Album Plasmic do you recommend? And How about townsend? It looks quite fun. Is it only for big waves?

[@SkipperSurfReview]

@@user-kf1pk5gw8d hey! If you’re looking for one in short size then I’d suggest going with 5’7-5’8 if you surf weak waves, if you think of getting Plasmic in mid length size then you can go with 7’0” x 20.5 x 2.5 something around that will work so well in all conditions 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@jameso8418]

I forgot to mention slide, or shuffle back on your board before cut back... It helps board whip around quicker... If you time it right - board should come around out of turn automatic. Keep a bit compress so you don't lose you balance.

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thank you James. Very helpful tips! Much appreciated.

[@droidduran]

Great review! I know you used a 7" fin but do you know which one? There are several styles, Grenough, Liddel, California, etc.

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thank you, Danny! I use 7” True Ames Smith/Parish🤘🏼

[@droidduran]

@@SkipperSurfReview Awesome, thank for the reply!

[@aldolaborin7470]

Can you make the review the ultra Joel and the mini channel island please

[@congphi3757]

Switch foot ❤

[@martynrandall7652]

Great review dont know your weight, but I'm 15st 7pds without wet suit. In your opinion what size would be good for my weight ? Cheers

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Hey Martyn! I'm 165lbs. the 7'0 will def feel too much! If you are considering something in the mid length size then you may wanna go with the 6'8".. it will feel like a shortboard. I personally love the shorter size of Sunday .. 5'9". I reviewed it too! Hope this helps!

[@martynrandall7652]

@@SkipperSurfReview I was thinking about the 6'8" myself , well thanks for reply . Good swell and offshore winds to you!

[@hunterdavis3003]

It’s pronounced “aims”...great video and review , subscribed!

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thank you, Hunter!

[@yanb5439]

Did you ride the 5'9 as well? What you think about the 5'9 in small soft waves?

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Hey! Yes, I rode 5'9" as well. You can check out my review here kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYSTgoONpa19rbc

[@takashiyamadagmail8231]

The last weekend was so much fun!

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Yup! I didn't bother downtown. It looked fun everywhere!

[@ericlang3630]

Sunday vs haydenshapes glider mid. What did you like better?

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Hey Eric, even Sunday is way more responsive and comes with a shortboard feel, I prefer to surf the Haydenshapes glider mid. It just flows much better going down the line plus it truly has more mid length vibe. I like the shorter version of Sunday 5’9” though.

[@SuperConorR]

4:50 totally shacked!!!

[@steezemastergeneral4763]

You should try a glider mate

[@SkipperSurfReview]

I was planning on getting Hayden Glider but it hasn't arrive to US yet :)

[@nicolasdeniaudsugui1311]

It seems your surfing is faster on the twin, you pass the section faster.

[@SkipperSurfReview]

It was like close to low tide when I surfed as a twin fi also the waves were pretty fast with steeper face. I rode single fin when the waves got more mellow at high tide. That’s why it looks like it goes slower but when I took a few rights on the inside I felt like I’m racing down the line.

[@easychang4261]

Where are u based off?

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Rockaway Beach, New York.

[@byronberesford4774]

What size board

[@SkipperSurfReview]

It’s 7’0” Byron. Thanks for watching 🤙🏼

[@byronberesford4774]

No worries

[@neelneez]

@1:45 swiiiiitch!!!

[@mikemartin3584]

It’s more like 2ft

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Totally if you’re not surfing in NY😅

[@johnj8746]

It looks like you’re a secret goofy footer. Your switch stance looks a bit more natural to me. Something to consider. 🤔

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Thank you, John! I do feel the same. I guess when I took my first surf lesson, I stepped forward with the wrong foot. I need to commit more to surf a goofy.

[@johnj8746]

Either way good review. Looking forward to seeing more goofy footed surfing in the future. 🙂

[@liggerlag9717]

Where

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Rockaway beach, New York

[@ThePokersurfer]

Why not ride it small?

[@SkipperSurfReview]

I originally ordered 6'4". Then I cancelled that order and went with the 7'0" to be closer to the real mid length size. One of the reasons is crowds and more opportunities to catch waves in gutless waves especially in the upcoming summer season (which usually pretty flat out here).

[@ThePokersurfer]

@@SkipperSurfReview it grovels better as a small board vs. Seaside & Beyond concept kinda like the Creeper model per se.

[@SkipperSurfReview]

@@ThePokersurfer I may get the 6’0” to try it😁 for me, the wave count is more important than performance..We have a short window of waves, sometimes its just a 2-3 hrs window then the wave are gone and u gotta wait for another week or two😂 If Sunday’s sizing would start from 5’2-6’6 then I’d go with the 5’7” for instance, but when you have a broader range hitting mid length area, I preferred to go bigger at this point🤘🏼as I already have a few grovelers.

[@guybartlett9587]

Mine delaminated after 5 weeks anyone else?

[@SkipperSurfReview]

My buddy's Seaside and Beyond in LFT got delaminated a few times already. He went custom now but still keeps LFT SS&B as a backup.

[@guybartlett9587]

@@SkipperSurfReview I waited a year and a half for that board then the whole bottom was released, live in Mexico so I'm kinda stuck, on the other hand if these are my problems life is really good?!

[@bruce.ackerman]

@@SkipperSurfReview Any delam issues on yours?

[@bruce.ackerman]

@@guybartlett9587 Any delam issues on yours?

[@beaufreemantle8624]

is that 1.1m

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Yeah, 1-1.5 meters😁

[@beaufreemantle8624]

@@SkipperSurfReview oh where i live that swell would be tiny 3-5ft is 2.5m over here