Firewire Seaside Review FULLY UPDATED REVIEW for 2019

[@Sheenony]

Bro I love your reviews, down to earth and way more chill than the other dull reviewers. I’ve just started surfing not long ago, and have been saving for a new Seaside. Do you think the Seaside will overlap in functionality with my CI rocket wide? And what would you recommend in size wise? I’m 177cm/76kg and my rocket wide is 6’2 with 40 liters volume. Thanks and keep the good review up!

[@lawson45uk]

Cheers mate. Thanks for kind words and your support.. I have a Rocket wide too but I went for the 6'4". Probably should have gone the 6'2" or got a custom that was in between. Assuming your Rocket wide is poly and your happy with how that paddles I would recommend the 5'10" I'm pretty sure I would be fine on the 5'10" as it's a great paddling board. You could go the 5'11" to be on the safe side and it will go in a slightly smaller wave. 5'11" could feel quite boyant compared to your rocket. Only 1 litre in it though so 5'10" would probably suit your weight well and should easily paddle at least as well as your rocket. The width and nose size will be very different from the rocket wide as the rocket actually has quite a pulled in nose. In terms of ride the Seaside i a completely different beast.. The rocket has small wave performance DNA and the Seaside has fish DNA. The seaside will be faster and more flow and drive and make it's own speed a lot more easily than the rocket. If you haven't had a fish inspired shape yet you will have so much fun on it. It will go in a smaller wave than the rocket and probably ride up to a similar aizes wave too. There both kind of 2ft to just overhead boards but the rocket would probably have a bit more control at the upper end.. If you like the Rocket in the waves size your riding the seaside will ride down a touch and just have a completely different feel so cool choice I reckon..Hope that helps. Thanks Shee

[@mattsmith464]

Thanks for your reviews! Pushed me over the edge to pick up a 5'8" Seaside. Only had one surf on it so far but I think your review is spot-on. I went up from a 5'7" 32L hybrid PU board I used in small waves but the Seaside is entirely different - agree with you that it is more fish with performance features, not really a 'fishy shortboard.' Can't wait for another go on it - seems great for the weak waves we get here on the east coast NZ. Also good for the average weekend warrior middle-aged kook like me (1.8 m, 80 kg). I was tempted to go down to the 5'7" but I think the extra volume will come in handy.

[@lawson45uk]

Matt Smith cheers mate. Thanks for the feedback and glad your stoked on the board too. It's definitely a favorite of mine and if you like that fish ish shape and feel with the performance too as opposed to being married to the performance board it really deals with a very wide variety of wave conditions for this type of board. It's so stable and paddles so well there are times I feel as confident on the seaside on drops as I do on a more performance orientated shape.

[@eoinmorton3402]

Great review, thanks for putting it together. Great to see a review from someone at more of a normal level. Just bought a seaside after the review, cheers!

[@lawson45uk]

Awesome mate. Thanks for taking time to leave some feedback. Hope you enjoy the seaside :-)

[@Surfmus]

In my opinion, and in some of the shapes I have done, double concave throughout the nose to tail helps even with the paddling.

[@surfinglife2220]

If you you are who someone want to buy this board, just buy it , I just buy a 5’6 . I really have a fun time on it, it super floats and high performance. Perfect board for me . The only shortcoming is you need to duck dive harder

[@lawson45uk]

Thanks for your comments I completely agree if your looking at this and think you might like it you probably will it's an easy board to recommend :-)

[@Surfmus]

Using black curtain on the background can help to see the concaves.

[@ryaneldridge5972]

Great review! I went and bought myself the 5'10" and I love it. The wide nose provides a great landing pad when getting up, You don't have to be perfect on yor pop up and I've made so many more drops and sections that I would've never made before. But wondering your opinion for a step up, I do have a 6'3" quiver killer, but we're taking a surf trip to Costa Rica and want to make sure to have the right equipment for plus size surf - overhead to double overhead. I am 46, 195lbs, with tired shoulders, but still need to be able to duck dive and paddle. The QK handled pretty good last year, but was looking for any suggestions you had.

[@lawson45uk]

Ryan Eldridge cool mate. Thanks for the support and great feedback on the Seaside. Glad your loving it and totally agree with your comments. Actually wish I had gone the 5'10" myself now. Might even get one at some stage it's that good a board for our local conditions. Untill it gets well overhead it grips well enough with the controllers too. Yeah I have a quicker killer mine was a custom and oversized but got another one at stock volume 6'4" hmm so if you were happy with how it went maybe stick with it as I'm not sure are the waves where you are going super hollow, sounds like they are not like super Indo heavy?? Alternatively maybe you could check out the ghost possibly even the phantom. Had super good reports on those. The mini driver is similar but with a bit more rocker though not sure if it would have that much more grip. Rock up and round up are the lost options. I would maybe look at custom ghost though if your wanting overhead to double. Check out the review trip from real watersport does. My friend has a quiver killer and a ghost and he's stoked with his ghost for the islands so if it's for confidence in well overhead that will still turn most feedback points to it being "the" board for that. Can't speak to it myself as I rarely ride waves much overhead but yeah Ghost would be my pick if you want to step up from the Quivet killer. You could even add an inch or two and some rocker to the QK as a custom if you have that possibility where you are. Hope that helps. Be keen to know how you get on. 👍

[@gavinlannutti7288]

Love your reviews, I’m looking at a Sea Side and a RNF Retro. What are the differences between epoxy and poly constructions?

[@lawson45uk]

Hey Gavin.. I'm guessing you have had a look at the reviews of both and probably checked out the review of the RNF with Noel Salas at surf N Show as the RNF is available in a C4 construction too so they go over the tech and feel of both. Basically a Poly is heavier and sits lower in the water per volume. Usually feels like about a litre difference in the sizes I ride. Poly generally has a little more surety and deals with chop and larger wave size better than epoxy but epoxy has a bit more speed and pop and zing as they flex is just that bit more lively. C4 and Helium are both very good epoxy constructions so they actually negate a lot of the epoxy negatives compared to the more basic epoxy with traditional stringer style etc but there is something about Poly that's hard to beat and there is always the option to get a custom in poly. Epoxy generally keeps its flex and pop a lot longer and is generally a lot more durable. Again Helium and C4 both excellent examples of this. Really boils down to personal preference. The RNF is a slightly more Soulful retro feeling ride than the Seaside so could suit a poly slightly better than the Seaside.. I'm a fan of all three constructions myself though must say at the volumes I ride once the waves get larger or have a lot of texture and wind on them I usually feel a bit more connected on a poly. Hard to deny the pop and zing that epoxy adds to smaller waves though and the extra paddle power too. Hope that helps. Thanks

[@gavinlannutti7288]

@@lawson45uk Thank you for your reply, this does help me. Keep up with the great reviews.

[@almonj6269]

Great review mate, love the detail! After some sizing advice....I'm a just 40 y/o, beginner, verging on intermediate, 5'7" 76kg, currently on a 6'8" 54L modern highline. I'm unsure on the size I should be going for in this board (already sold on it haha). Is a 6'0" too tall? I dont want to struggle too much adjusting but also want a board that I'll keep for years and something like this, fast loose skatey etc. TIA!

[@lawson45uk]

Hey mate. Yeah I think the 5'11" would probably be a good pick if your going away from something pretty chunky. You could go 6'0" but going the bit less volume might just help with the progression and getting a rail in a bit more. There light, stable boards that paddle and perform well.If you went into a shop they would probably try yo sell you a 5'8" at your weight but I think you will get a lot more wave time on the 5'11" Cheers

[@almonj6269]

@@lawson45uk great thanks mate appreciate the advice!

[@lawson45uk]

I did once for one surf. Toooooo slippery for me but others like it. Machado keels are nice and big. I ride big volume too so it’s already a bit more on top of the water than most people would be. I like twins positioned further back and twin specific fin placement personally but doesn’t mean others won’t love it. Cheers

[@manuelmeyer7148]

Really nice review, very detailed, love your explanations :) what's your experience with durability, etc. of the Helium construction?

[@lawson45uk]

Hi Manuel. Thanks for the positive feedback. Always appreciated. I have had 2 heliums with no bother but they haven't really had a lot of use over a long time but a lot of elements are very similar to FST and durability on those was fantastic. It's not going to be quite as strong as FST but it does have the same parabolic rail and a hard deck skin so I would expect it to last well and keep its pop a long time if it's well looked after cheers

[@lawson45uk]

Manuel Meyer in terms of feel it's extremely light but does deal with chop quite well still which is great. Can be a little slippery underfoot while you get used to it sometimes but very fast and lively. Cheers.

[@manuelmeyer7148]

@@lawson45uk thanks for your reply. I actually bought the board (after having seen your and other reports). After my first trip to Bali I am rather disappointed with the construction and after everything I've heard and read I wonder if this is a single case. After only three weeks the top of the board is completely yellowed, where there was no wax (worse than any other board I've owned), there are kind of stretch marks (like pregnancy stretch marks) all over the buttom, little cracks and marks on the rails and despite of massive packaging (=thick bubble wrap + foam protection + day travel bag + multi travel bag) nose and tail got damaged during the flight whilst a second board in the multi bag is fine. Do you happen to have an experience or advice in that direction?

[@lawson45uk]

Manuel Meyer hi mate. Ouch that doesn't sound good at all especially the stretch marks. Haven't heard of it myself but sounds like maybe a defective glass job. I would definitely get lots of good pictures and take it back to where you bought it from and get them to replace it if you can. I know the UV is probably heigh in Bali but that's way too soon for any serious yellowing and the stretch marks definitely don't sound right. I would be looking for a replacement if I were you but you will have to state your case and see what they say. I know the very old epoxies used to yellow badly but I would hope those days aye long gone now. Be keen to hear how you get on. How did the board ride?

[@manuelmeyer7148]

@@lawson45uk I already reached out to Firewire customer service and the shop I bought it and the first answer was rather disappointing saying that this would be common for those boards, which I find sad, so I asked again - we'll see. The board itself is quite nice (my first fish). It paddles very nicely and it's easy to get into the wave. on the wave I find it is very responsive and quite fast (feels almost like a throttle beneath the back foot). at the beginning it was a bit difficult for me to reach these charactericstics as I find I have to surf this board extremely with my back foot (only), otherwise it won't behave as expected concerning speed and liveliness. I am not used to do this that much as I surfed a Lost Libtech Shortround before, which is surfed (for speed) more over the front foot. and there were situations, especially in smaller waves where I found it difficult to surf that hard over my back foot whilst still keeping the push forard. Sometimes I felt it was struggling with chop and wind, which (no matter what people say) makes sense with such a wide board and especially nose. Overall a nice board, which definitley wants to be ridden with a "fish" style (it's Rob after all), yet for me personally I think I am more of a shortboardy kind of guy ;-)

[@Jon-zr3xq]

Great reviews mate, you are a legend. I am looking at replacing an over-sized Pod Mod with a similar style board at my usual size for slightly better surf, how do you find the Seaside compares to the Pod Mod (didn't want to waste money on buying a smaller Pod Mod really, prefer to mix it up)....can the Seaside handle steep, fast breaking beach breaks up to head high, because the Pod Mod handles that no worries...a few reviews online say the Seaside excels in mushy waves, how about steeper waves? I used to hate early epoxies as I found that couldn't handle windy conditions but I see you say the Helium technology doesn't seem to have that issue as much.

[@lawson45uk]

Cheers mate, appreciate the support. Hmmm That’s a tough one and I wouldn’t want to steer you wrong so take what I say with a pinch of salt. The Pod Mod has less width and a more pulled in tail and probably a little more rocker too from what I remember so It’s quite possible in an oversized board the Pod Mod might handle bigger or more hollow conditions better than the Seaside… The pod Mod is a bit closer in dims to a Hybrid from the one I had.. I had 6’2” and think it was 21.25 40 litres. The seaside is out at 22.75 and 5’11” for me so it’s quite a different beast.. Also yeah the Helium is nice but in bigger waves or quite hollow I would possibly lean towards PU personally too. Might feel a little less poppy and spicy but does tend to feel a little more sure footed.. I guess something like the Psycho Nitro could be on your list too at that range or even a Rocket Redux or Psycho Killer.. Don’t want to confuse you either but very subjective to waves, ability, weight to volume etc. I think just keep in the back of your mind that the Seaside is a Fish that happens to perform quite well not a performance small wave hybrid. Also the Shorter rail line that fits in a smaller pocket also makes a board a little more slippery so definitely wouldn’t want to put you off the Seaside it’s an absolute favourite but just be sure it fits the brief your looking for. If your not too over volumed it might be good. Hope that helps. Cheers.

[@Jon-zr3xq]

@@lawson45uk great feedback, thanks heaps

[@davewarland1680]

Great review and agree, this board is very good. Been riding the 5' 6" (32.7l ) for a bit over 3 months in one of the worst summers i can remember in 45 years of surfing and it has motivated to me to surf on days i normally wouldn't. Haven't been able to get the Machado fins, so have been using large DHD fronts with medium Performer rears and it has worked well. Great board and really worth considering. Love it.

[@lawson45uk]

D W hey DW glad your loving the board too 👍 and thanks for your support. That's a nice small size your rocking.. Good work 🤙 those fins are probably actually pretty good anyways at 32 litres. I use the DHDs my thruster if it's too skittich with the AM large and I have been as big as 89kg. It's a nice big fin the DH. I just got the Machado Keel and the Machado 2+1 too maybe I should put a review and comparison to other fins up sometime. It's surprising what the seaside will go in. At first I thought it was a bit overboard on the hype but this little beauty really backs it up

[@RobinVanRossum]

Thanks for another great review Gavin! How would you compare the Seaside with the Puddle Fish?

[@lawson45uk]

Robin Van Rossum hmmmm that's a good companion actually. So yeah puddle fish performs really well too I kind of struggled to get mine over the lip sometimes which was strange but probably due to me riding upsizes boards maybe it just pushed a bit of water but it would handle overhead waves no problem and pulled off some nice turns too. Could be a fantastic board ridden small. I basically pretty much swapped out mine for the seaside and definitely not disappointed I would definately give the seaside the edge on performance and wave catching in the sizes I had but for someone eise it could be the other way round. A PU carbon wrap or lib Tech Puddle Fish could be a stunner for the right person in the right size and the right waves though. I personally ended up liking the OG puddle jumper in the slim dims better and also love the seaside so I'm stoked with how it played out and happy I tried the puddle fish too. Oh and it's Dave. Or were you asking Gavin a question as they're is a cool character. Called Gavin that chats here too 😛 he's in the big guy boards forum too

[@RobinVanRossum]

@@lawson45uk Haha sorry Dave! ;-) I really love my Puddle (in Lib Tech), but I'm a big fan of FireWire (esp. Helium) too... I can imagine the Seaside has a bit more performance. A buddy of mine has one (a bit above my size though) and I will give his board a try before I start to drive myself crazy again! I will let you know my experiences.

[@lawson45uk]

Robin Van Rossum do it buddy. Then buy one they rock 😛

[@RobinVanRossum]

😂

[@RobinVanRossum]

Bought one and love it Dave! An inch shorter than my PF, but paddles and picks up waves even easier. And indeed a lot more performance thanks to the thinned out tail. Thanx!

[@SkipperSurfReview]

Great review! I should get one soon! Cheers!

[@Surfmus]

My fav is single to double to slight V.

[@lawson45uk]

Surfmus cheers mate. Appreciate the feedback. Yeah I'm the same single double slight vee is the one I like on shortboards and hybrids for sure. That late 90s Merricks bottom is timeless I usually look out for something like that. More use of more double or vee double I like in grovel boards and long boards.

[@lorenzoromagosa3828]

Awesome review there mate. Thank you. Would you say for an all around board and usally used with waves from waist to chest high, the right volume would be closer to a 30 liters vs 40 ?

[@lawson45uk]

LORENZO ROMAGOSA Cheers mate. Appreciate the positive feedback. Yeah volume is quite a personal thing really bit like boards and fins it’s got to be what works for you really. Weight, ability and your local waves being key factors. For sure a decent surfer that gets out a good bit isn’t carrying too much extra weight and doesn’t have any injuries and is riding decent waves could definitely be down at the 30 Litre mark.. If your older, heavier, overweight, don’t get out much, carrying injuries and surf really slow gutless waves a little more assistance from the board is needed.. I’m personally the second really. I’m not that great at generating speed etc and a 40Litre board will turn as good as my ability on an average day so that’s why I ride upsize. Most people my weight would be 5-10 Litres down for sure. I think people are getting more and more realistic about what they ride and not afraid to give themselves a fighting chance. Even the volume calculators now put me on about the volume I’m riding give or take. I can ride less if I want to but don’t have fun for my ability so 38-44 is my cmfort zone depending on board and conditions. Cheers.

[@surfcrs]

@@lawson45uk Yes, that is my comfort zone for volume given my ability and age (50) and where I surf...San Francisco and San Mateo County in California. Volume calculators always want to under volume me because my weight is low....about 155 but if I get to much below 40L the wave count starts to drop too much and there is not enough performance in my surfing to make it worth it.

[@lawson45uk]

surfcrs yeah I completely agree mate. Under a certain volume it just makes for a very frustrating surf and takes the fun out of it. It's hard enough on a short board at all in a slow wave dominated by logs and sups. You get to know whats right for you and if your not having fun on something then it's definitely the wrong board aye 👍

[@greggmccoy7113]

Excellent review! I just picked up the the 5'7. I'm 49 years old and 5'9 168lbs. The board has been amazing and is so much fun when it gets going. I like the machado fins which work well for me, but may want to switch out to the controller fins on a big day for more stability. Board works really well in the steep stuff and just easily generates so much speed on the small stuff. Summer here in nj so I may have to wait a week or two for the bigger waves to show up. Highly recommend this board for someone like me looking for more of a high performance fish.

[@lawson45uk]

gregg mccoy Hey mate. Thanks for the positive feedback, Glad your stoked on the board. It’s surprisingly good in a solid wave too (tough we don’t get that solid here really 😊 Definitely more hold and drive from the Controllers for me but I’m a bit heavier and ride a big volume relative to my size so need the bigget ones to keep it locked in. It’s pretty close to being a one shortboard quiver if you like fish style boards the seaside. Stoked with mine too.

[@richardbond6535]

Great presents with regard to seaside - just put back in RM fins with back FCS fins - seems to work a lot better for me now 😊

[@lawson45uk]

Nice :-) Yeah I think the seaside needs some good trailers to keep her under control aye. Thin tail but she still got the wide back end :-) lol

[@hobbs2005]

Brother, what's you height and weight? Excellent review, too. Thanks.

[@lawson45uk]

L Dupree Hi :-) Im about 5'7" and fluctuate between around 82-85 kgs but I'm not a great surfer have had surgery on my back a few years ago and we have a pretty slow mellow local wave that's more suited to Mals so I usually pack a bit of extra volume. Ironically I get bagged on here for riding too high a volume and get comments locally on why am I not on a longboard so look out for the volume police 😂😂😂 thanks for your support

[@surfcrs]

@@lawson45uk Ahhh yes, the volume police. Everytime I check the volume calculator on firewire I see there's zero chance I am going with volume as low as their recommendation.

[@westy5334]

Awesome review! Looking to get one! Can't decide between 5'6 and 5'7. I'm 5'10'' 82kg (late 30's - sports coach by trade) - Surf the tropics (intermediate+ level), no wet suit. Current short board is 32L and small wave board 36L. I see the 5'6 matches up bang on my shortboard L (32) but I've heard / read mixed comments here about sizing up. Hesitant to size up as I don't want that boxy fat rail feeling. Would be great to hear your advice. Thanks

[@benjaminm5232]

I'm 5'10 78-79kg and ride a 5'7 as my everyday board and it has plenty of float and catches waves ridiculously easy. I also have a 5'6 when it gets chest high and up and I don't need as much volume. My groveler is 36L as well. Definitely get the 5'7 you won't be disappointed.

[@lawson45uk]

Thanks for the assist mate appreciate it :-) I have really limited experience with lower volume board comparisons.

[@charlieo4324]

Hey great channel/review. I'm really interested in picking up this board (I am 6'3" and 185lbs) and am stuck between the 5'9 and 5'10.. any suggestions and do you think my height will get in the way? I am intermediate and prefer more back foot forward style of surfing so I think this shape would be great. Also, what is your height/weight? Thanks!

[@lawson45uk]

Hi Charlie. Yeah it’s always really hard to guide people on volume as they generally know more about their surfing ability and comfort levels for volume that I can so I usually like to talk about the board characteristics compared to others boards.. I’m spot on same weight as you but only 5’7” I don’t know If Hight is necessarily and issue as the boards are really nice and stable anyway, might just be an adjustment period if your used to something longer. I think I would recommend 5’10” as I know I would be comfortable on that one myself too and quite possibly should have gone that way myself. The board is definitely more floaty and paddles better than the volume would suggest in general so bear that in mind. The 5’9” is definitely doable for your size too but really depends on what your used to riding.. If you ride say a 36-38 Litre hybrid and like a performance rail you might find the 5’10” a little over volume but if your comfortable with 38-42 Litres in other boards and don’t dislike riding them I would go the 5’10” all the way. Especially if you want to ride it in mainly under head high waves. We have a very slow and fat wave here though so it’s all relative… Really short boards don’t always develop paddling speed and momentum as well as longer ones even if they float you really high so that extra bit of length might help with forward paddle movement and also with your height keep you in a better stace possibly hard to say.. Can you go check them both out? I would personally steer you towards the 5’10” myself but so much depends on what you want the board to do, your waves, your preferred volume etc etc etc. Heluim is very light and the seaside does paddle very well in general though. Hope that helps. I suspect you will really enjoy the board model for your surfing so that's not an issue at all. Thanks

[@charlieo4324]

GO SURF Thanks for the response, much appreciated. I’m in Florida and we don’t get powerful surf often so it’d be for similar conditions as yours. I have a big locally shaped custom fish as a groveler that’s well over 40L so I am replacing my 35L Podmod for slightly better surf and felt like that board didn’t have enough volume most of the time. Getting speed down the line is def more important to me than doing vertical maneuvers so yeah I think I’ll go with the 5’10. Thanks again man, cheers

[@lawson45uk]

@@charlieo4324 No problem Charlie. Sounds like you will love the seaside from what your saying and think that will be the best call for size by the sounds of things too.. It's definitely one of the fastest boards around especially with the split keel fins which I would recommend for you too if speed and hold and long powerful turns are your thing like me too..I had a Pod Mod myself... Kinda pretty good at most things but didn't really excel or excite me personally though mine was in a sandwich tech. Let me know how you like the Seaside and thanks for watching the channel :-)

[@jean7589]

Hey Mate, Ok I need you advice, ONE MORE TIME! Here is the situation. Last year my goal was to transition from longboard to short board. At the time I bought a Evo in 5'9" 37,5l and have been struggling with it and I did not had much fun because I got too frustrated not being able to surf with it. I aimed to short or too low volume for my level of experience. Ok, then a couple of months ago I bought a Seaside and Beyond in 7'0" and Holy S... I had a blast from the first day. Absolutely love it and I finally was able to enjoy shorter size than longboard, turn more than I was used to and still catch waves with ease. Alright now here is the thing, I want to replace my Evo in order to have a great complete quiver that fits my level right, and I am hesitating between the Seaside in 5'11" which would be bigger than my Evo and have a bit more volume (41L I believe) Or a Greedy beaver in 6'2" which has the same volume. My hesitation comes from the fact that the Greedy Beaver would be an easier step down than the Seaside at the same volume? But maybe this is a wrong assumption? How would you compare those two board at my level knowing that I am able to have a lot of fun, turn and catch a bunch of waves on the seaside and beyond 7'0" 45L. I want to progress, have a lot of fun catch bigger waves and not be frustrated : ) . I need your advice haha. Cheers, Jeremy

[@lawson45uk]

Jeremy Wolff All good mate it's all part of the journey. I personally never really got on with tommo myself think they suit good riders in short sizes better but that's just me. I would scrap the Tommo idea all together myself and stick to a beaver or a seaside. Or if you see a Machado creeper in a 6'4" you would probably really like they too though it's a discontinued model now. You might find one second hand. Beaver you go as high as 6'4" if you wanted. Seaside yeah probably keep it around that 5’11” maybe 5’10” but beavers have good range and very responsive so a good pick thought can be a little more work to duck dive. That’s mint that you like the seaside and beyond. I’m really tempted by those myself actually and constantly hearing good things. Actually been out on my own mid length boards today and had a lot of fun catch plenty of waves but can still turn. I also really enjoy the RNF retro if you fancy something fishy and don’t need it to ride anything too much overhead in size. Just trying to think if they’re is anything else you should maybe consider too. Your in Aussie aye? Ian Chisholm does a nice board called I think it’s tbt slot machine it’s kinda like a do it all short mid length almost coming in at around the 6’4” mark maybe. Something Like that with the right sims could be cool too. Have a look around mate see what there is you fancy but yeah for sure keep it up around the 40 litre mark while your transitioning and pick something that will be stable forgiving and predictable. The beaver had all that for sure. Just a case of how much nose is ok before it’s hard to sink under the water. I had a 6’4" and a 6’10” could easily have still had a lot of fun on a 6’6” so yeah 6'4" or maybe 6’2” but it’s not an amazing paddler and it doesn’t mind being a little bigger as the tail design keeps it responsive.

[@jean7589]

Hey that's very interesting mate. Ok I'll keep that in mind for the local shapers in Queensland. So at around the same volume you would say that between the greedy beaver and the seaside the biggest difference is the nose and the ability to duck dive and that the Beaver doesn't paddle as well as the seaside. Sounds like the Seaside has more advantages then..

[@lawson45uk]

Jeremy Wolff well given a choice personally I like the seaside but I have a quiver of boards too so don’t need anything to be an all rounder. The beaver is a really good improvers board I reckon too as it’s just solid and does what you expect in a wide range of waves. Hard to tell on just paddle per volume. The seaside is a really good paddler the beaver is a good paddler guess it’s about even if you take into account board and rail length and the fact of positioning. Beaver will maybe trim into a wave and chase it down a little more. Seaside your probably gonna want to be in the pocket and it’s a pretty wide board. Seaside is more fast fishy kinda board beaver almost feels like a short board back end on a nice big forgiving nose and it’s still quite fast. Beaver isn’t gonna get slippery on you in certain conditions seaside might. But yeah both very nice and very cool boards. Seaside might actually translate well too having a seaside and beyond. Obviously they’re totally not the same board but some DNA will be a little similar so might make having a short wide beast a little less of an adjustment maybe too. Which do you fancy and why is a good question.

[@jean7589]

GO SURF Great great great comparison mate! That s so helpful. I wil re read a dozen times on my way to the surfshop 🤣. Last question. My mate uses the rasta quad fins and absolutely loves it. What do you make of these fins on the beaver because he can sell them too me cheap

[@lawson45uk]

@@jean7589 Yup not had any myself but I really like the look of the Rasta quad and hear good things about them. Also good for your weight so yeah would expect they would work well if your going for a Futures board over FCS anyways. Cheers

[@pjrodriguez9755]

You ever ridden yours as a twin? I just got the machado keels, super eager to try them.

[@lawson45uk]

Yeah I did once. Bit slippery for my liking as i'm riding my volume pretty high and I like my twins with the fins positioned further back as a specific fin but you should give it a go as lots of people rally like it. The Machado Keels are nice and big too so hopefully gives you some decent grip. Cheers.

[@rhystutt8462]

Thanks for the great review mate! I know this is the standard question & I see some similar threads, but this board sounds awesome and I'm trying to decide between the 5'11" & 6'0"... I'm 30yo, 5'9" & 80kg on the lower end of intermediate (able to trim, turn, do some little re-entries that kind of thing) and am looking to step down from a 7'6" modern falcon funboard (53L) to a shortboard. I was thinking of going the 6'0" to be a little more forgiving and give that extra paddle power, but I'm trying to figure out whether that might be too much volume to be maneuverable on the rails & limit my progression? Would love any thoughts you have on that!

[@lawson45uk]

All good buddy thanks for watching. Yeah sounds like you have been smart with your progress so far mate. Sensible choices that will have allowed you to progress. I think on this board go the 5’11” it’s what I have and if you push the volume out much more you will struggle to get a rail in. Short term it may be a little harder but yeah for your long term progress I would go the 5’11” It’s one of the best paddling boards per volume out there anyway and the construction is crazy light. If you wanted an alternative the RNF Retro is also a favourite and will handle having a little more volume better too but for range paddle power and performance and speed and wave range at your weight and age I think you will take to the 5’11” Just fine.. Go the Split Keels for fins too is my advice. More hold drive and more predictable than the Machados. Hope that helps mate.

[@rhystutt8462]

@@lawson45uk that's super helpful and love the tips on the fins too! Thanks a lot for the quick reply, I'll let you know how I go!

[@rhystutt8462]

@@lawson45uk I thought I'd report back after a couple of months as I ended up playing it safe and going the 6'0" for extra volume. I absolutely love the board and have been surfing on it a ton. I've found it great for high tide mush, but also loved it in better waves up to 4-5ft at some spots down the coast where I want pick up speed and surf down the line. Because I over-volumed for my weight I found the Biolos split keel quad fins had a bit too much drag for me and the tail was going nuts whenever I tried to go a little straighter, but when I put the Machado quads in it felt fun, fast & skatey. I am starting to wish I'd gone for a little less volume though, because I'm finding it a bit more difficult at one of the local breaks where you usually need to surf a bit more up and down in the pocket and on good days the waves are quite pitchy. In those conditions I'm finding it a little hard to engage the rail on this board, but at this stage I'm also not sure the ratio of user-error : thick & wide board being overvolumed. I'm actually thinking of buying another board for the quiver with a bit less volume as more of a performance board and was looking at maybe the Rocket Wide at 6'1" - would love your thoughts or suggestions on that?

[@lawson45uk]

@@rhystutt8462 Hey mate. Nice sounds like your probably pretty on point with sizing of your seaside or maybe could have gone a touch smaller but to be honest for us regular guys it’s probably really more of a small to medium sized wave board and not ideal for larger or more pitching waves as it’s still very much a wide , wide point forward, forward foiled fish design so your probably making a good move in accepting the size you have got as a good one for doing one the job or small to medium waves not too hollow and moving to something that’s more grippy and precise for the steeper or larger wave sessions… Ok so Rocket wide it a good board. It’s definitely another board that carries a lot of thickness in the tail compared to other boards though so you still might want to consider some other options if too if your really wanting a grippy ripper that inspires confidence in the bigger more pitching waves. The Rocket wide often comes as a thruster only as a stock board but to be fair it does ride well as a thruster.. Not everyone likes them but I like my Quiver Killer and Psycho killer for a confidence inspiring stable go to board for when the waves are bigger and have more push… Not really ever let me down in anything I have surfed but they might not always be quite as whippy in the turns for some. I really like them as they (especially the Psycho) are stable easy to ride and still carry decent speed. Psycho Killer is fairly similar to Rocket wide but the Killer series just have a much larger wave range which does come from a slightly more parallel outline so again the slight trade off if you’re a real ripper might be a little whippyness but I find them really on point for me and Noel Salas also gave them the nod so could be worth a look too.

[@rmtutty8688]

@@lawson45uk great call thanks mate, that board looks great and it’s up there as the best I’ve seen Noel surf in reviews too. I’m thinking the 6’2” 38.5L carbon wrap psycho killer now.

[@kinouillek]

Hi Go Surf, first of all, thank you so much for the reviews. They are really helpful. I'm a beginner rider who was occasionally surfing on long soft top (once or twice a year). I can standup fine and catch waves (timing is my main issue but I'm getting better with practice). I'm moving to Hawaii (Oahu) and am planning on riding almost everyday and therefor hope to increase my skills drastically in the nest few months. I'm 6ft and fluctuating between 80-85kg. I would like to avoid spending too much money as I get better and therefor I'm looking for a size that could take me from my beginner level do a decent intermediate one (hopefully). Any size you'd recommend? The Firewire website tells me to select 5'8 if intermediate and 6' if beginner/intermediate. I find this to be quite a big gap. I'd start on smaller/weaker waves in order to help me increase my skills and progressively go higher. Thanks again.

[@lawson45uk]

Hey mate. Wow nice a move to Hawaii that's awesome :-) Hmmm well be nothing wrong with you going 5'10" or 5'11" for smaller waves in my books... Not sure if the seaside is gonna cover everything your likely to come across in Hawai but then I dont have much experince with how the waves are there. Think we all just think lots more power which I believe it is but guess there are some nice sheltered spots too and the few people that I have spoken too in Hawai are still riding similar twins etc for what they would call small to medium waves there ( probably equivalent to big as it gets here :-) lol Yeah there are some other boards that would be better for an impreovers one board quiver but if you like the Seaside it is a cool board and does have some range plus if you do get heaps better which you no doubt will you would likely keep it for smaller waves anyway and still have fun. Yeah I rekon make it easy on yourself so you can progress. 5'10" or 5'11" even that's gonna take a time and determination coming from a once in a while surfing experience but you will progress really quickly if you can surf a lot so go for it mate.. Let me know what you decide on. Cheers

[@kinouillek]

@@lawson45uk I know, I'm so lucky and excited to get there! Thanks a lot for this lengthy reply! I originally was looking for El Tomo, then discovered through your channel the Seaside followed by the Seaside&beyond...(And now my brain is on fire) I've been researching this for the past few weeks as I discovered that I could FINALLY surf a lot more. I usually kitesurf and can surf waves that way with my strapless board no problem. But being "dropped" in the wave and using the kite for balance is cheating haha. But it does help me as once I'm up on a surfboard, I already have a little bit of skills learnt by kiting. I'll talk to the locals there, my worry is to not be able to pick up small waves. I know I'll start learning in (most likely) the Waikiki area and the waves aren't that big there. Hawaii is known for their massive waves but it's only if you go to the North Shore or close to Jaws on maui (and I doubt that I'll be able to ride any of them anytime soon or ever haha). Anyway, thanks once again, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to me. It's very appreciated. Happy surfing.

[@kinouillek]

@@lawson45uk Thanks again for all your reviews and all your help. After a month of wonder I finally decided to go with a 6'6 Greedy Beaver which I think will be best at my current level. Again, great videos and without them I'd probably still be wondering what to get. Keep up the good work, your videos are very helpful. Cheers and happy surfing ;)

[@lawson45uk]

@@kinouillek Ah great mate, I think that's a good call the beaver is a whole lot of fun and will be great for your progression. Let me know how your getting on with it and your most welcome thanks for your support :-)

[@KC-ro9ro]

again, great video. i have a seaside with the machado quad fcs 2, i love it, but waves are utter * right now. I don't have a groveler with me, and someone suggested me to just remove the small fins to make it a twin fin, and put back the full quad when waves get bigger. what do you think of this ? would it be worth it for small days ?

[@lawson45uk]

Ah yeah you could ... I have ridden mine as a twin with Machado keels and just feelt too slippery hut that's me. Twins really should be positioned differently and although your going to reduce drag a little your probably going to loose drive too but it's not a silly idea at all and costs nothing to try so give it a go and see what you think. Would also depend on the side of you and the size of the board. The smaller the board and the smaller you are the better it's likely to suit you. I find the Machado quads can be a little unpredictable and prefer the split keels myself. Hope that helps cheers

[@KC-ro9ro]

@@lawson45uk thanks. will have to try someday, wonder how it will turn out.

[@alanhart6407]

Great videos! Keep it up. Looking to get a seaside and torn on the size. I used to surf regularly but two kids, two knee surgeries, and 7 years later I’m now just a weekend warrior on easier waves. Been riding a 55 liter fun board to get back into it and now looking to get something smaller. Looking between 5’10-6’0. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I’m 6’3 180lbs beginner/intermediate level. Thanks

[@lawson45uk]

Hi Alan. Thanks for the feedback and your support. Don't worry mate, that just makes you a normal down to earth good guy like the rest of us.. Had a prolapsed disk myself and we get really weak waves.. I get the odd muppet bagging me for being way over volume etc etc which to be fair is true but we also have to be practical and realistic about what we have to work with waves, body age and time.. If you have a look through the threads on the seaside reviews there are quite a fee guys that are looking at the seaside in a bigger size like myself that might be worth a look too. I think if you still paddle pretty well and have some speed getting to your feed there is on reason you couldn't be looking at something like this. you weigh about the same as me so the 5'11" would probably be a good call.. You could go 5'10" if you wanted but it is a very good paddler even for it's volume and it also has quite a lot of meat up front.. I was going to go for the 6'0" as i'm ok with between 42 litres and upto 45 in the right board for a groveller but i'm glad I didn't go 6'0" as there is a lot of meat up front and it could very well be hard to get a rail in on an upsized version. Had this same conversation with a few people.. If your happy with a short board in length and riding it a bit over volume but not too much this is the board for you but if you were looking to the smaller wave range end and wanting to oversize and over volume something like a RNF Retro might carry it a little better. I suspect you would sweet on a 5'11" or 5'10" if that knee isn't holding you back too much for poping up. if you can still kick paddle too then I often find that a shorter board that you can kick and paddle with your arms makes up a decent bit of the gap between this kind of board and like a 6'8" fun shape with an extra 5-10 litres in. Helium is very light and boyant per volume too. Hope that helps Alan. hope it works for you.. It 's definitely one of the best paddling most stable performers for us real people in the real world. I had stopped riding anything below 6'0" but the seaside is no bother at all and it's short length means my feet actually end up where they should be simetimes unlike on many other boards ;-)

[@alanhart6407]

Thank you so much for the feedback! That is really helpful. Ya I can still pop up normal again and paddle decent. Knee is healed up and I’m in pretty good shape. I’m 34 and exercising daily. I’ve borrowed some friends oversized short boards that are 6’3, 21 1/2, 2 5/6 that I’m guessing are in the low 40s of liters and they have worked for me. So maybe I’ll look at the seaside in 5’11. Thanks again, really appreciate it! Keep up the helpful videos for us average joes!

[@lawson45uk]

Alan Hart sweet mate sounds like you will be fine on a 5'11" possibly even a 5'10" if your ok on a 40 ish litre hybrid shorty 👍 glad you have recovered well. Let me know how you get on mate

[@becbohm2450]

Hey. What size in the seaside. 6-1 93kg 57 old. Had a 5-8 sweet potato . 5-10 lost Lazy Toy 38 Litres. felt it could have been more in the 40litres, Thinking 510 or 5-11? Mostly hip to head high beachies. cheers Tony..

[@lawson45uk]

Bec Bohm Hi Tony. I would personally air on the side of the one you think could be a little small with the seaside had a 5'8" potato and a 5'10" and the 5'8" wasn't an amazing paddler for its volume. I would say a 5'11" would be fine for under head high and your weight and age etc but they are light and extremely good paddlers. There isn't a huge volume difference either. Best advice I can give is that they're light and excellent paddlers and the 5'10" I would expect to out paddle either of the other boards but if you want to be sure and happy to carry extra volume doubt you will be disappointed with the 5'11" either. I'm about 83kg and love mine .... Thought KZbin the volume police would say I should be on a 5'5" 🙄🤣

[@michaelk.5706]

Are you going to do a review on the Seaside and beyond as well? Would be interesting to get an opinion from a non professionell rider.

[@lawson45uk]

Michael K. I Would over to mate but i have 2 midlength boards at 7ft and unfortunately no one gives me them or has any demos locally ... Be happy to ride and review a lot more boards if there was a way of me getting given them like Surf and Show and the big boys do. You never know though. I do like the look of the board. Would also depend on how good the LFT builds were this time. I love the feel and flex but in the past they have not always been the best finished of their tech.. think it would be a good board though just based off shape and rocker. There are some extremely good egg and midlength shapes out there to consider now too

[@michaelk.5706]

@@lawson45uk thanks for nice response. I am looking forward to get something manoeuvrable in the midlength range if I don't want to take my longboard out. But as I am just a holiday surfer I need something that paddles really well with a bit of glide. Cheers

[@lawson45uk]

Michael K. Yeah mate some of those eggy and midlength shapes are pretty magic for people in average waves not getting out much. If you get the right one you never feel like your on the wrong board. Me I'm almost always on the wrong board as I have tooooo many 😛 good midlength boards go in such a wide range of waves and still give you some glide and turning abilities. It is hard getting through right one though 🤙

[@corentinb5125]

Hi mate ! Love your work !! Thanks for the helpful review ! I’m thinking about to buy a seaside. I’m average in longboard and I ride a Hypto krypto 6.0 The problem with this board is when I do my take off I don’t have enough balance to take speed and ride the wave well. So the thing is not about the volume of the Hypto krypto but the shape I think. The seaside could be a perfect combo for more balance and speed. Which size can you recommend me ? And which fins ? I’m 188 tall and 84kg. Thanks a lot 👍🏼

[@lawson45uk]

Corentin B hey mate thanks heaps always nice to hear positive feedback and for sure I'm always happy to help. So yeah definitely a very different board and it's going to be a lot more stable and generate it's own speed and paddle really well. I have had a hypto and wasn't blown away to be honest. It's kind of performance in the tail bit bigger in the nose so it does tail drag a bit and the tail means it needs a half decent wave if you don't have waves with push. It does padde quite well and does a decent job of doing everything to be fair though. The seaside is definitely more fish design but still performs. It's definitely a favourite of mine and can really handle a surprising wide range of conditions for a fish shape. Ok for size I guess you could match the volume of the hypto. It's hard to say what you would find too much volume or feel too corky. If your looking to make life a lot easier you could go up as far as 5'10" no problems. If you really want to keep it refined and don't want to stray too far from the hypto you could go 5'9" no problems too. Personally I wouldn't recommend lower than that but that's just me plenty of guys our Weight would rode 35 or less litres I just find it defeats the object. Personal recommendation would be 5'10" if you want really easy and don't mind that it might feel a little more bulky than your hypto and if your happy with your hypto volume the 5'9" is still a touch more voulume I think. Hope that helps let me know how you get on or if you have any more questions 👍 mint board. Pretty confident you will enjoy it

[@lawson45uk]

Corentin B fins I really like big fins so I go the split keels. Could feel a bit tricky for lighter guys but good for us over 80kg guys. You might like the actual Machado seaside quads too. I personally preferred the split keel it gives great drive and grip so kinda adds to both that lowet and upper ends. If you want a little more performance feel could try something like the fcs2 stretch quads as they're large. Futures maybe the large McCallum especially quads but for me split keels and Machado keels would be the top picks. Cheers

[@lawson45uk]

Corentin B some might like keels for a bit of small wave fun too. but I found them too slippery myself. Proportional Keel set ups should really be located a bit further back.

[@corentinb5125]

GO SURF thank you so much for your help. I was thinking about 5.9 or 5.10. So now I just have to make my choose between those 2. For the fins, the split keel are FCS2 right ? I found the Matt Biolos split keel. That’s the same ?

[@lawson45uk]

Corentin B sweet as mate. Yeah split keels are FCS 2 the seaworthy quads and controllers are pretty much the same in futures they would be my pick. Can always change them if you think there too tracky but the seaside turns pretty good so might as well have the added speed hold and drive in my opinion. Your certainly in the right weight range for them 👍

[@johanneskern7297]

Hello Go Surf, i love your videos. You have such a relaxing style and your review feels totally appropriate to me. I am very interested in the Seaside right now. However, I am not sure about the size and volume. to my person. I weigh 78kg and I am 1.80 m tall. I am an intermediate surfer. I'm currently surfing the hypto crypto 6.4. I am also very satisfied with the board. I get a lot of waves and can surf even very small waves. So actually exactly what I'm looking for :) Only duck diving becomes difficult over time. I just notice that I get very tired over time. Now I think if there is another board that may have a little less volume so that it works better during a duck dive. It should cover all waves because I only want to use one board. I surf 8-10 weeks in France, Spain and Portugal. Even in winter, but only up to approx 2.5m high. I thought of the seaside in 5.10. would that be a good option? I would also be interested in your expertise in terms of volume and size. Chears, Johannes

[@lawson45uk]

Hi Johanas. Thanks for the kind words. I try my best to be impartial and just talk the same way as I would be talking to someone about boards on the beach so glad it comes over that way too.. We all just surfers trying to have fun improve and share what we know :-) Hmmm ok so your hypto is 43 Litres? Mine was the 6'2 38 litre and I often thought a 6'4" would be nice for the slower local wave but to be fair they paddle so well i was ok on the 6'2" but yes at 6'4" and for your weight it would be a little harder to duck dive... Mainly because that nose is actually gonna be out in front of you. The seaside shoiuld be much easier as although a wide board most of it is going to be under your chest so much easier to press down closer to your main weight centre. Once it's out past your head and a wide nose it's a lot more work. For seaside sizing I would say spot on at the 5'10" if your comfy to loose that bit of volume over your hypto. To be honest it probably wont feel like you have lost masses anyway the seaside paddles so well. Just dont expect the shorter boards to necessarily move forward the same though 5'10" wont necessarily provide the same paddle glide as a longer board but i dont think you would want or need any bigger than 5'10" When you say 2.5 meters do you mean literally or swell size.. Maybe say your riding waist hight to just overhead high waves or bigger? 2.5Meters of swell could be like well overhead. I think a lor of people think a seaside will handle really solid waves and if your an average guy riding larger volume it's not necessarily the one board quiver for overhead France or Portugal they have some pretty powerful waves there?? Basically if your riding small to medium sized waves and want something fast fun and responsive with a fishy feel for sure seaside all the way and i really like the 5'10" for you being a little lighter than me anything much bigger you might find it a little bulky to get a rail in properly.

[@lawson45uk]

if you are surfing some slightly larger waves and want something easy to paddle but a little nicer balance of nose and tail size the Quiver/Psycho Killer range could be worth a look or even teh Uber XL if you are happy with a smaller nose and less of a forward wide point.

[@johanneskern7297]

@@lawson45uk Thank you very much for your detailed answer. Its absolutely helps me. Regarding the wave size. I'm actually always afraid of the big waves, so I try to surf the smaller ones. That's why I try to select the spots according to the fact that it's waist to just overhead. But sometimes it can happen that it is well over haed. But that's more of an exception, or if it's too big, I just don't go out. I also try to choose the spots in France and Portugal so that it fits and doesn't become too heavy for me. It is actually waist to something overhead, but I would like it if the board also works with well overhead. This has been the case with the Hypto so far. However, the duck diving bothers me ... Would you still recommend the Seaside to me? I really appreciate the Hypto's paddle power. I would not like to lose anything. I am now unsure whether the 5.10 Seaside works so well. Thank you so much again for your help. All the best, Johannes

[@lawson45uk]

@@johanneskern7297 Ah tough one.. I think that the seaside will be really good for 80 plus percent of what you surf to be honest so maybe would be a good one.. Personally I like a quiver so boards that try to do everything are often lacking in something.. The seaside will go wist to just overhead really well and it will go in a bit more in a pinch but just depends on the wave type etc. If your at a rolly point and its well overhead it would handle it more than a hollow beachbreak of the same.. I think the seaside will go faster. Might turn differently to what your used to as well when you go from a pulled in rounded pin to a wide fish tail. Anything else that goes in well overhead won't go as well as the seaside in waist to shoulder high. so the seaside is still a good option and again if your really wanting to cover that bigger wave end maybe the quiver/psycho killers are a good option to look at. Ideally I would have something like a seaside or even a Bean bag for the smaller stuff then go to something like a quiver killer for anything that's head plus.. that will be a little more like a balanced out hypto so not as extreme a large nose narrow tail. I personally like the quiver killer much better than the Hypto but that's me my friend bought my Hypto and very similar surfing ablilty and he says it's the best board he ever had.. Sounds like the seaside is the good option for most of what you surf so it's ideal to gear your quiver for most of what you surf and it will still surf in the bigger stuff just certain conditons it might get a bit skatey and hard to get a rail in but that will be 10 percent of your surfs not 90 so go for a board that covers the 90 and if your really worried about the 10 percent well overhead too again maybe throw 40-42 litres at something like a quiver killer if you can go custom or your happy to loose a couple of litres. I can't remember what the hypto is noose and tail but say it's 16" nose 21 wide 15 tail a quiver killer would be 14.5 Nose 21.25 wide 16 tail but still a really thin tail at the back I got a custom 42.5 Litre 6'4" but ended up going to a stock 39 Litre and it's fine for me they also paddle well. The Psycho killer is a little shorter, chunkier, faster and looser and flatter in the rocker so another good option. I think you would be please with all of the above if you just want to sort that duck diving issue out and not too scred to drop a couple of litres. Hyptos are good boards though so there is a risk you dont like others as much me personally I would take any of the above over a hypto but we have a really slow wave here so a decent sized tail helps. As you progress the bigger noses can get in the way if your not riding them really short which is how they were intended to be ridden which it sounds like exactly whats happening. Hope that helps mate.. I wouldn't be put off the seaside if you were keen on one it's probably the right board for most of what your surfing it will be very different to a hypto though just purely by nature and being used to 6'4" for sure 5'10" is going to feel looser to start with

[@johanneskern7297]

@@lawson45uk Thanks man, you are an absolute legend. Thank you for your message. It helps me a lot. I think the Seaside is right for me. I'll try it out and then see if I need an upgate for the bigger waves. Many thanks for this input. I'll take a closer look at the Quiver Killer. I wish you the best, stay healthy and all the best. See you soon...

[@yvesmeinrad4544]

Hi, would you say this board can handle an average level guy of 49 YO 1m81 and about 100kgs??? surfing since I'm 13 but not as often as I would like... or maybe should I go for the 6'0 or the 6'1?

[@lawson45uk]

Dont see why now mate.. As long as your used to that kind of length and volume I think you would be stoked.. it will paddle like a litre or two better than it's volume suggests, I could easily go down a size.. Have you been riding anything similar volume and around that length or longer that you know your comfy on? it's really a short little dream of a package that will handle a really good wave range

[@Garebare24]

Hey I hope you can answer me because I see you comment back to alot of your comments! I am 205 pounds 6'3 and was debating btw the 5'10 and 5'11 (39 liters volume) vs (41 liters volume). I am intermediate skill level and wanted something for smaller florida surf om the east coast. Do you think I went the right size? I almost considered going to the 45 liters but i was afraid it would be too much like a boat. I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks.

[@lawson45uk]

Hi Garret. Thanks for watching the channel and for reaching out. So I always say 99% of people know themselves and what your comfortable with volume wise and what waves your riding and your ability better than I can as an outsider but for the seaside it’s very light and a great paddler and epoxy so these are all plus points in your favour compared to a many other boards. I would say you would find the board to feel about a litre more than the numbers suggest and you sound like you have exactly the feelings I had about buying it so personally I would guide you to the 5’11” at 205 and intermediate for smaller waves. Think the 45L might be a bit much unless your used to that or more. I have 45 Litre boards but certainly think a 45L Seaside would have been too much board for me by comparison. You could definitely go the 5’10” too but I think at 205 and small waves the 5’11” is a safe choice but if you did want a bit more of a challenge in return for a more refined feeling I don’t see the 5’10” as being too low just not quite as easy riding and forgiving. I’m about 84KG and intermediate at best and very slow weak local waves and happy with my 5’11” but could certainly ride the 5’10” too. Hope that helps. Let me know how you get on. Oh and I fully recommend the split keels over the Machados for someone your weight too. I have tried both and prefer the split keel. Thanks.

[@Garebare24]

@@lawson45uk wow what a great explanation, thanks for your time. Yea I guess I will go with the 41 Liter. Almost wish there was like a 42 or 43 but that flat rocker and width will probably help as well.

[@lawson45uk]

Garett Barry no worries at all mate. Yeah I hear you the gaps are pretty big aye but you can definitely think of it as a 42 litre board it feels like that plus .... You could also consider a stock RNF retro at 6'2" and 43 ish if I remember. Little less electric performance but paddles great and carries speed through manoeuvres fantastic it's another favourite of mine for slow waves but stick to what your wanting you definitely be pleased with a seaside. RNF Retro great alternative for PU Poly die hards

[@leonard9353]

Hi I did start whwn I was 14 with a 6'2 short ( little volume really tight )now Im starting again at 36 , and i need more stability and volume , Do you think the seaside could be good to restart ?

[@lawson45uk]

Hi Leon. Yeah absolutely. Stability, paddle power and speed generation are all good on the Seaside. I would say ideal place to get into or back into short boards as long as your not going to be riding big or very hollow waves. Few local guys have used the Seaside to get them back on shortboards after a while out and been loving them. Cheers.

[@leonard9353]

@@lawson45uk thanks man. Im 5'6 135 . which size do you recommend ?

[@lawson45uk]

@@leonard9353 Hey mate. Hard to say as depends a lot on you personally and how you feel about volume, fitness levels ability to generate speed, waves your riding etc but your pretty light so I would guess at around the 32 litre mark should be plenty for you so maybe the 5'6"?? But definitely see if you can go pick one up and see how it feels etc first. They do float and paddle really well it's just a case of getting enough volume to make life easy but not so much it makes it difficult to sink the rail for your weight. I know a guy about your weight but younger that skis professionally and i think he went about 5'5". Have a word with the guys in the shops too but just be careful as some of the younger guys often compete and have no idea of how age affects you yet so they think 24 litres is s lot :-) Older guys like me that right slow waves might steer you wrong in the other direction :-) Maybe email or call someone like Boardshop uk and see if they will give you some feedback on what people your weight have been going for or read thier reviews. They will have had lots of feedback from customers the similar weight and age. The volume calculators put you around the 30Litres mark from what I can see with me making a couple of tweaks for real world factor.. I usually call myself the next weight bracket up and intermediate or less and get it about right. if you go dead on your weight and call yourself advanced which you may well be I think that will leave you short on volume. It's very subjective though.. I rekon 5'6" be a good starting point if you can go look in a shop. Cheers.

[@redarma6241]

Hey bro, great review! Thanks. I’m a bit confused what size would be good for me. I’m only a small guy, 5’9 67 kgs. The FireWire website says 5’5..... no way! I want something that paddles great and can get into waves early. I usually ride about 38-40 litres. I have only been surfing about 2 years so I’m not that good. I usually surf fairly punchy beachies so wondering if this board would be good for that. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks mate.

[@lawson45uk]

Redarm A hey mate. If your comfy with around 38 litres these paddle really good so you could probably go for about a 5'9" I rekon. Mine is 5'11" and I could easily ride a 5'10" and I'm about 84 kgs and by no means a good surfer or fit either. How big are the waves you ride. This will handle beachies with push but not ideal for anything overhead especially in something that short. Also what do you already have , what's your quiver like etc might help me get a better idea if this is the right board for you. I find it pretty versatile but it can get slippery sometimes too. Cheers

[@redarma6241]

Thanks for the reply man. I was thinking 5’10 but was worried it would be to “ corky”. Bit worried I’d lose the paddle speed going 5’9. I surfed a 5’7 mini twin the other day and found I could surf it fine but was a bit late getting in. That one is about 30l. How do you find it goes when the surf gets a bit bigger?

[@lawson45uk]

Redarm A yeah mini twin is quite a different board and a lot less volume and I think less width too. They look chunky but I don't think they are. I think 5'9" sounds like you. The helium is so light and the board paddles so well. Might be too slippery in a 5'10" but could be fine too. Not too much in it.

[@lawson45uk]

Redarm Funnily ebough kida mixed. I have had dsys overhead thag have been fabtastic and was getting in and making drops im not sure some of my motr perfomance boards would have made abd others its been all over the place and sliding out The rnf retro is another great board to conider at the retro end and psycho nitro also impressive. Basically if you have a board for ocerhead waves and sonething for tiny crsp thr seaside will cover most anythibg else. Cheers

[@redarma6241]

Thanks heaps for all the advice man! Appreciate it.

[@chrro466]

Is this Dave who surfs at the Mount ?

[@lawson45uk]

chris rossi Nah im in christchurch Chris. Not surfed the mount

[@petewebb5149]

Grabbed a Seaside with FCS plugs in it a few weeks ago. No Machado fins available at the time so experimented with what I had on hand. Tried power twins with trailers and also with nubsters, L Carvers with Scarfini M trailers. The Carvers combo felt fine if wave had some power but not hitting the spot otherwise as too stiff. Bought a set of L Stretch quads in FCS 1 on special. Bingo! Got the drive but with a loose though controllable feel.

[@lawson45uk]

Pete Webb nice work Pete 👍 good to know. I have a couple of sets of the stretch fins but only tried them in my puddle jumper so far. There actually pretty hard to get hold of now. Good bit bigger than the old FCS1 template to which is good as they were always too small for me. I like my seaside with the split keels best. Got the Machado Keel but haven't tried it yet but good to know the stretch fins work too might be a good option to loosen it up a bit as it is pretty high performance for a fish. What do you weigh out of interest. Cheers.

[@petewebb5149]

@@lawson45uk 93-95 kgs. Can't get off the seaside... gr8 board. Watching the Bells coverage a few commented they'd love to be riding their seaside out there. Had to laugh...! Just picked up a 6'1" Lost plank (44L) used so that will be my new grovel board. Wouldn't mind the Bbag.

[@chrisfindlay5963]

@@petewebb5149 what size seaside did you buy?

[@petewebb5149]

@@chrisfindlay5963 Hi Chris, 6'. Could have gone 5'11" if not for age and shoulders and crowds.

[@chrisfindlay5963]

@@petewebb5149 yeah I know the feeling. I am 62 years old, about 88kgs and just had a hip replacement. I just love the look of the Seaside. My best surfing days were on a MR Twin Fin back in the day. I am thinking a MR Cali Twin, RNF Retro Fish or the Seaside. I will need to go 6'4" to 6'6" in the MR, probably 6'4" the Retro and 6' the seaside. I like about 43-47ltrs in a short board. The seaside has more width so should be more stable getting up so length may or may not be as important. I don't want to be an idiot or a dreamer. I still surf well when up but slower to get up these days. All dependant upon recovery from surgery. Doing very well so far, aiming for summer start.

[@maltrewern1235]

Hi,do you have a Facebook page or an email so I can contact you?

[@lawson45uk]

Hi Yeah just message here or on my Go_surf_nz instagram cheers