Firewire Seaside vs MashUp vs Dominator 2 Surfboard Comparison

[@ben6507]

this guy makes every board look amazing

[@shannonyoung3465]

This review is Sooo… Good!!! Breakdown was super informative Really appreciate your dedication to helping the surfing community make educated decision’s, based on your depth of insight, perspective & your knowledge! You rock man!!! Ty 🙏

[@santiagochinosanchez4445]

Thanks Noel. You keep creating some great content for the surfing community. I got my seaside based on one of your review's videos and I don't regret it. Might be a good idea to get a Mashup and a D2 as well 🤔. Need money first 😅😅

[@mixstagram]

I’ve had the 5’6” woolite seaside for a couple years now and love it in 2-6ft clean mushy surf. Choppy windy conditions not so much. It’s also a hassle to duck dive in bigger surf as the nose is so wide it doesn’t want to stay down! Just got the 5’7” mashup and loving it! Does everything the seaside does but better in my opinion, easier to duck dive and has more fin options.

[@Esmith5488]

my seaside is a mess in chop but small and clean its a ton of fun

[@chechosm86]

Amazing content as usual, these reviews have changed my understanding of surfboards

[@allersfera]

I thought it was Kelly. Awesome style. Thanks!

[@richholder416]

Great concept Noel. I was waiting for this ever since you mentioned it at the end of the Mashup review 🤙

[@realistikvideo]

Thanks for this review. Because of your reviews, I bought the Seaside in a 5’5” and the Dominator 2 in a 5’10”. I’m 50 years old, and been surfing a lot for about 30 years, Actually moved down to your neck of the woods from the Santa Cruz area about a year and a half ago. I went up there just this weekend to visit though and didn’t bring either board. Borrowed a friend;s Lost. Forgot which model, but it was 6’4” x 21 x 2.7. It was a high performance short board, but a step up for me as I’m only about 168 lbs. It had like 5 more liters of foam than either of the Firewires and it was PERFECT! Waves up there at 6 to 8 feet require a lot more foam than down here. It’s weird how different it is. The waves are just thicker, and moving faster making them harder to catch, duck dive, navigate, etc. More water moving around too. Really need that extra volume to get into them earlier. The hold downs feel like they are a lot longer too. In any case, it just seems like they biggest factor in which board will work the best depends purely on the wave. I’d love to get a consultation with you though on some questions I’ve had for a very long time. Let me know if we could possibly set something up. Thanks for all the awesome reviews and tips.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Great post…. Yes, we can do a board consult. Here is the link to set it up. surfnshow.com/pages/surfboard-consulting

[@Surf_Salt]

Good seaside fin combo for FCS, if you want to make it feel more shortboardy; MF Large fronts, Reactor Medium rears(very upright) . Swept rears feel too hooky and catchy on the seaside. 1

[@hobbyfoot110]

Sounds like a good combo!

[@morganwalstrom9900]

Thank you Noel for all of you surfing knowledge!

[@davidmoore8397]

Great review. SO informative, covers literally every angle that you could think of when comparing these types of boards. I've owned the Seaside, and currently own the Mashup, and contemplating getting the Dom 2. Everything Noel has said is spot on with what I have found riding the boards so far. He knows his stuff, and he should be the first point of call when researching small wave boards. BTW the Mashup is such an amazing small wave board. I like it much better than the Seaside for it's versatility and liveliness. Cheers from OZ

[@MensGroup]

Thanks Noel from Tofino, Canada. Stoked to get a Mashup after watching this (we have SUPER mushy waves here).

[@jaywilldoit]

My quiver - wavestorm. Does well as my daily driver and as my groveler.

[@dronixe9330]

Hey Noel! Thanks a lot for these videos, I love how deep you go into the details. If you ever have time, I wanted to get your opinion on sizing. I'm intermediate/advanced, 5'10 180lbs and surf a 5'5 Seaside (31.5 ltrs) which I really like for waves up to head high. I sometime surf with a big wetsuit. The dominator 2 seems to be the right choice for bigger waves and I wanted to know what size you would recommend between the 5'9“ and 5'10”? I figure the 5'10” would paddle better and be faster, but I wonder how much manoeuvrability would be sacrificed for the type of waves I'm aiming for. Cheers!

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@dronixe9330 Your volume range is 34-36L for your weight at intermediate skill level. If you late a good paddler and you like your boards more responsive then you can go lower volume like 32-34L.

[@carlbringas9034]

Excellent "quiver review". I have been out of the water for sometime and now want to rebuild my abilities once again and thus build a small quiver. Boards have changed a lot and it is truly amazing the choices. I have been bouncing back and forth between some of the Firewire, Lost and Channel Island boards. That Mashup looks really nice paired with the Dom 2. I have also been looking at the CI Rocket Wide paired with the CI OG Flyer. Then there is the possibility of mixing any of those choices up, Firewire and a CI board. It's endless. I'll probably go with the Channel Island boards as I can go the Santa Barbara store and see everything at one time. It appears difficult to find the Firewire and Lost boards all in one place like a headquarters store (LMK if I am wrong as I would love to see a dozen variations in the boards I think I want). Excellent stuff, Thanks Noel. Hope to see you in the water !

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

One thing to consider is the durability of the Firewire boards is next level concerning pressure dents. Just saying

[@bobnandez]

i find Noels to be the best board reviews. Also good to learn about board features in general.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Cheers for the kind words. Still led our show helps you

[@TrailerHitchRVCenter]

This guy is an incredible surfer.

[@Surferdude965]

I have the mashup and sci-fi 2 and that’s a good 2 board quiver for me.

[@vanislandsurf]

Excellent comparisons. How about Pyzel Ghost family next? Ghost, Phantom, Gremlin, Shadow, Mini Ghost...

[@josesnowsneves5132]

What a great review ! just a question (since summer is arriving...) if we take the seaside for the 1 to 2 foot waves, so we increase it volume Vs our daily driver ? (I am now using a great NB3 with 29,4L which struggles a bit when the waves are mushy) thanks

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Go with a Seaside at roughly 30L for weaker Summer waves

[@ronenmoshko]

Just loved this. I've learned so much from this review. Thank you

[@EuphoricCheese]

Nice review as expected. Think about getting a Seaside as a one board quiver in 2‘-6‘ range? I‘m a relaxed surfer, not top to bottom, just more drawn out carves. Can the Seaside handle like 7‘ to 8‘ just for down the line surfing? - Even when it‘t for sure not made therefor. Or impossible?

[@klaiejah]

Thanks Noel 🙏 I have a D2 and absolutely love it - makes me feel like a grom again 😊 I have a Mashup arriving very soon and the reviews I’ve seen have me super excited. Yeeew!

[@Rafaelathia]

Hi Klaiejah - I have the D2 as well and I'm planning to get the mashup to handle better the smaller, mushy days. How is it going with you? I'm a bit concerned that the mashup has to much overlap with the D2 having medium entry and exit rocker.

[@klaiejah]

@@Rafaelathia Hi Rafael, to be honest there is a fair bit of overlap with these two boards. I ride the Mashup a lot except when the waves get more serious but I find that the D2 goes just as well in small, weak waves - however, my D2 is a 6’8 so it has plenty of volume to compensate for the lack of power. The Mashup is quirky and more difficult to ride but some of the quirkiness provides moments of excitement. It’s sort of addictive… and it catches waves surprisingly well at two inches shorter and a little narrower than my D2. Both boards really lit up for me when I put large quad keels in them (very similar to the Machado Seaside set). Initially the Mashup felt stiff until I put the larger fins in - possibly the stiff feel came from not having the drive I like - I’m 100kg. One of my friends who’s only intermediate skill level absolutely hated his Mashup and has traded it in less than a month. I think it needs some reasonable skill level to get the best out of it. Another friend of mine rides the new Sweet Potato in small, gutless waves and pulls out the Mashup if it’s a little bigger and stronger - he also has a seaside. I love both boards but the D2 fits like a glove - very easy to ride and I’ve done some great surfing on it, best board I’ve had in years… the Mashup is more challenging but strangely addictive 🤷🏽‍♂️ Hope that helps a little with your decision 👍🏼

[@Rafaelathia]

@@klaiejah thanks Klaiejah, appreciate all the details. I might give it a go for the mashup and will let you know how it goes. Thanks again!

[@klaiejah]

@@Rafaelathia I’ll be looking forward to your assessment 👍🏼

[@matthewjones7872]

Do you have an update for us?

[@onshore1ft]

Still amazed how you basically ride grom dims at your age

[@splocal]

Seriously I thought I was the only one. I’m like how does this dude ride these potato chips at his age. I’m 40 and I need at least 29-30L just to catch waves and surf.

[@trotts1885]

Mate I’m 0ver 40 litres for life

[@shanebaird543]

He ride’s appropriate volume for his skill and weight. He only weighs 160lbs. I am 180 pounds advanced surfer and ride my firewires anywhere between 26 and 30 liters depending on the shape. If you stay fit and flexible riding short boards into older age isn’t an issue. I am 47 and still rip.

[@nickd6322]

@@shanebaird543 You still rip? That's not what I heard.

[@shanebaird543]

@@nickd6322 I did miss the barrel at the end of my wave at Salt Creek yesterday.

[@paoloceriotti5090]

Hi Noel, I ride a seaside 5'4" and love it, that's the board I used the most. Now I would like to try a new board for head high waves and thruster set-up. I am looking for the mash-up 5'5" because of the similarities with the seaside, but not convinced of the stock dims. Would you suggest alternatives? Thanks!

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Check out the Black Vulture 2 by Chilli. The BV2 is next level

[@paoloceriotti5090]

@@surfnshowreviews7777 interesting, I will take a look as an alternative.. is the BV2 similar to the mini ghost and Rocket Redux 2 in terms of dims, or am I wrong? About the mash up: I've recently seen it in a shop and put it under my arm, I had good feeling with the 5'5" but didn't like the balance of the 5'6"/7", looked unbalanced toward the tail to me

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@paoloceriotti5090 The BV2 is extremely fast and easy to shred

[@BigRoy1979]

Love your content bro. From New Zealand

[@bselva]

What about paddling power? Is there much difference between the Mashup and Seaside to get into small waves?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Seaside might be a little better but it’s close

[@soulsurfer3102]

Thanks champ.still waiting for ci h .every day Cheerrs

[@dougclark4025]

What type of board would you recommend Along the same sizes,...But for A beack break barrels could you please send me some barrel footage of yourself,it would help me immensely.I not... maybe a separate link of you on a barrel type wave.Much appreciated. DC/ NJ 🌊

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Check out my episodes surf Kelly’s pool for tube riding. That’s all I got for you

[@dougclark4025]

Sorry for the typo' Beach break

[@terenceingram7786]

Excellent video. I saw the CI Free Scrubber in the background when talking about the fins. Are you going to review it at some point?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Not sure…

[@terenceingram7786]

@@surfnshowreviews7777 I have one and have put your HP fins in it. Ridden it from waist to double overhead and absolutely love it. It kinda fits your thing about a high performance twin. Totally love it compared to the CI Twin Pin (which I didn't like). Still keen to see how you surf it as I often compare your surfing on various boards to help me make a decision. Love ya work.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@terenceingram7786 Yewww!! Stoked to hear the board goes good with my fins. I will try to get a couple going for review.

[@chrisathan4293]

​@@terenceingram7786 wow ! thank you for sharing ! I'm looking it up every day trying to find a review on the scrubber, but no luck. I'm really curious about this board, looks sick!. Does it work in small & weak surf ? I hope noel does a review on this board. (praying)

[@terenceingram7786]

@@chrisathan4293 I have ridden the board a number of times and it goes great. Suits me with nice forward volume for paddling yet a narrow tail making the turns easy and at times radical. I am not sure if it's a grovel board. Maybe waist to chest upwards. Not sure of its upper limit. Probably depends on the type of wave. I have ridden it in way overhead waves but they tapered off.

[@jamesshannon753]

I'm sure you've heard this before, Noel, but your board reviews are the best in the business. I chew through one to two boards a year and you've become my go-to for choosing the next stick for my quiver. Right now, I'm looking for a small wave/daily driver (small for us down here in Victoria, Australia, is generally around 3-5ft, US) and the Dominator 2 is at the top of my list. Though, I'd be stoked if you could take a look at the CI Happy Everyday. From what I can tell, they're quite similar boards, so I'm a bit torn. Would love to get your thoughts. Keep up the good work, mate.

[@jamesshannon753]

@@RBNK157 That's awesome. Thanks Roi. Much appreciated.

[@birdssurfshed]

Well done and simply explained!

[@hawaiiansouthshore]

Great Review Noel! Aloha from Hawaii 🤙🤙

[@gmbsantabarbara]

Mashup vs CI Rocket Wide(SpineTec) is something I'd love to see discussed. Seems to me these are in a similar space in the quiver.

[@davidmoore8397]

The 'Boardshop' on youtube does that comparison.

[@troymatzkow3467]

Love you work Noel Keen to buy the Dominator 2! would be great to see a review on the new sweet potato 2?

[@YxXJuventuSXxY]

Hi Noel. Great work. After hundreds of reviews and different boards/fins ridden, what board / fin combo do you recommend for an intermediate surfer switching from a bigger board to a shortboard? What attributes to look for? I think a lot of the viewers would love to hear that from you :) cheers and keep it up

[@andrewoats3620]

Hey did a great comparison on hybrid boars

[@chrisfernandez5566]

Love the video and board comparison 👌 can you review the Sweet Potato and compare it with the seaside. To see which one is the better grovler...

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Sorry not reviewing the SP. Not my style Groveler… I’m sure it’s fast down the line but other boards I’ve ridden like it (Chumlee) don’t suit my style of surfing. These types of boards go fast down the line and project well in mushy waves but don’t offer much performance top to bottom.

[@chrisfernandez5566]

Right on thanks for the insight...

[@rafael_1912]

Missing the Evo in this comparassion, I feel like both the Seaside and MashUp are boards for similar wave conditions as the Evo. Anyways great revierw!

[@NathanSass]

Hey Noel! Thanks so much for this review. I have the 5'9 31.5L D2 and I love it. I would like to add a seaside to the quiver. I was wondering what size you would recommend? I'm an intermediate surfer in norcal. Thanks so much!

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Roughly same volume as your D2

[@WesleyC13]

Hey Noel! Been watching your videos for years now really appreciate the detail you go into your reviews! Got my first shortboard, the dominator 2 three years ago from your review in 5’7 (29.4L). Do you have a recommendation for board size for a seaside? I was looking into getting a seaside for smaller days in SoCal surf, I’m somewhat torn between getting the 5’3 (28.2L) & 5’4 (29.8L) I’m somewhat leaning towards the shorter 5’3 but wanted to hear your thoughts. I’d say I’m beginner/intermediate (get into waves easily, but need more practice with turns and such) 5’8 height and roughly 147LBs. Thank you!

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@WesleyC13 Try to get a used 5’4”. It will more stable and help you with turns. After that board gets boring then go shorter. The volume on the 5’3” will work for you fine but the shorter rail line will not help your rail game.

[@WesleyC13]

@@surfnshowreviews7777 thank you Noel, appreciate the feedback! Keep shredding 🤟

[@netanelventura8540]

Hey man, how is the riding experience with the volcanic construction compared to other construction like the PU? Thanks man!

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@netanelventura8540 PU sits down in the water a bit more. Easy to penetrate the water surface going fast and in bumpy conditions. The EPS Volcanic Ash tech feels lively and it a bit lighter so you can put it where you want faster especially in smaller clean waves

[@netanelventura8540]

Thanks man helps a lot!

[@paulbaker7675]

The shape of the seaside just looks right, I don't know what it is about the board but it has an ageless design that will go another 10-20 years. Like a good woman, all the right curves in the right place. The volcanic tech is awesome too!

[@martyb9194]

The only thing missing is the ability to ride it as a thruster in certain conditions, despite being designed as a quad. If it had a 5 fin set up, I would opt for this for sure.

[@akinsl45]

Nailed it - the only flaw is the ability to duck dive. I wish I never traded mine.

[@shaunjej1855]

I've got the Dominator II and the Seaside and Beyond. Dominator is hands down the best board I have ever had. And I've had the Vader, Cymatic amongst other boards. Seaside and Beyond is great fun, but really messes with your surfing when you try and get back to the Dominator, so maybe the Seaside or Mashup is the better option. Dominator is very flighty when it gets bigger or heavier. Great review. thankyou.

[@vznquest]

Did you not have the same issue as Noel with the finsl being too far back for good pivot? Did you cut your trackpad to move it back?

[@shaunjej1855]

@@vznquest Good question. In summary I really enjoy the board set up and don't want to mess with it. I am going to the Maldives soon where I might try a few of Noels tricks. I guess the major difference is Noel rips compared to me!!

[@johnhudson5414]

Hi mate can you expand on why the seaside and beyond messes up the feeling of the shortboard?

[@shaunjej1855]

@@johnhudson5414 Hi John. I can only comment on me and how I surf. When I surf the sea side you are in a narrow stance right up the back of the board. You almost twist on your toes on your back foot. When I go to my dominator I find the first couple of surfs the board feels way too loose as I try and go back to a normal stance.

[@fillebergqvist]

Hi Noel! You are the best KZbinr that is review surfboards by far! Your explanations are really easy to understand and I have so much better knowledge about how the fins can transform a board in different ways since starting to watch your videos. Could you please review Firewire Midas? I'm planing on buying one and watching you review it would make me so much more confident in my choice I'm sure of. Thanks in advance! You are the best!

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Stoked PU content is helping you. Sorry no Midas review coming as that’s a older model

[@fillebergqvist]

@@surfnshowreviews7777 No worries! That explains why it was on sale. Keep up the good work🤙

[@jasonirving8829]

Have you got to ride the rocket redux at all? Im deciding between 5'5 Rocket Redux and a 5'6 Quiver Killer right now. Wanted to see your opinion. Big fan of your videos!!

[@surfben84]

Can you please please review the Xanadu Piglet?

[@chrisathan4293]

Great review coah ! :D

[@hughlawson5399]

hi noel. what's your opinion on the mashups step deck?

[@mickleddyfishing4986]

Nice review bro Love to see a JS sub xero & Xero review Keep up awesome work

[@c_dubbzz6127]

I have a 5'4 seaside and I ride it with the Chris Christensen Captain twin fins at it GOES! All the speed and hold on rail but also goes vertical Too! The board rides so much better as a twin imo and the CC's make it able to make critical turns you wouldn't expect a twin to be able to do so well.

[@benjaminm5232]

The seaside is shockingly fast as a twin. The problem is that it's addictive but doesn't work in all conditions...Still fun as hell though.

[@dg5301]

The Mashup reminds me a lot of their old Firefly/El Fuego model that Nev shaped early on. It came in swallow or diamond tail. I still have my diamond tail El Fuego and love it when conditions are right. Screaming fast with a quad setup.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Epic

[@enricoforza7]

hi Noel, amazing review like usual, thanks! I've seen many Firewire turning badly yellow after just few months, does it still happen? Do you know about this problem?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

I heard that too. Never happened to me. Get your next Firewire with some color and you don’t have to worry about that

[@gaghan1]

they use an eco friendly resin that isn't as strong against the sun but is much better for environment in the production. just don't leave it in direct sunlight when you're not using and it'll stay white. the boards hold up and resist compression dings better than any other board out there. they last forever basically.

[@terryeyland5305]

Great overview! Do you have any thoughts on the normal seaside versus the volcanic seaside?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

No sorry… not at this time. I have not ridden the new Volcanic tech.

[@sweetpotato6218]

Great review!

[@cades.clips101]

Hey Noel, could you do a video on any stretches you do before paddling out or workouts you do if any?

[@cfirgu]

Thanks ! Cheers from Israel 🇮🇱🤍🌊

[@CessnaCody]

I surf waist high waves 90% of the time should I get the glazer or mashup

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Mashup offers more performance in small waves

[@martyb9194]

G'day Noel. After about 8 years away from surfing following lower back surgery, I have returned to the sport I love since starting at age 10. I've started back on HI Mid 6 boards, a 7'0'" (40 litres) and 7'6" (48 litres) to get up onto waves quicker, as I'm a bit slower to pop-up now, and getting older haha. I'm really loving the 7'6". I am 55 years of age, 5'11" tall and weigh 180-185lbs. I want to add a shorter board to my quiver. I am tossing up between the Mashup and the Dominator 2.0. Although starting over again, I would rate myself now as intermediate, but need a little extra foam to get on waves quicker. I generally surf beach breaks anywhere from knee to head high. Which of the 2 boards would you recommend? I have ruled out the Seaside as a 3rd option because I would like the option of having tri or quad set-up. Also, I am considering the Revo as an outside 4th option contender. Interested in your thoughts. Your reviews are awesome by the way. Very informative and based on extensive experience in the water. Cheers, Marty

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Welcome back… stoked your shredding again. I say Mashup… it’s easier to shred and paddles better.

[@martyb9194]

Thank you for the advice, really appreciated. Just 1 further question. I've used a few different volume calculators. I'm stuck between opting for the 6'0" or the 6'2" after talking to local board retailers who have ridden the Mashup and suggest up sizing volume is the key to the perfect size. My recommended volumes are 36.79 to 38 litres. So will the 6'0" be ok, or should I size up to the 6'2", bearing in mind my aim is to get onto waves quicker. Appreciate your assistance in advance. Thx 👍

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@martyb9194 Go for the bigger one… start to size down a little at a time.

[@matthewjones7872]

Hey. What size did you get? I’m in exact same position as you.

[@tristanholsgrove7619]

What a great video. Really in depth and answered all of my possible questions. I’m on a 5’11” seaside and looking to progress top to bottom so I think a 6’0” Mashup will be great. Love the videos keep ‘em coming! Do you sell t-shirts?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

We used to sell shirts. I might have a new one laying around for you. They are $25… shoot me a email if you are interested [e-mail]

[@netaro1890]

Hey I’m looking at getting the dominator 2. I’m currently own the seaside 5’11 at 41 litres. My height is 182 cm and I was 97 kgs (213 lbs). Is the dominator 6’6 going to be too large for me? Or should I be going for the 6’4 size? Cheers

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

What’s the volume on the 6’4” and 6’6”? Whats your skill level?

[@netaro1890]

@@surfnshowreviews7777 6’6 = 44.4l and 6’4 = 40.9l and I’m at a good solid intermediate surf skill, I’m in my 30s Polynesian and no matter what diet I’m only getting heavier, keep that in mind haha

[@KyleSurfHawaii]

Aloha brother Much Love for your detailed Professional Review ⚒️ and your smooth Kelly Slater Surfing Style Cheee 🤙🏽 😎🏄🏽‍♂️🌎💫

[@Kobee333]

Thanks again Noel. I love these comparison reviews! Have you heard of the JS Sub Xero Hyfi 2.0 performance groveler? It looks like it would be similar to the Mashup. Would love to see a comparison review of the two.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

JS is not sending boards in for review at this time. Sorry

[@CodyIddings]

What fins for the mashup would you ride at Waco?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

My Pivot Twins + Trailer… surfnshow.com/products/twin-fins-p-twin-1

[@seandenneyhomes]

Pura Vida! Best surf show and the knowledge 👌!

[@MrB1019]

After watching your other videos, I'd say you'd rather a Pu for your high performance shortboard? Awesome video

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Yes I prefer PU/Poly for 4-8’+ surf over EPS/Epoxy on most boards

[@papamarban2185]

hate to take up your time, but your experience is key to all of us in the surf community. Would you say Lost's light speed epoxy floats a half liter more than PU/PE? Is the float on par or the same as Firewire's helium construction? Thank you, Noel.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Yes… roughly 1/2L more float.

[@kylewattssurfing3266]

Awesomeness Thxxxxxxxx!!!!!! Greaaat explanations!!!! HAPPY SURFING FROM VB/VIRGINIA BEACH!!!!! ✌ 🌴 😎 🌴 ✌

[@lebresnereinald4351]

Hi thank you for all your top sud vidéo! Do you plan to test the free scruber from CI surf!!

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

I hope so

[@tannerjames09]

If you had to choose one board for typical HB surf which one ? I'm torn between a seaside and mashup..

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

Seaside for me. If you are working on small wave ripping in the pocket then Mash Up

[@tiagocarvalho983]

Hi Noel! Great comparative! But now it's time to buy a board. I live in Portugal and have switch to a local where the waves are more rapid and strong and my cymatic 5.10 36.4 L is difficult to maneuver in this type of wave. I think a have a lot of volume. I am intermediate/advance i am 180 pounds 82kg. I am in doubt between dominator, sci-fi and holy grail can you help me thank you

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

If the waves are powerful then consider a board with a little more rocker. The Dominator 2 or SciFi 2 will be good. Your volume range should be roughly 32-34L.

[@tiagocarvalho983]

@@surfnshowreviews7777 thank you so much . Good waves 🌊

[@granthenderson2318]

Mate, nice review. Please could you do one on the Sweet Potatoe 2 vs Seaside. Cheers 🤙🏽

[@peacepuffz]

I've got a 5'11 D2 but i'm 90kg's at 5'75. Man I struggle to get my back foot in the sweet spot on the back of the tail for some reason. My back foot keeps ending up right at the front of the pad & not nailing the sweet foot & feeling rubbish. Maybe I need to lose some weight so I can get a 5'7 D2 & should have this problem?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

You need to feel the tail kick of your traction pad before you even try a turn. Discipline yourself to move your foot back all the way. I also recommend cutting your pad in half so you will put your foot back further by default when you feel the pad.

[@peacepuffz]

@@surfnshowreviews7777 mate thanks so much.

[@77pebble]

Great review as always. I have the seaside which is fantastic groveller and perfect for mushy beach breaks here in Jersey, Channel Islands U.K (first surf school in Europe) where we mainly get 2 -4ft surf with the occasional over head waves. That’s where I am thinking of getting the dominator 2 for those odd bigger days. As for the seaside I would consider your fins if I were wanting to go more top to bottom on the seaside, I also have the Christian twin fins and the seaside flys even more so in those smaller days. I would give your fins or similar a try in the seaside and by having the D2 that way I’ll have a two board quiver that can cover everything. Does your fins come in FCS?

[@surfbra27]

Love it good review

[@BigRoy1979]

Hey Noel wondering if you could do a review on the sweet potato too please mate?

[@EuphoricCheese]

Anybody using the seaside as a daily driver , in like chest to slightly overhead surf? Thanks

[@EuphoricCheese]

@Craig Phillips thanks a lot . What‘s your weight and height?

[@EuphoricCheese]

@Craig Phillips Thank you ! I am 6‘2 and 85 kg most times with wetsuit, booties etc. I am interm. , think about getting the 5‘10 . What you think ?

[@EuphoricCheese]

@Craig Phillips Not easy . Espacially with theese fishy boards. Dont‘t wanna loose to much paddle perfomance, but definetely should work in overhead surf, for the small stuff i have my groveler. Maybe 5‘9 would be better.

[@dkilla01]

Try your favorite twin fins along with the Machado quads in the seaside and call me in the morning!

[@shannonyoung3465]

That CI Free Scrubber looks lonely, in the background.😔

[@elliotg1554]

Hey Noel. I'm going to Indonesia soon with a CI sampler and I have the opportunity to buy a cheap pyzalien 2 in the same volume. I'm intermediate so the biggest I'll be surfing is 5-6 foot but the waves will have power. Is it worth bringing a pyzalien 2 aswell to cover me in the head - a bit overhead range or will the sampler hold okay? I use large fins with lots of rake

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

You will need the Pyzalien 2 for sure

[@KyleSurfHawaii]

Gonna give the Seaside a try

[@sks96816]

So...youre basically saying..if Seaside and Dominator had babies....they would be called the MASHUP!

[@benchapman5639]

Hey Noel! How’d you like that new volcanic construction on the Seaside ?

[@mrmr314]

Yeah I wish you weighed 100kg (220lb) and were over 60-years old (re lifetime daily surfers). Every single board review is done by a really light and shorter guy so it's not relevant to us (the width of the boards when you go longer make them totally different to what you are riding at 5'6"). The Seaside is what we call a twin fin, but you can quad it if you want. So you can ride it 4" shorter than your normal short board (litres permitting). You can ride twin fins in big surf no problem. But without a trailer or quad, twin fins don't like to slot in barrels for heavier guys (they can wander). In Australia at $1200 per board it is not feasible to buy all three boards of course. I'll have a look but the Dominator 2 looks like the go.

[@Hotwire_RCTrix]

I have to say I purchased a Mashup based on this review and I truly hate the board. It is so bad I would have to say the shape is amateur. I think Rob Mac is an exceptional surfer and you too but Rob is no shaper. I don't know what the Seaside is like but I extrapolate it's much the same. Really short boards often don't scale up. Rob likely minimized the issues of this board because he made a 5'2" as the test board but scaling exposed it's faults. I bought a 6'4" off my neighbour 6 months ago and have tried every fin combination. The flat in the rocker is like a booby trap. You stand on it and you may as well be riding a freight car on a railway line. Try one and see how you find it. I bet you come in after 2 waves.