MACHADOCADO VS MASHUP | Which Firewire Surfboard is Right For You?

[@Craig-t2g]

So many people describe the Mashup as 'squirrelly' both online and at the beach. Spoke to two random guys with smaller Mashups just the last few days, and both said it was too squirrelly at 5'6 and sold it on. I went up a bit. I have a 5'9. I too found it squirrely and sort of drive-less until I found a set of fins that just worked. I use large Dan mann thrusters. They are excellent. It tames it down, good amount of drive, feels stable. A bit stiff, sometimes maybe. I guess it makes sense as they are his fins and his board. I think the 'squirelly -ness' comes from the deep double right through the board. The board wants to be on either one rail or the other the whole time, which is good. Think that's why Skipper reviews, for example, found whitewash just bucked him off. The rail has to be well engaged the whole time.

[@TravisVarga]

Great feedback and comment Craig, thanks. That makes sense about the double concave and having to 'be on rail,' - I too find it doesn't do well just going straight in white water per instance. It truly is my 'shortboard' and part of me still wonders if I should have went 5'10, or if I should sell/keep/etc. It excels in waist - chest high Blacks Beach type wave for sure, and nothing else in my quiver does that really well. Soft waves it does struggle a bit, but some push and invert-ness and it shreds. Super fast. I've never been one to have 5-6 boards but I see myself maybe going that way (if my bank account allows). Truly in the end I like how mega-grovelers ride the most (Mashup, Sweet Potato, Pod Mod) but can't tell if there will be a void if I let this 5'9 Mashup go. I like how it shreds harder than the 5'10 I used at Waco, but I find the 5'10 would work better in average, daily waves. When its fun and punchy, I really like it. I'm rocking the Medium NVS AM Comps and I wonder if trying the large would help give it a bit more drive. But when I'm on the right wave, the stars align and I can do what I cant do on any other board on the Mashup. Cheers.

[@Craig-t2g]

@@TravisVarga I really thought you looked great going backhand on the Mashup, actually! Yeh I had medium fins in it but found the large Dan Manns just had more drive and stability. I use the dan manns which are fuller than a normal large fin. He calls them a 'shade of twin fin' vibe. Anyway, I really like them in all surf. By contrast, the medium Reactors felt AWFUl in it. And the MR and trailer, fun, but lacking stability as the boxes are not set for a twin anyway. I just took my mashup out in clean little low tide drainers today and boy it was fun. re going longer, I dont think you should go too long as the wide point is forward on these boards, although not near as forward as the Seaside, so what happens is, it stretches your stance out.. OR... you cant reach the kick with your back foot as the wide point is too far from the kick. So, the boards should be reasonably short. Even the 5'9, for me, the wide point is a few inches too far for my liking but still doable and I enjoy it. If you are not on or just forward of the wide point, any board is going to stall or wheelie. The cool thing about the cado, just looking at it, the wide point is centre. I like the look of that. The Seaside, REALLY forward. So, its got to be ridden like 5'3 5'4 5'5 unless you have legs like a giraffe . Besides, beyond say 5'5, that Seaside board is too wide. Actually think they don't scale that well. Anyway, that's my unsolicited two cents lol. Back to work :)

[@TravisVarga]

@@Craig-t2g hey thanks for the compliment and thorough dialogue. I’ll organize some of these in points for ease of read lol: - I would love to try the Large Manns one day if can get a hold of some - yes the more I experiment with fins, the more I realize how much they mater Yea ‘low tide drainers’ are bacially mashup bread and butter. It’s actually a speciality wave it excels at lol, mostly wave pool. When you get a good medium runner on the mashup, life is good. - wanna get super rich so can get a Cado for sure. It’s just a staple now, true daily driver - ‘need it’ as the kids say. - after riding the Sweet Potato all week - I’m sold af. It’s way better than Seaside for my style of surfing - yes, let’s both go back to work haha

[@nduich]

I agree. The Mashup is much more squirrelly. I’m riding a Machadocado an inch smaller than my seaside and it catches waves better and goes faster.

[@TravisVarga]

Cool thanks for your comment. Love to get the Machadocado permanently in the quiver. They are a great combo to have since I do think they surf differently - esp if you size them how you want and not too similar. Machadocado = better groveler, Mashup = 1990s surf movie shredding. Seaside rules but yeah I can see myself liking Cado more, cause of the fun setup ( don’t do many quads these days).

[@southernhood5145]

man. you should have definitely included pictures of the boards in the video. hard to have a visual without pictures

[@TravisVarga]

Haha sorry it was a livestream and only had access to me on camera. Bottom line Mashup is a shortboard and Machadocado is a Sweet Potato Light

[@southernhood5145]

@@TravisVarga gotcha 👌

[@trestlesrocks]

Based on your mashup you should try out a smaller Cado. Probably the 5’6”. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how high performance it is.

[@TravisVarga]

I’d be keen on that for sure.

[@trestlesrocks]

@@TravisVarga I only mention it because I’m a little bigger than you at 6’0” 190-195lbs and I’m on the 5’6” Cado and 5’8” mashup with no struggles.

[@TravisVarga]

@@trestlesrocks I hear ya - I prefer bigger boards in general. If anything for paddling, but I like the extra hold while on the board. Once I went from a 5'6 Pod Mod to a 5'10 Pod Mod ages ago, I never looked back. To each their own though - I'm def an outlier.

[@trestlesrocks]

@@TravisVarga totally understand, believe it or not, I used 28-30liter boards until about 5 years ago when I decided to bump them up. Now I’m really happy in the 32-34 liter range on most designs. Lower volume on designs with a lot of surface area/lift and the higher end on more traditional shortboards. But for some reason I’m still very sensitive to excessive volume which makes me a bit odd as well probably. I used to be a competitive swimmer when I was a kid as well so that’s probably part of it. As you said, to each their own. Keep up the great vids.

[@TravisVarga]

@@trestlesrocks thanks and appreciate the specific examples, it will help the audience here. Lots of speculation around volume but in the end, I see it as more of a preference based a lot on skill level but also riding style. Whatever floats your boat, pun intended…ok I’ll stop haha If your user name checks out, you’ve been scoring all month. Lowers has been going off!

[@kanablis1946]

I have the mashup, cado and sweet potato. The cado has replaced the sweet potato in my mind. I've listed the sweet potato for sale cause with the cado I no longer need it. Cado is my groveler, which is SC= my everyday board. The mashup I ride when the waves get a little better than avg.

[@TravisVarga]

Thanks - you have my ultimate quiver lol. Interesting in no more SP for Cado - but that makes sense to me. And I’ve been debating which one to try to lock in. I supersized my SP so kinda more for real poor stuff and mini mid length, and I’d go not as big Cado but it still would be 7-8 liters less so less float. Fins wise too the Endodrins twins with bigger trailer seems super ideal and board is way more slidey than Cado. Yea the Mashup is just a shortboard haha doesn’t even feel like a Groveler anymore. Stoked on your board selection again and thanks for the input.

[@bcar6987]

Hi, what size cado do you ride? Does it paddle on to the weakest/smallest waves well or is it better for waist height and above?

[@kanablis1946]

@bcar6987 I ride the 5'10 and it goes in the weakest stuff I've ever surfed. Ankle high crumble here on the east coast.

[@SoNJFF]

Hi, really enjoy your content. But sometimes I find your camera is constantly moving around when you are doing your in room content which is distracting. Maybe since I am older (66 yrs old) your younger customers find it distracting. I am probably being too picky because your content is excellent, i just think a quieter camera may help it even more.

[@TravisVarga]

Haha no worries. Thanks for watching the vids and your feedback, much appreciated. Funny enough, the ‘moving camera’ it’s a somewhat newer feature I find super interesting - so I overdo it. Basically a built in cameraman. Making video jobs like mine obselete. I’ll try to dial it back a bit...but can’t make any promises haha.

[@Riv-835]

@@TravisVargayou gained a subscriber with your honesty

[@doug5372]

Yea camera should be stationary

[@raybert148]

i just bought a mashup learning shortboard. and its so hard to use. feels fast and out of control indeed lol . i switched board with my friend on his machadocado. and it felt easier to catch waves and more stable. i can just focus on my turns vs. chaos

[@Craig-t2g]

Yep I don't believe the Mashup is a good one to learn to 'shortboard' on. If you go too big, it's useless. If you get just the right size, its flighty but fun.The big deep double concave all the way down the middle literally from nose to tail makes it want to jump from rail to rail very easily. So some people describe being knocked off by crumbly sections or whitewater when the board gets tipped from the inside to the outside rail over the sort of spine its got going on. I did at first until I changed to larger (Dan Mann tri) fins and just got used to it. I love the board.

[@TravisVarga]

Yes, I'd agree the Mashup isn't really a beginner board. The tail is so thin - worst case you can sell it for the Machadocado, Seaside, or Sweet Potato. I'd give it a few more tries or try larger fins, or even large quad fins. Good luck.

[@cesarcesar5129]

Actually seeing someone shredding on a long board or even mid-length is the only thing that really impresses me anymore.

[@cesarcesar5129]

@@Craig-t2g I’ve felt something like this riding the Go-fish. The first few days I rode it I kind of caught my edge and ate it like I was on a snowboard when you catch your edge.

[@cesarcesar5129]

Where I live the long-boarders are the cool ones😎

[@BrettMatson-f8c]

Mashup with Mr twin fin quad set up

[@TravisVarga]

Interesting - bet has heaps of drive and keeps it a bit more stable. I like the looseness, just need a decent wave for it.

[@onshore1ft]

I like what you have to say but the camera moving makes me want to puke

[@TravisVarga]

Haha fair enough - it’s a new camera technology that I overdo - keeps me centered for vertical videos. Im guessing you’re not Gen Z (they love it lol) but plan to use more sparingly 👍

[@mounproject]

all those things about organic stuffs are bullshit, anyway surfboards are still chemistry no matter technology. eps:epoxy, pu:poly, epu are just about taste but pu:poly are still the best all rounder material by far.

[@TravisVarga]

Yeah I go back and forth lol - true - pu a staple and won’t fail ya - funny I’m starting to like the spring you get in epoxy/helium/dark arts etc. it’s kind a cheat code lol