Firewire Baked Potato

[Sandgroper]

Great bunch of data on positioning ! You got me curious so I just checked my Parkes quad , it's spacing is 1 3/8'' from rear edge of fwd. set plug to front edge of the trailing fin set plug. Anytime you use measuring guidelines from Parkes, Kneeon , Flashpoint, or Blast, you can never go too far astray. Amazing amount of double -barrel concave in that board, must feel like a little rocket on the bottom turns.

Robert

The double barrel concave is quite extreme but it does something good somehow and it makes the board super FUN to surf. It kneeboards much better than the converted Sweet Potato but maybe more to do with extra length, sharper nose and more kick-up in nose(less flat).

It gives it a very loose feel, which can be counteracted somewhat by putting in bigger fin combo for bigger surf.
I managed a great 5-6' surf on small standard fins and mini rear fins. Great performer. It does stuff easily my other boards does not do so easily.
It's different.
The riding style changes a little with this board and have found that my closest leg to face slides back a bit compared to the other to enable wall riding on the face.

I based all my fin positions on both my 6' Pin "Friar Tuck" Parkes Tri and 6' Pin "KneeOn" Tri. Theses boards work so well so used this as a baseline.

There is a lot of area in the Baked Potato tail compared to the pin tails I have. But the board works and well and I'm stoked the more I surf it.

It is SO EASY to paddle and catch a wave, VERY light and buoyant I sit another 3 higher out of the water . Very easy to duck dive too.

I am so impressed with this shape I ordered the 6' 1" Baked Potato and will do the same again and over the next 6mths surf them and work out best layout of fins.
There are a multitude of options here from single fin to 7 fin. It make a great experimenter kneeboard platform from which I can derive a basis for getting something shaped from our local shaper here. Probably in Polurethane core /Epoxy and tougher. The small single FCS plugs are not so good in polystyrene because there is too little bonding area to the foam. Larger Futures boxes or similar in an FCS Box is the better choice for fin box in these boards.

The Rapid Fire glass job on these factory boards is also very light and are less expensive than Future Shapes Glass jobs. I like the bamboo deck but underside glass is very thin, so easy to rip out a fin or put a dent in rails with a finger grip. I guess is was built light to fly in small surf.
With the polystyrene foam core I'm not sure on long term durability compared to a traditional Urethane core. If one wants better durability I would go for the Future Shapes Glass job and pay the extra$$. Though I don't think this is an option on Baked Potato at this stage.

As a standup board it can't be beat for the fun factor. Buy It you wont look back.

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[Sandgroper]

12mths surfing the 5'11" Baked Potato converted kneeboard, easily my best board. Seriously fun board to ride, and very fast.

Firewire have just bought out Timbertek version. 6'2" 22"3/4 and 3" thick will be my next conversion in stronger Future shapes glass job or TimberTek with Futures fins. The extra length width may be more suited to larger waves over 7'. Who knows.

check it out here:

http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/surfb ... ked_potato