**Hi I’m looking to by a modern fish type of board for summers small waves (2-4ft) in north OC - newport/huntington. dont really want a retro fish since i like tight snappy surfing more than big turns
Im 5’5 140lbs and currently ride a t patterson reyes, 5’10, 18 1/8", and 2". im looking for a wave catching machine monster that can out paddle jaws and has speed of a bullet, but also some of the vertical aspects of a knife (HP board)
it seems like the firefly would be the closest comparator to a lost rocket, which i am trying to decide between. they have an epoxy version (placebo) which is slightly less wide than the 5’5 firefly.
lost rocket 5’5" x 18 3/4" x 2 1/8" maybe a 5’6 x 19 x 2.13
vs
firefly 5’5 x 19 1/4 x 2 1/8
any thoughts/comments on which I should go with? (esp from people who have ridden both)
and also, would the 5’5 firefly be too small and 5’7 a better option? i feel like the 5’7 might be a little too thick and too wide, but then again, i dont want to be out of breath/struggling to catch waves because the 5’5 is too small.
was also thinking of getting a griffin modfish but thats a completely different topic.
This is Swaylocks, so everyone is going to tell you to build your own Firefly or Rocket.
Either way I would go for the 5’7" if you want speed and wave catching as a priority. 5’7" is still quite short so you should have no problem getting it vertical on command.
I built myself a 6’1" Firefly/Rocket/White Diamond type shape and it is great in waist-head high stuff. Not a “groveler” for knee-waist high stuff, but great when bigger than waist high. Mine’s PU core with epoxy so it’s a bit heavier than a Firewire. Perhaps EPS (lighter) would improve in the super-small stuff.
If you don’t build your own, you probably can’t go wrong with an off-the-rack 5’7" Firefly (El Fuego) with the diamond tail.
that would be great if someone could do that for me (OC/LA area) but I dont have any connections and I dont have shaping experience myself. but may i ask why the diamond tail instead of a swallow? maybe in the future
The first board I ever made was a copy of my brother’s copy of a Rocket. It was shaped by James Wheatley (for Becker’s in Hermosa Beach). I know that doesn’t mean much to you, but Wheatley’s rocket is still my favorite board I’ve ever ridden. It’s 5’8 and is smokin fast, turns on a dime, and i’ve ridden it on the smallest summer days to well overhead point breaks in PV. I’ve since ridden a compoarable Lost Rocket and was honestly not as impressed as Wheatley’s…maybe its a magic board??
Maybe call up Wheatley at Becker’s and he can make you one for cheaper than a store bought Lost?
(My copy isn’t too bad either…maybe its time you try your hand at shaping?)
I’d go a 5’6 or a 5’5 rocket. a mate of mine has a 5’7 he kinda thinks he went a little big on it so a 5’5 could be the go! he rides his in up to head high some times over and down to waist high grovels.
Not sure on the fire fly but i think the rockets more preformance.
But then i’m not a fan of fire wires have had bad problems with the 5’6 quad fish i got…had some very major delam and i think that is a problem with the fire wires. PU boards all the way.
5'5 for sure, given your height and normal shortboard.. i thioght the gneral consensus is 6 inches shorter and one inch wider with same thickness for those types of board. like the above post from ninja, loads of peopel round ere seem to end up getting them to big and selling them on again
my mates got a similar shaped board fom a local shaper thats only 5'2 and it flies even in our weak british summer waves - think knee to waist high short period dribble in the summer