Boardshop Battle Of The Boards Round 3

We're pitting the JS 107 against the Firewire Double Agent. We've surfed these boards over the last few months with an objective eye to give you the real lowdown. PU vs EPS tech, one of the world's most renowned shapers in Jason Stevenson against relative newcomers Firewire who are pushing the boundaries all the time. Kelly Slater seems to like what they're doing!

You're going to look to jump on a board like this when conditions are too good to grovel and there's some performance potential. Realistically these boards go in waves waist high and up and give you the potential to link turns and get a little radical!

The Double Agent (DA) paddles like a dream, low entry rocker and a little bit of extra volume in the nose combined with plenty of volume under the chest is a winning package. The thing you really notice about paddling the DA is how well it deals with surface chop, you don't get bounced about the board just slices straight through. The 107 paddles fine, similar to the DA in its low entry rocker and nose profile, but its not as good in chop as the DA, still way better than lots of boards out there.

Wave catching
The DA is fantastic once the waves get above waist high, it needs waves with a little push, it's not a groveller. Same for the 107, JS say it'll go in anything but like most boards it prefers a cleaner wave. Once you're in better waves both the boards perk up, the DA especially, hardly any paddling required, the extra volume under the chest has it plaining straight away. The 107 is a worthy equivalent.

Double Agent - 4/5
107 - 4/5

Speed
Once up and riding you can really feel the double concave running through the DA, its fast, that spine running through the board generates instant acceleration. Anyone who has surfed a Firewire Sweet P will know about the effect of that spine on the boards speed, it really works. The 107 is good, it feels like a conventional shortboard, it's not as fast as the DA, this isn't necessarily a big issue though, its fast enough. Quite often with unrestrained speed there are some down sides about controlling the board but with the DA there are no such problems.

Double Agent - 5/5
107 - 4/5

Turning
Once you get used to the way the DA turns its a bit of a revelation, that thinned down knifey tail seems to track through the turn doing the work for you. You start the turn, the DA takes care of the rest, ridiculous as that sounds that is what it feels like. The 107 has a single to double concave which gives good rail to rail surfing potential, it does feel a sluggish by comparison to the DA, you need to work harder to get it from rail to rail and compared to the DA it loses speed through the turn.

Double Agent - 4/5
107 - 3/5

Durability
The Firewire construction, whether it be FST (future shapes tech) or Timbertek is the best out there right now for blending durability and performance, no question. The 107 is a standard PU construction and whilst using the best materials out there this really isn't a fair contest. Firewire's maintain that new board feel indefinitely compared to PU boards, the DA pictured is over a year old and doesn't have even a pressure ding on the deck, obviously not trying hard enough!

Double Agent - 5/5
107 - 3/5

Result
The Double Agent is a comfortable winner! The combination of paddling, raw speed, performance and durability give it the edge over the 107. The 107 is a really board that heaps of people love, it works well in the right conditions but when its waist high plus and decent we're reaching for the Double Agent.

Double Agent - 22/25
107 - 17/25

Check out the full range of these boards online right now, and don't forget you can custom order either board to your exact spec and even trade in an old board whilst you're at it.