Firewire Surfboards Outlier
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The Firewire Outlier: CJ Nelson's Favorite Mid-Length
The Firewire Outlier is one of the most versatile designs to emerge from the collaboration between CJ Nelson and Ryan Lovelace. Rooted in the transitional-era speed hulls of the 1970s and refined for modern surfing, the Outlier bridges the gap between the glide of a longboard and the responsiveness of a shortboard. It is CJ Nelson's personal favorite mid-length, a board he reaches for across a broad range of conditions, and its reputation on the water makes that choice easy to understand.
At its core the Outlier is a hull-shaped single fin, an archetype drawn directly from early surfing culture in Malibu. That heritage shows in the wide, stable outline that encourages smooth, flowing lines, and in the even rocker that keeps the board flying through flat sections and linking turns without stalling. Yet the design is not a museum piece. The squash tail gives the rider a pivot point that a traditional longboard round pin cannot, letting you redirect off the lip when the wave offers one.
Hull Design, Rocker, and Bottom Contours
The Outlier's hull entry is the engine of the design. A subtly convex hull panels through the nose and transitions into a flat section under the chest, encouraging early entry into the wave and a planted, gliding feel at speed. Between the feet the bottom opens into a double concave that channels water efficiently through the fins and delivers a livelier, more directional drive than a pure flat bottom would. The result is a bottom shape that shifts roles as you move up and down the board: glide forward, and you are riding a displacement hull; step back, and the concave and tail geometry snap into play.
The rails are kept thin for sensitivity. Rather than the rolled, forgiving rails common on pure longboards, the Outlier's refined edge allows the board to engage and release more readily, giving intermediate and experienced riders a responsive feel underfoot without sacrificing paddle power.
Single Fin Setup and Ride Character
The Outlier is built around a single center fin box. A large, upright single fin rewards a classical noseriding and trim style, generating the long, arcing turns and that distinctive mid-length glide that the design was conceived to deliver. The single fin is not included with the board; choosing your fin is part of dialing the Outlier to your surfing style and your home break. A more upright, larger fin deepens the hold and encourages drawn-out carves; a raked, smaller fin loosens the tail for quicker pivots.
Some configurations of the Outlier also accept a 2+1 setup with side bites, which adds hold in steeper, more powerful sections while keeping the single fin flow as the center of the ride. Check the variant selector on this page for the specific fin box configuration of the board you are purchasing.
Firewire Outlier Longboard: Who Rides It and When
The Outlier is a genuine crossover. On small, clean days it generates speed where a shortboard would stall, making it a practical daily driver when the surf drops below waist to chest high. When the waves push to overhead it rewards the rider who can read the line, trim across long walls, and place turns at the right moments. It is not a beginner board in the sense of being forgiving; it rewards surfers with enough ocean time to work a mid-length intentionally and to position themselves on the face.
Intermediate surfers transitioning from shortboards who want more paddle power and wave count will find the Outlier rewarding from the first session. Experienced longboarders who want a board with more tail response and less overall length will feel immediately at home. The Outlier works particularly well for surfers in South Florida conditions: waist-to-chest beach break, peeling point sections, and the glassy early mornings where a hull-style board can do things no shortboard can match.
Questions about which size best suits your height, weight, and surfing style? Call us at 954-427-4929 or visit Island Water Sports in Deerfield Beach.
Firewire Thunderbolt Red Construction
Every Outlier is built in Firewire's Thunderbolt Red lamination, a hand-laid fiberglass construction that uses a competition-weight cloth schedule and a carbon flex pattern integrated into the laminate. The result is a board that is lighter than a comparable polyurethane build, more resistant to pressure dings and delamination, and consistent from one unit to the next in a way that hand-shaped foam alone cannot guarantee. The construction preserves the subtle flex characteristics the designers intended rather than leaving them to chance in the glassing bay.
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Specifications
- Brand
- Firewire Surfboards
- Model
- Outlier
- Category
- Mid-Length / Longboard
- Shaper
- CJ Nelson and Ryan Lovelace
- Tail Shape
- Squash
- Bottom Contour
- Hull entry, flat mid, double concave through fins
- Fin Setup
- Single fin (center box; some configurations accept 2+1)
- Construction
- Thunderbolt Red (hand-laid fiberglass, carbon flex pattern)
- Fins Included
- No
- Colorway (this listing)
- Sage (SAG)
Size & Dimensions
| Length | Width | Thickness | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7'0" | 23" | 3 1/8" | 57 L |
| 7'6" | 22 1/4" | 2 7/8" | 51.7 L |
Full manufacturer size chart. Sizes available to order are shown in the selector above.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Firewire Outlier a longboard or a mid-length?
- The Outlier occupies the mid-length category, typically described as the range between about seven and eight feet where a board combines longboard glide with shortboard responsiveness. Firewire classifies it in their longboard collection, but its squash tail, hull entry, and double concave bottom contour give it a character distinct from a traditional noserider. Think of it as a crossover: classic hull flow up front, more modern pivotability off the tail.
- What kind of waves is the Firewire Outlier designed for?
- The Outlier performs best in small to overhead waves with some shape to them. It generates speed on smaller, weaker surf where a shortboard would struggle, and it rewards a read-the-line, trim-and-turn approach rather than aggressive top-to-bottom surfing. Peeling point waves, glassy beach break, and mellow reef setups all suit it well. In steeper, hollower surf it can still be ridden but the hull design and single fin setup ask for smooth, committed surfing rather than quick pivots.
- Who is the Firewire Outlier best suited for?
- The Outlier rewards surfers with enough experience to move intentionally on a mid-length board. Intermediate surfers who have outgrown beginner foamies and want more paddle power and versatility than a shortboard, experienced shortboarders looking for a fun daily driver on smaller days, and longboarders seeking a more responsive, shorter board all find the Outlier a natural fit. It is not typically recommended as a first surfboard.
- What size Firewire Outlier should I ride?
- Sizing a mid-length depends on your weight, skill level, and the type of waves you surf most often. The complete dimensions and volumes for every size the Outlier is produced in are in the size chart on this page. As a general guide, heavier or less experienced riders benefit from more volume and length; lighter or more advanced surfers can ride shorter with less volume and still get strong performance. If you would like a personalized recommendation, call us at 954-427-4929.
- Does the Firewire Outlier come with fins?
- No. The Outlier ships without fins. The board uses a single center fin box (and in some configurations accepts side bites for a 2+1 setup). Choosing your center fin is a meaningful part of tailoring the Outlier's ride character: a larger, more upright fin delivers hold and drawn-out carves while a smaller, raked fin loosens the tail for quicker redirections. Our team at Island Water Sports can help you match a fin to your style and conditions.
- What is Firewire Thunderbolt Red construction?
- Thunderbolt Red is Firewire's hand-laid fiberglass lamination system, built with a competition-weight cloth schedule and an integrated carbon flex pattern. Compared to a standard polyurethane board it is lighter, more impact-resistant, and more consistent in flex and feel from one board to the next. The construction preserves the subtle design characteristics the shaper intended rather than leaving them to the variables of a traditional glassing process.
- Is the Firewire Outlier a good board for surfing in Florida?
- Yes, the Outlier is well suited to typical South Florida surf. The hull design and single fin setup excel in the waist-to-chest beach break and peeling point waves that characterize conditions here. On the smaller, weaker days that are common between swells, the Outlier's volume and glide generate speed and wave count that a shortboard cannot match in the same surf. Visit us in Deerfield Beach or call 954-427-4929 to talk through whether the Outlier fits your local break.