That said, the 2+ inches of thickness on the Fatburner will give you that added paddle power on your way out to the lineup and honestly propel you into twice the amount of waves you normally catch.
I recently gave the Webber Fatburner a test in some really fun three foot Florida surf. Here is where the Fatburner’s fatness really shines. Who says obesity in America is always a bad thing? This thick, functional unit catches waves with about two paddle strokes and then flies across flat sections like it’s powered by an outboard motor.
For the beginning surfer, the Fatburner is a charmer. Its thick coat of fiberglass and resin make it strong and relatively resistant to the bumps and cracks that new surfers usually dole out to their beloved boards. The 2+ inches of thickness offer up a wave catching smorgasbord while still remaining maneuverable.
If you are ready to move up from a long board and start loosening up your turns a bit but don’t want to give up the ease of catching a ton of waves, you could do a lot worse than checking into the Webber Fatburner's several sizes.
I just received a letter from guy from Middle America who wants to get back into surfing, and here’s what he had to say:
I told this guy that the Fatburner was his weapon of choice since the 6’9” would float his frame, and he could get it shipped out to his landlocked outpost in a couple days. There are several models of the Fatburner, ranging from 5’11” to 6’9”, but all models are relatively thick and wide.
Now, for the more advanced surfer, the Webber Fatburner's utter fatness is bit of a liability when trying to bury the rail on more committed turns, and the thick glass coat makes it a bit heavy. Also, I thought the fins that come with the board were a little long for small surf, so I popped in a smaller set that loosened up its ride a bit.
So you really have to decide what you want. If you:
-want to catch a ton of waves
-like exceptional speed down the face of small waves
-need a durable board
-want your board safely shipped out to you in a couple days
The Webber Fatburner is your sweet nugget!
The Webber Fatburner is a sturdy, traditional fiberglass surfboard designed for "bigger" surfers who want to catch lots of waves and glide easily across smaller waves. The days I rode it, the Webber Fatburner performed well in the chest to head high range. It was a little tight for me with the 5" FCS fins, so I put in some smaller ones to loosen it up. This wouldn't be a problem for beginners though. It might be fun without the third fin too, sliding around as a twin-fin. These fat Webber boards are computer shaped to the shaper's specifications and distributed world-wide by Global Surf Industries, thus keeping the cost relatively low.
Incidentally, Global Surf Industries is a surfboard distributor based in Australia that has been active in the surf community in helping the less fortunate. Their mantra sets the tone: "Life is better when you surf". Who can argue with that?
