The Firewire Surfboard Constructions: Complete Guide to Every Technology

The construction inside your Firewire surfboard determines how it feels underfoot — and Firewire makes four distinct technologies, each built for a different kind of surfer and a different kind of wave.

Proflex Technology: Firewire's Most Advanced Carbon Construction

Proflex is Firewire's newest and most high-performance construction — a carbon board that actually feels broken in right out of the box. Developed in direct partnership with 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater, Proflex was engineered specifically to address one of the main complaints surfers have about carbon boards: they can feel too stiff and unforgiving. Proflex solves that.

How Proflex Is Built

Proflex uses Firewire's sandwich construction expertise combined with an exoskeleton build that places all the strength and flex control on the outside of the board — not in the core. The construction features a Technora carbon cage for torsional control, 6oz carbon fiber on the bottom and rail lamination, and Firewire's proprietary T10 aerospace deck skin paired with a 4oz S-glass top deck laminate.

Brett Savage, GM of Firewire and Slater Designs, explains that the Technora carbon cage creates torsional control across the entire blank. All strength and flex technology is built into the exterior exoskeleton rather than relying on internal core construction — a fundamental departure from how most surfboards are built.

The first model available in Proflex is the Spaceship, designed by Kelly Slater and shaper Mike Woo. The Spaceship was refined over a dozen prototypes during extensive testing in quality waves throughout Indonesia.

Shop Firewire Proflex boards at Hawaiian South Shore →

Helium 2.0: Built for Speed in Small Waves

Firewire Helium 2.0 is the construction to choose when you need maximum speed in weak, everyday surf. If you're surfing smaller, mushier conditions — like a typical South Shore Town day — Helium 2.0's lightweight core and lively rail flex create an explosive, spring-back feeling that gives flat waves more life than they deserve.

How Helium 2.0 Is Built

Helium 2.0 is a stringerless core technology built on a 0.8 lb EPS foam core — one of the lightest foam densities Firewire uses. Flex is controlled through parabolic rails made from Paulownia wood, running the complete length of the board from nose to tail. The deck features a 3mm proprietary aerospace composite skin that has memory — it rebounds after compression and keeps the board looking clean over time.

Helium 2.0 cores are available with standard fiberglass or Volcanic lamination options.

Shop Firewire Helium 2.0 boards at Hawaiian South Shore →

I-Bolic 2.0: Kelly Slater's Go-To Construction

I-Bolic 2.0 is Firewire's patented all-around construction — and it's what Kelly Slater rides most. I-Bolic 2.0 delivers the stiffness of Firewire's former Linear Flex Technology (LFT) combined with the flex and spring-back of Helium 2.0. Slater rides I-Bolic 2.0 for its balance of speed, control, strength, and response across a wide range of conditions.

How I-Bolic 2.0 Is Built

I-Bolic 2.0 is built on a 1.5 lb EPS foam core. The "I-beam" that gives the construction its name is an 18mm high-density foam stringer running down the center of the board. That center stringer creates firmness underfoot and exceptional break strength. Sixteen-millimeter high-density foam parabolic rails control flex, and a 5mm high-density foam springer runs along the bottom.

The parabolic rails enable flex and recoil through turns while the I-beam center stringer keeps the board firm and controlled underfoot. I-Bolic 2.0 pairs with standard fiberglass or Volcanic lamination.

Shop Firewire I-Bolic 2.0 boards at Hawaiian South Shore →

Volcanic Lamination: Firewire's Sustainable Carbon Alternative

Volcanic is Firewire's lamination technology made from basalt — a natural material extracted from volcanic rock — and it outperforms carbon fiber in several key ways. Volcanic is not a core construction. It is the outer skin that wraps over an I-Bolic 2.0 or Helium 2.0 core, replacing standard fiberglass with basalt cloth for surfers who want more durability and performance from their lamination.

What Makes Volcanic Different

Basalt cloth shares functional characteristics with carbon fiber but actually outperforms it in three areas: Volcanic is stronger than carbon, withstands higher temperatures, and offers higher elasticity for a more natural flex pattern underfoot. The result is Firewire's most durable construction with elevated response — and because basalt is a naturally occurring volcanic material, Volcanic lamination is also a sustainable alternative to synthetic carbon fiber.

Shop Firewire Volcanic boards at Hawaiian South Shore →

Firewire Construction Comparison Table

Here is how the four Firewire surfboard constructions stack up side by side:

How to Choose the Right Firewire Surfboard Construction

The right Firewire construction depends on three things: where you surf most, how you surf, and what you prioritize in a board. Here is a straightforward breakdown for Hawaii's most common surf scenarios.

Choose Proflex if you want the most advanced carbon performance available and you surf quality, punchy waves where you are pushing your limits. Proflex is built for surfers who want carbon responsiveness without the stiff, unforgiving feel that carbon boards sometimes have. The first Proflex model is the Spaceship — a high-performance shortboard for critical surfing.

Choose Helium 2.0 if you surf smaller, weaker waves most of the time — think Town on a typical South Shore day — and you need a board that generates speed and feels alive even when the surf is soft. Helium 2.0's lightweight 0.8 lb EPS core and Paulownia rails deliver that feeling.

Choose I-Bolic 2.0 if you want the balanced, all-around performance that Kelly Slater rides. I-Bolic 2.0 gives you firmness and control when you need to hold a line, with flex and recoil through turns when you want to release. It works across a wide range of wave sizes and conditions.

Choose Volcanic lamination if durability is your top priority and you want carbon-like performance from a sustainable material. Volcanic pairs with either I-Bolic 2.0 or Helium 2.0 — so you are choosing it as an upgrade over standard fiberglass, not instead of a core technology.

Frequently Asked Questions About Firewire Surfboard Constructions