Firewire Machado Midas 6'1 review: a great small-wave twin, a bit resistant to turns

Updated 2026-09-19

The Firewire Machado Midas is a 6'1 hybrid fish, a twin-plus-one setup that paddled and caught waves well but carried a real concave that made it a touch resistant through turns.

What it is and why I bought it

I bought the Midas stock in February 2018, an LFT-construction board with a medium rocker and medium rails, running a bottom from single to a massive single channel, finished with a bump swallow tail. At 20 7/8 inches wide and 37.5 litres over 6'1, the register calls it a great twin for 1 to 5 ft, with a strong rocker and paddle power.

It came in a white colourway.

How it surfed

Its best wave came at Freshy, at a top speed of 25 km/h (about 15.5 mph) over a 137 metre ride, with a Christenson red stripe fin noted as the best pairing, alongside K2 or John John options. It confirmed the strong points: great paddling and rocker for small-wave surf. The one trade-off noted directly in the register is that the real concave running through the bottom made it a bit resistant to turns compared with a flatter-bottomed twin.

Who it suits and who it does not

A hybrid fish like this suits someone who wants strong paddle power and easy wave-catching in small surf above all else. It is a lesser fit for someone chasing the loosest, most responsive turning a twin fin can offer, since the concave bottom trades some of that away for paddle speed.

What happened to it

It sold on 30 June 2019 for $400, matching its logged asking price, against a $950 purchase cost.

Questions people ask

What fin worked best on the Firewire Machado Midas?

A Christenson red stripe fin was noted as the best option, with K2 or John John fins as alternatives.

What was the Midas's main weakness?

Its real concave bottom, which helped paddle power, also made it a bit resistant to turns compared with a flatter-bottomed twin fin.

What conditions suited the Midas?

The logged range is 1 to 5 ft with 4 ft as the ideal.

For the full spec sheet, see the sold boards list. For a similarly easy-paddling twin, see the Elemnt Twin Fish. For more on how bottom shape affects turning, see do surfboard channels even work.