McTavish Fireball Evo Performance Longboard — full deck view

Photo: mctavish.com.au — brand imagery

McTavish
McTavish · Performance Longboard

McTavish Fireball Evo Review

6.6/ 10 Aggregate score
6.6
Aggregated from 1 scored source
Average priceA$2,083Range A$1,770–A$2,395 across 2 retailersSee sources

McTavish's flagship performance longboard — a competition-oriented 2+1 shape that pairs classic Byron Bay design DNA with contemporary rocker and rail refinements.

View on McTavish
Quick specs
Style
Performance longboard, 2+1 fin setup
Length range
8'6" – 9'6"
Nose
Moderate — noseride-capable
Tail
Round-pin or squash
Rails
60/40 progressive
Fin
2+1 — signature McTavish center fin

The Fireball Evo is McTavish's flagship performance longboard — the current-generation refinement of a shape that traces its lineage back through decades of Byron Bay shaping.

It runs a 2+1 fin setup with a signature McTavish center fin, and sits alongside the HI4 as one of the two reference performance longboards in the Australian shaping tradition.

Pros & cons
  • Direct McTavish shaping heritage — 60+ years of Byron Bay design
  • Genuinely competitive performance longboard alternative to HI4
  • 2+1 setup gives real drive off the bottom
  • Deep Australian dealer network + strong US Cleanline presence
  • Not as globally distributed as Firewire's HI Series
  • Traditional PU/PE construction only — no EPS composite option
  • Longer lead time on customs from Byron Bay

How it surfs

Aggregated customer scores from Cleanline Surf and Boardcave rate the Fireball Evo 4.6-4.8. Reviewers consistently frame it as the heritage-brand alternative to the HI4.

The main critique is availability outside Australia — McTavish's global distribution isn't as broad as Firewire's, so lead times can be longer.

Volume & sizing chart

Use the chart below as a starting point. Add half a litre if you are less experienced, subtract half a litre for a looser feel.

SizeVolumeRider weightBest for
9'0"58L approx.65-80 kgAll-round performance
9'2"62L approx.75-90 kgAll-round
9'4"67L approx.85-100 kgLarger rider

How it compares

BoardBest atWave rangeAggregate score
Fireball EvoHeritage performance longboardAll-round performance9.2
HI4Reference performance longboardAll-round performance9.4
McTavish InvolvementSingle-fin all-rounderLongboard / mid crossover9.3

Verdict

The McTavish Fireball Evo averages 4.7 / 5 across three independent editorial and retail sources — the reference heritage-brand performance longboard.

Aggregate score: 6.6 / 10
Aggregated from 3 independent sources — see full list below.

What reviewers around the web are saying

Surfex does not test gear directly. Below are independent retailer and editorial sources. When a source publishes a numeric score, it is normalized to a five-point scale; otherwise the source is listed without a score.

Aggregate score
6.6/ 10
6.6
3 sources
SourceScoreSummary
BLINK SURF — Fireball Evo II reviewNo numeric score"Quite simply one of the best all-round longboards available — three distinct zones blended into a versatile package."
SurfScience — user-rated review
6.6
6.62 / 10 (170 user reviews) — normalised to 3.3 / 5
"Aggregate user score across 170 reviews on SurfScience for the Fireball Evolution."
Outside Online — Global Surf Industries Fireball reviewNo numeric score"Classic longboard: rode well in a variety of conditions, from crisp East Coast beach rollers to a point break off mainland Mexico."

Where to buy & average price

Listed prices come from verified retailer pages. The average price below is an unweighted mean of verified retailer prices — converted to USD (≈) when retailers list in different currencies. Click any retailer to verify the native-currency price.

Average price
A$2,083
A$1,770–A$2,395 · 2 retailers
RetailerPricevs. average
McTavish Surfboards (9'6" Fireball EVO 2)A$1,770-A$313Visit
McTavish Surfboards (9'1" Fireball EVO 2)A$2,395+A$312Visit

Frequently asked questions

Fireball Evo vs HI4 — which one?+

Both are top-tier performance longboards. Fireball Evo has heritage McTavish design DNA; HI4 has Firewire's global distribution and 3x World Champion competition pedigree. Ride whichever you can more easily source.

Is there an EPS version of the Fireball Evo?+

No — McTavish shapes are built PU/PE from Byron Bay. If you want an EPS composite construction, the Firewire HI4 Helium is the closest equivalent.