Surfing Waves

I have a 7'4 mini - mal, which i ride pretty much everyday lately. I also have a 6'4 - 21 - 2 7/8 modern fish. Got it to learn on but found the mini mal was...more fun!
Im 154lbs / 70kg.

I heard a fish (modern) that is too big is pretty much a "waste of space in the quiver". The shaper said it was a good board to learn on, and I did learn on it but I dunno....its pretty hard to dive under the bigger waves.
Whats your opinion? Can a fish actually be "too big"??

The current rash of 'super fishes' out in the line-up would suggest not.

A big modern fish certainly has its uses on a small day. Ive got a 6'6 modern fish hybridy thing which is often perfect on a kneehigh wave. Sure, it doesnt turn like a shortboard, but it makes catching waves a whole lot easier.

Saying modern fish can mean a few things in my mind. Some are more like a true shortboard with just a swallow tail and more volume/width in back and others have a rounder nose and more fishy. Sounds like your sizing is off for your modern fish though. Im 185lbs and ride a 6'3" x 19.75 x 2 5/8 modernfish http://www.surfindustries.com/surfboard ... riFish.php
and your board has alot more volume then mine does with those dimensions. Board surfs great in mid to smaller waves and the extra beef lets it paddle and pick up waves easy. I also had a 6'8" x 21 x 2 3/4 superfish at one point. http://www.surfindustries.com/surfboard ... LEpoxy.php I could catch pretty much anything with the board, except steep hollow waves. I would take it out instead of my longboard. It didnt catch waves as small as my log would but it was pretty close to it and alot easier to manuever. Now I surf a Retro fish 5'11" x 20 3/4 x 2 5/8 and its my fav in my quiver. http://www.omnidark.com/twinfin.jpg A real fish you want to surf as close to your height as possible. Its the whole point of the fish and allows you to have your feet on the right sweet spots easier. Something more like a superfish can be surfed bigger more like a looser longboard that can turn easier. It all just depends on what you want to do, but must agree with drowningbitbybit that a fish isnt a waste of space in a quiver.

Boards are made with a specific purpose in mind, if it is a waste in your quiver it is because it does not fit a purpose for you.

The fish you described, first of all, is not modern at all, not at 21" wide and 2 7/8" thick, that is what a fish is supposed to be. Modern fishes are mainly just wider shortboards with a swallow tail. My modern fish is 6'2" x 20" wide x 2 1/2" thick, but I'm 200lbs.

I'm an experienced surfer and own a 6'10" x 21 x 2 3/4 quad retro fish, but I use it as my longboard, not really the intent of a fish but I just don't longboard much, plus it fits easier in my car. It carves slowly, but for that reason I only use it in small surf or a mushy break , rest of the time it's my shortboards. This is not the intended use of a fish, but I had it custom made for my local reef break that is super slow and for summer mush.

Lastly, I'm suprised the minimal was more fun than the fish, not sure if it set up correctly. The minimal should be easier to catch waves, but the fish should have been way better performance, not sure if it was just that you aren't used to it.

What kind of fins are you using up front and behind?

Sorry boys I have left you in the dark, heres a few things you should know as well:

Its a channel islands POD. Yeh i got it when i knew NOTHING about surfing and somewhat misinformed. It's what I learned on for a little while before I woke up to myself and bought a second hand mini mal. Those dimensions I gave above are in fact TRUE for a 6'4 pod, they're meant to be ridden small tho, like a fish! I should be riding this board minimum 5'8...?

Because of the size of the board, it doesnt perform like a fish at all - unless I get super heavy and tall anytime soon lol I just feel,repeating the words of themathteacher, "that it doesnt fit a purpose for me"
Why continue riding this board when I could have a real retro fish, or a shortboard?
The fins are FCS G AM, thruster setup fyi.

Lately the mini mal has been more fun I guess cause of the summer swells I caught a "mal fetish" lol and just liked the cruising capabilities, but with the winter season approaching, im looking at a shorty, round 6'2.
Ive been surfing consistently 4-5 days/week for the last 6 months, i can surf ok.

Based on all that, and the fact someone said the board dimensions I supplied are somewhat big, is my POD waay too big for me?
Sell?
I seriously dont know what to do ey....cheers

BTW, I realise I wouldve looked like quite the kook wobbling round on an al merrick

Before you dump the board try different fins. The GAM fins are great for in-the-pocket waves, steep and powerfull, but not the best for a Fish, especially since they will have a dragging effect in smaller waves. I'd recommend YU fins or K3 for a fish, small center fin will liven it up and make it glide. If not also go with the standard M5 Fins. But yeah, that size for you is very floaty, probably feels like a log, but it should be more fun than your mal. Try the new fins before selling it.

My buddy surfs a 5'8" pod and hes similar to my size. I got to get on it for a few waves. It rides nothing like a retro fish, felt like a shortboard just more float and shorter. Its a nice board, pretty popular around here at the beach break im at, but I would say thats alot bigger then you need. I cant imagine that going shorter would make it catch waves easier, will prob be even harder, but your feet will be in the sweet spots better depending on how tall you are. I know Merrick claims that you should ride it 8inches shorter then your normal shorty.

I guess I could try some different fins, but i dunno. The board still has a bit of drive to it but yeh...its definately bigger than what I need. It seems somewhat impractical, judging by what you guys said about the size. It doesnt sink at all when I sit on it, feels very thick and loggy.

From what you're saying trifish, is it right to assume the pod isnt actually a fish? Know what im saying?
Its a "pod"? The CI website puts it under the "specialty boards" category.
Based on my weight and height, I could get away with riding the pod down to 5'6! Thats f*ckin small

I think ill sell, the pod is too big!

Whats the surf like in Northern Cal by the way?
And where u from mathteacher? Hows the surf there?

Cheers fellas

Hey Wanabango, The pod is not a fish. Its a hybrid. I would say it rides like shortboard just better paddling. It doesnt really have that skatey loose feel a fish has. I paddle my fish more like a longboard. I sit a little farther out and paddle more into the wave. On the pod I would sit closer in and paddle more into the curl of the wave similar to a shorty. What kind of waves are you trying to surf out there? My friend has rode his pod in everything from 3 foot to 7 foot waves. Doesnt work as good as the retro fish though in smaller mushy waves.

Surf here has been crap lately. I got a decent session this morning, but these past couple of weeks have really been ruff for us trying to get our fix in the water. The waves here are usually more consistent and fun, we just had a string of bad luck I guess.

A hybrid...yeh makes sense.
The waves around here are usually nice clean crumblers,no barrels. With the exception of some really decent points, they barrell when the tides up. Im mostly surfing beachies though, anywhere 1-4ft (as big as I dare go atm lol) they're good quality waves.

Its just an impractical board...and duck diving under the bigger waves...bull hard lol I usually roll the mal.

But, its been xxxxx here for the last week, I need a fix. BAD!