7'3" or 7'9" BiC Sport MiniMal?

[thawkwood]

I'm dithering between one of the two longboard types. I'm a newcomer to the sport, and found longer boards to be more my type of surfboard. I chose a Bic because it's economical, moderate weight and length (I drive a midsize sedan), and it's pretty solid as well. I wonder which I should go for and could really use the inputs.

[bluesnowcone]

first of all thoes 2 boards arnt longboards, there mini mals, which mean under 9', a longboard of mal if over 9'.

i would go for the 7'9", does it have a rounded noes?

[drowningbitbybit]

How about the 7'6?

[Mitur Bin'esderty]

get the 7'9 i owned one wen i was a begginer and it was a brilliant board to start of on.

[thawkwood]

I'm leaning toward the 7'3" - 7'6" route because they sound like boards that are both easy to transport and fairly easy to learn on, but I'm guessing price might be the main factor. I'm about 5'7" and 150 lbs, so I guess I can swing with the 7'6"...

[SINGLEFIN74]

at your size , i'd go the shorter one
it'll float you easily and be more managable

[thawkwood]

Wouldn't popups be easier on the 7'6"?

[isaluteyou]

ya probably however i find it easier to popup on my 7.4 thruster than on my 7.8 fun. Weird.

[rich r]

Just as a note; MiniMal is (out here, at least) mainly viewed as a brand by BIC, for "Mini Malibu".

The style of board is a 'funboard'. Funboards typically occupy the 7ft - 8 1/2 foot range and are a hybrid of sorts between shortboard and longboard characteristics that include thicker rails and wider bodies for more float and stability. (some say that 'minimals' are funboards with a wider, rounder nose than a typical funboard, in which case, I'd recommend a non-minimal funboard because the non-minimal funboard styles are much more versitile with just as much stability and float).

People tend to avoid calling them funboards because there was a "beginner kook" stigma that went with them, which is probably why everyone calls things minimals now. But traditional funboards actually are better performance boards than the malibu-style funboards.

Note that many Guns, which are big wave thrusters (not "minimal" funboards) are in the same size range (7'-8 1/2' - with big guns being in the 'longboard' size ranges).

Eggs (usually 6'-7') can be viewed as either a big fish with a pintail instead of a swallowtail, or can be viewed as a squat pintail funboard, though eggs usually only have a single fin. Called an egg due to their egg-like shape.

Mals are just one style of longboard, popularized by traditional "Malibu" shapers.

[thawkwood]

Well, I wound up getting a Premier 7'2" funboard, about 21.25" wide, and 3.5" thick. I take her out for her 'maiden voyage' tommorrow afternoon, provided one of Florida's thunderstorms don't hit again.

[gdude335]

ive ridden on a bic 7.3 not too long ago. Its fun, i started on a 7.9. With the 7.3 the turns are decent, its ez to follow the wave and surf it nicely. the 7.9 is more towards the longboard, harder to turn but fun to move around on (yes its a funboard but its fun to move abit). I bought myself a shortboard because i prefered something more maniable (sp?). I would think funboards get boring fter a while

[jhaevin]

I ride a 7'6" funboard and really like it. I'm 5'8", 155 and since I'm kind of small I need a board that's stable enough for a beginner, but something I can also duckdive. The 7'6" fun shape really works for me. I'm also liking that as I get better I can take advantage of its smaller shape. It bottom turns well and I think I'll be able to carve a nice cutback eventually.

My vote is for the 7'6"!