Surfing Waves

Hi guys,

I am looking to get my own board, i have learnt to surf on a longboard and have gone through all the basics but i am finding the longboards very boring now!

After looking @ a few sites everyone seems to recommend minimals for beginners to intermediates but what are they really like?
Also what sort of price range should i expect to pay for a spanking condition secondhand minimal?

Thanks,

Paul.

Hello Paul. Mini Mals are fantastic for learning how to surf. And on those 1-2 foot days they are a great for all surfers at all levels. If you buy a Minimal now and later progress to a shorter board do not make the same mistake as i did and trade you mini mal in. I'm kicking myself now because i could really use a more suitable board for those smaller days. The other mistake i made was that i got a bit too big for my boots and progressed to a shorter board prematurely. Alot of people tend to make that mistake and later wish that they hadn't purely because they're not ready.

Another good thing about mini mals is that there is always a high demand for them so they tend to hold their value. So as for buying one second hand you can generally get it for a little cheaper but not that much. Although, saying that i bought my old mini mal, 2nd hand in excellent condition for £100. Keep an eye out in your local free ads and you might get lucky.

Thanks for the reply mate very helpfull.

Well if i do decide to buy new what minimal is the best to get?

I have seen the BIC minimals for £200 with free leash,wax, fins and postage etc but at that cheap price are they any good?

But i have also seen them going for £350 brand new.

Paul.

Hey there,

Bics are great for first boards in some peoples opinions, not in other peoples. I've never ridden a Bic so what i tell you is just hearsay, but generally they are pretty tough and hard to ding (damage) which is good if you are a beginner cos as well as lots of embarassing wipeouts you will also do stupid stuff like drop your board(trust me im speaking from experience here Some people argue that they are not as manouverable as a fibreglass board, but this in unlikely to be a problem for some time.

I got a fibreglass minimal as my first and i do like it, but in some ways i wish i had got a bic, less street cred (but when your as crap as me thats not something your familiar with anyway ) but just as good and probs a bit cheaper.

If you can try both before you buy.

Good luck and dont believe all shop assistants, they are not all as helpful as they seem and sometimes will try and sell you whatever they feel like, not whats really best for you.

Libs

Ps if you do a search on this forum for 'bics' you should come up with a few answers

Cheers lib,

Looks good for getting one then.

http://www.westcoastsurf.co.uk/cgi-bin/ ... t_Code=B7M

This looks like a good deal but is it worth it?

They have gone cheap. I started out by buing this 7'3 Bic Mini Mal, Leash, wax, bag and wetsuit from fistral for £284, which is still pretty good. The deal there for £200 is deffinately worth going for. The bics are indestructable and you can have a lot of fun on them.

I would say its worth going for as its a good, solid and cheap board to start off on and progress to a decent level of sufing. Once I could catch unbroken waves and turn on it I started to get a bit bored on it and feel like it was a bit slow. They are also very hard to try and duckdive.
How much are you going to be surfing? If you will be surfing a lot like 3-4 times a week I would prefer the option of getting a proper board if you have the money.

But other than that you got yourself a bargain here.

if you take the fins off bics you can use them as a sledge when its snowing. When it got too cold to surf i went 'surfing' down hills instead.

hurt like fleshin' when you wipeout though

When i get my board it should be about once a week.

What sort of board do you mean by a 'proper' board??

Funnily enough I was looking at the 7'3" on the same deal yesterday as well! Can't decide though....should the overdraft get a spanking while I pay it off monthly?? Will I be able to getit on/in my car for the drive from York-Kernow??!

Ellie wrote:should the overdraft get a spanking while I pay it off monthly??

Yes. Thats what they're for

Ellie wrote:Will I be able to getit on/in my car for the drive from York-Kernow??!

Unless you're driving a SmartCar, no problem

Unless you're driving a SmartCar, no problem

Not quite, I've got a '91 Micra. The very height of sex on wheels!

Hmmm...I'm getting very tempted. This is what happens when I spend all day at the computer...

Only prob is I'm going to Newquay on Sunday so I can't get one before then....I'll just find the board of my dreams to rent (and hope my kookiness doesn't break it!)

IdRatherBeSurfing wrote:if you take the fins off bics you can use them as a sledge when its snowing. When it got too cold to surf i went 'surfing' down hills instead.

hurt like fleshin' when you wipeout though

There's snowboards for that sorta thing you know...

Paul - I recently got a BIC 7'6 minimal for £250 (bag, leash, and wax thrown in) after getting some advice from this forum.
After a couple of weeks ownership, I'm finding it great to learn on

I agree with what everyone is saying about BIC or other popout (factory made + mass produced) boards. They are great to learn on, very durable and generally cheaper than your average custom minimal.

However there are a number of negative factors about these boards that you should be aware of before you buy it. Firstly, they are very heavy. So when you inevitably fall or bail and are no longer in control it can be potentially very dangerous to anybody that happens to be in the way.

Also the weight of the board makes it a pain in the ass to carry. Especially on those windy days. It is also very unlikely that any airline would let you travel with the board due to the weght and size.

Unlike a custom made minimal these boards do not hold their value and i've seen them selling in the cornish guardian for around £30-£50. If you do continue to surf on a regualr basis ultimately you will want to progress to a different board.

I'm quite an unexperianced surfer myself so my knowledge on the subject is quite limited. What i do know though is that factory made boards are popular with beginners. But the impression that i get as far as intermediate/experianced surfers are concerned is that popouts are labeled as being "un cool".

Obviously this shouldn't influence your decision on buying one. My advise to you is that If you plan to surf with your new board just a couple of times a month, or when you go on a seaside holiday weekend then these kinds of boards are ideal. On the other hand, if you are serious about surfing and wish to practice on a regular basis then i would think twice before you fork out for this BIC.

I don't give a crap about being cool, i enjoy riding on my Bic and that what matter's. Experianced surfer's had to start somewhere once, I Don't get the snobbery about what you ride, it's how you ride it....

Rant End


Ps i dropped my bike today and i'm a bit P*ssed off
Sorry to offend anyone....

wootzy wrote:Unlike a custom made minimal these boards do not hold their value and

Yes they do. Really well.
There's far more people out there looking for a 'beginner' board than looking for a 'proper' board ('cos you go to a shaper and get a custom one made for you). Put a second hand mini-mal in decent condition up for sale and it'll be gone by the end of the day.


I did just recently - got rid of my girlfriends 7'6 BIC for almost as much as I paid for it.

And who cares how cool they are? The guy (or girl) having the most fun etc etc

S Boy wrote:Ps i dropped my bike today and i'm a bit P*ssed off
Sorry to offend anyone....

Whoops. Yeah, ruins your day that, dont it?

Oh yes ! Sometimes i hate gravity.....
Nothing major, just miffed...

What kind of longboard do you have (make/dimensions/fin setup)?
What exactly can you do on it?
How tall are you and how much do you weigh?
Were do you surf?
How are the waves there generally?
How often? (I think you said once a week)

Details man, details...helps to make suggestions.

And who cares how cool they are? The guy (or girl) having the most fun etc etc

Yes of course you are right. Like i said it should not influence a decision on buying one but i was just telling it as it is. And as for the value, again i'm just stating my observations. From what i have seen in surf shops/local papers second hand pop outs lose more value than second hand customs.

Right went up to fistral surf shop today to have a look at some boards and gain some advise.

Basically i now know i want a more expensive/upmarket minimal, from looking @ the bics compared to the £350 models the differnce is great.

The board i am thinking of is a hooded vilian minimal which is around £350 it think, from what the shop owner told me he said it is a far better board than the bic and more could be done with it as i progress.

What other boards around this sort of price are the best to go for apart from the hooded which looked lurvley

The longboard i have been learning on is a bic, not quite sure how long it is to be honest.
im 5.11 tall, just under 10 stone
surf the south west and the surf is usually between 2-6ft.

Went out today and it was just about 2ft!

Paul.