7ft mini-mal ..... too small for an adult beginner???

[jamestic]

Hi all

First time posting on here after visiting the forum as a guest every now and then. Just need a little advice on buying my first board and thought some of you could help.

I started surfing about 3 years while at a surf camp for a week in Morocco. I loved it but being landlocked and due to other commitments I didn't surf again until I went back the following year. During both of these brief spells surfing I was practicing on a longboard and mini-mal (7'6"+). I was starting to pick it up towards the end of each trip .... getting to my feet pretty regularly but not riding many unbroken waves.

This year I went to Portugal and due to another long spell without surfing spent a few days learning the basics again. This time however I was using my friend's 6'10" soul fish and although standing up quite often, it was mainly in the whitewater and found the unbroken waves quite difficult to catch.

I've now got the bug big time and determined to surf as regularly as possible and make some progress this time around. I've therefore decided to invest in a board and had my eyes on this 7ft mini mal featured on the link below ......

http://store.magicseaweed.com/Ripcurl-Mini-Mal-7ft-White/Item/1807/

I'm 5'10" and weigh 10.5 stone and have been advised that this board should be suitable for my dimensions and experience but I just wanted some extra input on whether i should go for a larger board.

Sorry for the essay ...... any help would be greatly appreciated!

J

[drowningbitbybit]

7ft might be a touch small if you're only going to surf once in a while (tsk, shame on you) but will be fine if you're prepared to put the hours in. You'll flail around for a bit but get the hang of it soon enough.

Make sure you're not spending over the odds just because it says 'RipCurl' on it though.

[sinistapenguin]

Not a bad board, but I agree with dbbb, I'm about the same size as you and ride a 7'5 which is about right. 7'0 is kind of in that zone where it'll be harder to ride initially because it's a bit short, and harder to duckdive cos it's bigger than a shortboard!

If you're looking at the £350 price range, you should be able to pick up a nice board. I was looking at the weekend and I saw a few pristine condition 2nd hand Mini-mals for around the £250 mark.

Personally, I'd prefer to see a board in the flesh before I buy it, there's a lot to be said for 'feeling' a board!

[jamestic]

Thanks for the advice DBBB and SinistaPenguin!

I would prefer the cheaper option of a good second hand board, along with getting a feel for a board before buying. The main problem I have though is that I live in Leeds and surf near Scarborough and my nearest shop doesn't always have that many second mini-mals as they sell pretty quickly. I have been hiring a NSP 7'6" when going to Cayton Bay but the problem with hiring is that the shop only hires between 9 and 5 which restricts me to weekend surfing only.

Can anyone recommend any good online shops for second hand mini-mals?

Cheers

J

[sinistapenguin]

Going against my advice of feeling the board first, ebay quite often has some decent boards.

If you find one, post a link and we'll take a look!

[Unorthodox]

Check craigslist too. It took me months of checking shops and online for a good used board, but I eventually found the perfect used 8'6" - cheap and in good shape - on craigslist. Just keep checking because the good ones will sell quick, especially this time of year!

[jb987]

I'm 5'10" and weigh 10.5 stone and have been advised that this board should be suitable for my dimensions and experience but I just wanted some extra input on whether i should go for a larger board.

Why not get an 8'. It will cost about the same and be easier for you. If you go to a surf store, you can see the differences. Order online, and you either are stuck with it or have to pay return shipping.