Surfing Waves

Hi,

I am a 32 year old male, 6 foot tall for 180 lbs. I have had 20-30 days of surfing so far. I have good paddling, I stand up easily but can't do hollow waves so far. I plan to surf maybe 10 to 15 days per year (mostly in France). I want to improve but also be comfortable in the water and have fun catching waves without too much of a headache.

I have the opportunity to buy a second hand 7'4 mini mal for about 200 euros (220 US$).

Do you think it would be a good board for me or should I aim at something slightly smaller ?

Thanks a lot !

Nicolas

Hi Nicolas,

There are a few different factors to consider:
1) If you are only surfing 15 days a year, you might want to get a larger (~9ft) longboard so you can maximize the amount of fun you have on the few days you make it to the beach.

2) While a 7'4" mini mal would probably float you just fine, you've given no indication about width or thickness so it's hard to know how much volume there is. There's a pretty big difference between a board that's 7'4" x 22 x 3 or one that's 7'4" x 21 x 2.5, for example (even though both could be shaped as a mini mal.

3) What's the board like? Is it in good shape? Is it from a known shaper? Does it need or have a lot of repair work? If it's in good shape and from a reputable shaper, then you can't really lose for the price. Buy it, try it, and if you don't like it, then re-sell it. On the other hand, if it's a piece of junk to begin with, then you'll end up with a crappy board that you can't re-sell.

I hope that helps!

What kind of board have you spent your surfing time to date on?