Mini-mal advice needed

[4fuxake]

Hi guys,

I just registered here because I stumbled on the forum while googling for advice on mini-mals and you guys seem to be a helpful and knowledgeable bunch.

I would like to know if a 7' x 20 1/2" x 2 5/6" mini-mal would be big enough for me?

I am 6ft, fit and weigh 80kg. I haven't been in the water for 7 years cos I moved to Germany which is why I'd like to give the mini-mal a go now that I'm back home (I'd like to ease back into it without too much paddling stress since I'm now in my mid 30s haha). Before I went overseas I was probably intermediate level I guess and rode a 6'6" thruster which was my one and only board that I also learnt on. I remember thinking at the time that it would probably have been much easier to start on something bigger. So, since I will be completely out of form and kooking it up for a while, could anyone please give me some advice on how suitable a 7 ft mini-mal would be for my size?

Cheers

[surf patrol]

Hi 4fuxake, welcome to Surfing Waves!
If you surfed at an intermediate level on a 6'6" then this mini-mal should be fine for you. You're fit, not that heavy at 80kg, you'll soon get back into it. That said, if you want to make things a little easier, you can always go for something a little longer.
Will you be getting into the water much?

[4fuxake]

Cheers mate. I reckon I'll only get in the water 1-2 times a week cos I live in Adelaide, Australia where the nearest consistent waves are 1 1/2 hours away. Will be more waves on offer in Autumn when the midcoast fires. But I'm on holidays the next month so would like to get a few solid trips in now and get back into it.

I guess my main concern with the 7 footer is whether i'd still get the paddling benefit of the mini-mal which is its main attraction really. Especially since we often have to paddle through 200-300m of soup to get out the back

[Toj]

i would go for a 7ft6 just for that extra bit of float. but thats just me