Intermediate Board Size

[CARBr6]

I'm sure this question has been asked a thousand times!!

I have settled on being a longboarder, I love the glide rather than the ride.
But my better half gets frustrated at the slow turning speeds of the bigger minimals so wants to go shorter.
From what I have read I think that she would be best off with a 6'6" or 6'8" Fish as it has the width and the bouancy to catch waves but has more manoeuvrability than a minimal.
We aren't rolling in dough, so our budget is £150 which puts us firmly in the second hand market.
However I have noticed that shortboards are ten-a-penny on auction sites and regularly go for £100 or less. But would a narrower (18" or 19") board be too flighty for her? Although I am sure we could sell on if she doesn't get on with one, but would rather not waste the cash in the first place.
Her dad has a Nigel Semmons Ocean Magic from the 1980's and she has tried that in the past but tells me that she didn't catch much, however that was a long time ago and she has improved a lot since then.

Any advice is gratefully received, (Jaffa?)

[drowningbitbybit]

An 18 or 19" board would be very hard indeed, particularly on UK surf... that's why they're so cheap
Take a couple of inches off the length and you've lost 2" out of 6'8... in total, not a huge amount. Take a couple of inches off the width and you've lost 2" out of 20" - loads! Also, such a board is likely to be very thin, so even worse.
You might see a "big" board, 6'10 say, that's only 18" wide, but a board like that, a gun, is for big-wave surfing and your other half is likely to find it very hard to surf

Stick with your original plan for a big floaty fishy board.

[dtc]

What is she currently riding? Lopping a foot or so off that length may be all that she needs

[CARBr6]

We currently hire boards when we go away. So she has been using 7'6" Mini-mals (Last time she had an 8footer and really didn't like it. She found it bulky and slow to turn)

[zebroo]

Hi

My first 'step down' board was an egg.. 6'8 x21.5x2.75... I am 5'3 and about 8 and a half stone. It was a brilliant board for me at the time. It was thruster set up though I have since developed a love of single fins

[CARBr6]

Thanks Zebroo.
It sounds like I am looking at the right kind of boards.
We've made an offer on an NSP Surf Betty at 6'8" hopefully the current owner will drop her price!

[dtc]

In my original (but then shortened) reply I was going to suggest a surf betty or equivalent.

That said, she will find that going from 8ft to 7ft6 is much easier than going from 7ft6 to under 7ft. Not impossible by any means, but everything is significantly different - float, balance, turning, stability etc. So let her know that its not just a matter of getting a shorter board and doing exactly the same thing but being able to turn more easily; there will be adjustments required.

[CARBr6]

Didn't get the Surf Betty so the search continues!!
We are looking around the 6'8" mark really, I agree, I think anything much shorter than that will be a real strugggle and will result in many a missed wave session!
Thanks for all your help though guys (and gals) I'll let you know how we get on.

[zebroo]

Yeah, those NSP's are actually OK, I used a few different models in Costa Rica.

Also one of my friends went from mini mal to a 7s Superfish. You could start off with thruster set up and progress to quad.