7'3 or 7'9 Mini Mal Wahine

by **Dee24** » Tue Jun 09, 2015 6:33 pm

Hi

I'm just looking for some advice on board length. I'm only 'surfing' since last year and this will be my first board. I have moved off soft boards and onto hard boards but which have varied in size. I'm currently borrowing a friend's 9ft which feels like the Titanic, and I can't manage it at all if it's in any way messy water.

I'm not very good and am still trying to master the pop up and move out of white water. When I have my own board, I'll have the freedom to get out more often and will hopefully see a dramatic improvement in the short term.

I'm just about to go on a surf road trip (North West of Ireland) with my brother who is home from Australia and a pretty slick surfer. He has recommended that I get a 7'6 mini mal to start. I can't contact him at the moment for advice but I think I've found the board I really want, so I'm looking for some immediate advice if possible, before I hit the 'BUY' button.

Should I go for a 7'3 or 7'9 BIC Wahine? I'm female, 5'6, 68kg, very fit and quite muscular (I'm slimmer looking than my weight would suggest). The size charts would suggest that a 7'3 is on the small side for someone of my weight, which is why I explained about being slimmer than my weight would suggest. Should I go for the 7'9?

While I will get out surfing quite a bit over the next few weeks, being in Dublin, I certainly wouldn't be a regular surfer. 10 times a year or thereabouts.

Any advice would be welcome!

Thanks

Dee

by **Jester** » Tue Jun 09, 2015 8:04 pm

Hey Dee, sounds like you'll be hitting up bundoran, tullan and rossnowlagh I'm guessing! Sorry but what is 68kg in old money??

Personal thought is you'd be much better off on the 7'9, the more float in your boat, the more smile for your mile!

Might see you out in lahinch sometime if you ever venture out that way!

by **drowningbitbybit** » Tue Jun 09, 2015 8:49 pm

Dee24 wrote: I certainly wouldn't be a regular surfer. 10 times a year or thereabouts.

That's the all-important statement.
If you're not surfing regularly (why not? What's wrong with you?!), then go big, otherwise you'll just be starting from square one every time.

by **Jester** » Tue Jun 09, 2015 10:46 pm

Dbbb the east coast where D lives is a big pile of poo when it comes to waves and so you gotta traverse the country to get something decent, 3hr drive usually.

by **oldmansurfer** » Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:09 pm

I think you need to have a bigger board or you will have to re-learn to surf every time you go out unless it's ten times in a row then nothing.

by **drowningbitbybit** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 12:41 am

Jester wrote:Dbbb the east coast where D lives is a big pile of poo when it comes to waves and so you gotta traverse the country to get something decent, 3hr drive usually.

That's no excuse - I used to live 5 hours from my "home break", and I was there almost every weekend :wink:

... and then I moved a lot closer to the ocean :lol:

It's a slippery slope... you surf a couple of times every now and then, next you're watching surf forecasts obsessively and travelling every weekend, then all off a sudden you're on the other side of the world living next to the beach. Dee24 should be careful! :lol: