Help choosing a new board

[Laguna]

Hey, I was wondering what my next board should be. I have been surfing for a few months now and can catch some good waves with my 7"3 mini mal. However this board lets me down at times when trying to duck dive under 4ft+ waves, i think i could get the technique right but the board is just a bit big for it. So I was thinking of maybe getting a fish as my next board as I think i could get out far and past the big waves, but I was wondering would this board be too hard to stand on?
Im 5"10 and 10.5 stone

[Laguna]

All im asking really is say i bought a 6" fish board, it would be easy to duck dive and with practice paddling my paddling would improve on it but are they really hard to surf on and stand on?

[sinistapenguin]

Duckdiving is 90% technique and 10% board choice.

OK that's probably an exaggeration, but once you get your technique sorted, you will be able to duckdive most things.

I'm about the same size as you and I can duckdive my 7'5 mini-mal easy enough.

A fish would of course be easier, but you'd be able to catch fewer waves on it!

Whatever you get I'd recommend keeping the mini-mal if you can, it's always good for those smaller or mellower days!!

Cheers

Sinista

[Laguna]

thanks for the advice, I will always be keeping my mini mal , i dont want to have to sell any board I get. I was just thinking of maybe getting another board that would be better for catching bigger waves. I saw a nice 6" rip curl fish and a 6"6 rip curl shortboard that i liked but im unusre wheather these might be the best boards for me

[sinistapenguin]

It depends how wide and thick they are really.

Don't go as narrow as 18" and no thinner than 2 1/2 inches. You will struggle to catch waves on a board that small

Cheers

Sinista

[Laguna]

Ye. I was thinking of just buying a shortboard to see what its like and it would be great for different days, I mean if i keep sinking and aren't catching any waves I'll just have to practice harder all year around on both boards

[tomcat360]

thats what i thought when i bought my shortboard as my first, not knowing that the guy who previously owned it was riding on a pro team. you should really consider the function of the board, not the fashion. you see all the guys in the magizines rippin on great overhead waves on the average snow-white, squash tail thruster, but youve gotta face it, waves are never quite like they are in the magizines. if you are absolutely dying to go short, go fishy, 19 and above for your first.

that was just a wee bit plaguraized

tommy

[Laguna]

I think a fish would be too short and hard for me to use, i think my next board should either be a 6"6 shortboard or a 6"10 funboard.

[drowningbitbybit]

It differs from person-to-person, but some people get on with a fish better than a shortboard.

I find my mine a lot easier, and my girlfriend who hasnt been surfing long gets on with it pretty well too. Too well, in fact, sometimes she wont give it back...

A 6'6 fish, or hybrid, would be okay.

6'10 funboard would be a safe bet for a next board though!

[Laguna]

thanks for the advice. I think will go for a 6"6 shortboard next because I want to be good at it and get the hang of shortboards. The 6"10 funboard would be good but I thought it may be to similar to my 7"3 mini mal, because they are farly similar in dimensions.

[tomcat360]

well, a 6'0" modern fish, or a 5'8" Lis Fish, would proabably be easier than an 6'6" x 18.25 wide shortboard. the width makes you float a lot higher and catch a lot more waves. ive never heard of anybody using it, but Channel Islands makes a funboardish shape which suposively paddles like a funboard and catches waves like a funboard, but feels like a shortboard. if you go to their site its under specitaly.

tommy

[Laguna]

thanks! I will have a look and ask the guy inmy locl store what he thinks, ill try having a good luck around

[drowningbitbybit]

Is your mini-mal a pop-out?

A custom 6'10 funboard will be nothing like a 7'3 mini-mal pop-out!

It'll feel like a shortboard in comparison.

[Laguna]

ye my mini mal is a pop out, just a rubbish bic , that would get me strted really. But now that I'm progressing I want a real board. The only Fun Board in my local shop is the 6"10 Billabong board by rob vaughn, it was in last months carve mag too. I was thinking of either getting this or this 6"6 shortboard or 6" fish

[drowningbitbybit]

Dont go with just what your local shop has to offer - find a shaper and get them to do one suitable for you.

But having said that, a 6'10 funboard will probably suit you 100%. You'll make much better progress than on a shortboard or fish, and a 6'10 FB is a 'real' board - not just something to learn on

[Laguna]

ye i was very keen on getting the funboard to start with, but thought I should learn on a mini mal cause the funboard would ding more when learning. The 3 boards mentioned are the best ones from all the surf shops in my area, its hard to decide what one I should get. Im keen on the fish but its only 6" and think it would be to hard for me to surf on considering I am 5"10 and 10 stone 5.

[drowningbitbybit]

7'3 pop-out mini-mal to a 6'custom fish?

You'd hate it...

15 inches shorter, probably 75% lighter, and infinitely more manouevrable (which will really mean 'wobbly and unstable').

Unless you're an absolute superstar on your mal, go for something in between first

[Laguna]

Ye thats what I was thinking, I think my nest bet would be the 6"10 billabong funboard, it would be good to progress on towards a shortboard

[MadeInNewJersey13]

Im 4'11 and weigh 85 pounds and I have a 6'2 Matt Kechele fish. I have no problem duckdiving it and have no problems standing on it. Check the board out, its called the MXfish.

[Laguna]

I bought my 7"3 mini mal BIC board at the start of summer because I read a lot about surfing and what board to choose and this seemed like my best bet. It a cheap mini mal that is basically indistructable. But now I have found myself board of it already, I want a new breal board that is better for catching big waves and duck diving. I should have really bought the 6"10 funboard instead