Popout versus Minimal..

[greensurfer]

This might be a stupid question but.....
Whats the difference between a pop out board and a minimal. According to the surfboard guide a popout is 'made of foam covered with thick fibreglass' but i've come across mini mal boards (on ebay mostly) that have foam cores and thick fibreglass covers. Are these a kind of popout/minimal hybrid? Is a custom minimal generally a fibreglass board with a hollow center making it lighter and faster?

[drowningbitbybit]

Popout is a type of manufacturing process.

Mini-mal is a type (shape) of board.

Pop-outs come from a mould (hence 'pop out') as opposed to a custom which is hand shaped.

Mini-mals are a 'short longboard' (7-8ft, round nose and tail, lots of volume).

Lots of mini-mals are pop-outs as they're both good for beginners (ie easy to surf, cheap, strong). A custom mini-mal will be more expensive, lighter, more fragile, and generally a better board.

If you're looking for your first board then a popout mini-mal is the way to go.

[Farno]

If you're looking for your first board then a popout mini-mal is the way to go.

Thats what i did and i bought an NSP 7'6 minimal and love it!

[greensurfer]

cheers, informative

ye looking for beginner board, came accross a 6'9 popout/minimal.
Is this a bit small for a begginers board? I'm 5'8''.

[Jimi]

Yeh, it'd be a bit on the small side, but it depends on how heavy you are. The heavier, the larger the board you'll need. I'd suggest if you're a medium build, you should look for something around the 7'6 mark. remember the bigger, the easier to paddle and ride.

[greensurfer]

Ye, i'm 145lbs so I though the smaller board might be ok.
I'll keep looking, cheers for replies....