Hi all

I been trying to ride my DHD 6'6" pin tail (dunno width but fairly skinny and thin rails), with minimal success recently (started on this board)

Mostly in beach breaks (2-4ft) and occassional point break

Not getting enough waves (as paddling fitness low atm, with constant inland breaks from surfing), thinking of getting something a bit bigger to assure some more waves till I get fit/better skills to do justice to the DHD

I'm 6'1" and 70kegs

What do you reckon, a fish or a mini-mal?

Whats good for getting everything nailed and ensuring more waves?

I've booged for ages, so know waves, and now windsurf, so want surfing to be nailed too

Any tips on boards or anything

Cheers

those 7s fish look the goods..
i got a mini mal shaped for me when i was returning from a back injury because paddling my short board was murder on my back... got heaps more waves than everyone else and when i got back on my shorty it felt like i could do the biggest of turns.. then when i was coming back from shoulder reconstruction i got a rusty piranha fish and got ado to shape it real big... six ten and about three and a half thick... that board ripped the bag and picked up waves almost as easy as a stand up paddle board... i still have it in the racks if you want it.. but better hurry, am gonna sell it this summer... would make a perfect beginner board

Got any photos?

What town it in?

Want something that's not a full beginner board, but something a bit easier then the DHD

Saw a guy ripping on a round fish in small surf, looked awesome, they just turn in perfect smooth curves and fast in small stuff

I wouldn't recommend either for a progressing surfer.

If you can go across the face of the wave and are just learning how to do top turns and cutbacks, I'd recommend 6'6" still, but go something with a bit of width and thickness, with a nice fat round/square tail (definitely not a pin). The width in the tail will help you with stability in your turns and the width and thickness will help with paddling.

maybe 19" wide, 2&1/2" thick with boxy rails.

i would say mal... i compete for short board surfing comps but i spend most of my time on a mal ans im beting heaps of people.

I built myself a 6'6" x 24 1/4 wide x 3 1/4 thick double flyer Quad Fish......... fantastic paddler , super easy to catch as many waves as you want, I normally surf a Mal, the Fish.....great, I think you'd love something like this

I've got 2 x 6'6's one is 6'6 x 21' 3/8 x 2' 1/4 the othe is 6'6 x22' 1/2 x 2' 3/4....both fly and catch waves real easy...the thinner one proabbly goes rail to rail easier but that have more to do with bottom contours than anything else....both are heaps beetre than a mini mal IMO....

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DL said...

I wouldn't recommend either for a progressing surfer.

If you can go across the face of the wave and are just learning how to do top turns and cutbacks

I can go across the wave ok (when paddle in ok), just don't get enough chances to try to turn, as the paddling in is stumping me and then by the time my paddling muscles are right, i'm back inland away from the surf, the cycle repeats

So yeah, wanna just have easier paddling in and probably easy turns

Thats a sexy looking fish Lfish

Although, I did see a bloke charging crazy shore breaks (perfect booging stuff but wouldn't take a stick into this, it's close out onto the beach city) on a mini-mal (but I think it was one of the local mal chargers)

Cheers for the dimensions and tail shape guide, much better then saying 'get a thicker board', might have to look down the local shaper or shop for a 2nd hand one

What would a ding-free good-nick but not flash board of those sorta dimensions (in either mini mal or quad) set you back?

Cheers for the tips

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dism said...
What would a ding-free good-nick but not flash board of those sorta dimensions (in either mini mal or quad) set you back?

$250 tops.

Hi dism,

The surfer who is having the most fun is the winner,not the one who looks cool
and has a cry during every surf.I live on the gold coast and see this very weekend from the weekend warriors!They dont stay out long because they cant catch waves and are not hav'n fun. The longer you stay out the fitter you will become.

Simple, go for a mimi mal 7 to 8 foot 22 x 2 and 3/4. You will catch more waves and still hit the lip plus as a bonus you will ride the waves longer.

Once you master that board drop down to your DHD, keep the mimi mal for smaller day's!

All the best, its all about fun!

Hey 62Mac

Yeah staying out for ages isn't the problem, it's only having a few weeks solidly in the water, then a few months stuck inland that is.

Totally agree about the fun bit (as in i've been a booger for ages not because its cool (far from fashionable in some areas) but just enjoy riding some waves and being out in a peaceful enviro), thats why I took up windsurfing fairly recently (last year)

So a mini mal is easier (i.e: will paddle into waves easier) then a fat/wide fish?

How much would an ok mini mal of those specs set me back (2nd hand no dings)?

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dism said...

So a mini mal is easier (i.e: will paddle into waves easier) then a fat/wide fish?

How much would an ok mini mal of those specs set me back (2nd hand no dings)?

A fish will be better in steep waves and a Mal would be better on fatter days.

As proven when I snaped my first longboard , guys in the shop couldn't belive I was out on it and actually catching waves, a fish (7S, Mac Fish) would have been a better option.

dism,
Maybe 350 without dings,have a look on ebay they have some great deals at times!
Keep in mind i have surfed for the past 30 years and as age and rums (lots of) i have been ride longboards for the past 10 years,mind you i've surfed indo thousands of times and also hawaii. Still having fun at 47. Now my son (15) is charging indo reef breaks with me.so i figurelive is al good!

Were are you surfing dism,sometimes the wave/break has a lot to do with it!
A little like sailing without wind (not much fun)

Hey Deano,
I think I'm going to be in the same boat as you, I have 6'4 now but is way past my skill and fitness level so I think I will be looking for a mini mal when I get to coffs, It might take a bit of getting use to as Ive been in Nth QLD for 20yrs with no waves, looking forward to getting back into it.
I had a look at the fishes but they all say they are for intermediate to advanced surfers. But I do like the idea of early planing and easy paddling but I guess you will get that with a mini mal too.

If you're looking for boards on ebay look at the m8r8 boards (they've got a shop) they bring in boards bulk from China and auction them

http://stores.ebay.com.au/M8R8-Surf-Shop-Australia

No idea how good they are couple people on the forum got them www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=37561
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=32476
their cheep and the delivery costs aren't too bad

That's the problem with Australia, the bloody chinese are taking all our jobs
because they have the tech'no and cheap labour rates.

I am no polly, but a proud australian manufacture under the pump!
not take the piss out of china we are just so far behind!

buy AUSSIE made is you can afford to,keep the hands of Australia working.

Cheers

lol

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62mac said...

That's the problem with Australia, the bloody chinese are taking all our jobs
because they have the tech'no and cheap labour rates.

I am no polly, but a proud australian manufacture under the pump!
not take the piss out of china we are just so far behind!

buy AUSSIE made is you can afford to,keep the hands of Australia working.

Cheers

Yeah thats why i've got a DHD a few years ago (Darren Handley Designs, good goldy/kirra shaper brand).

Btw, doesn't he shape for Mick (Fanning) or one of those fellas? Geez I chose well! Shame I can't ride it that well, haha

Might get the cheapest thing I can get atm (uni = poor), then i'll get a nice hand shaped aussie one after I progress further (quality boards deserve quality surfing)

62mac - Coffs Harbour, waves aren't that steep, but then again I haven't surfer reefs (except for one a few times), so dunno exact steep classification. Plus, steep is better when on the boog in the past

Wormy - glad to see someone else needs mini mal. I'll show you the Coffs breaks

Crazy Canuk - cheers for the tips

dism, DHD are riden by both the current male and female world champs.
Mick and Steph,living on the gold coast you see them everywhere but
mostly around the tweed coast.I know you can buy a Aussie made minimal
or fun board for around 450 new by a very good shaper from the gold coast.
Uni,dont worry dism you will be rich once you finish.

You can get customs for 400-500 around Sydney as well (mate got one for his trip to the dives).

I'm not a fan of production made in China boards (though I do have a couple of them, Surftechs). One of those things where there's a market there'll be buyers. Plus I like epoxy, which is why I'm making my own boards these days.

Dhd are generally high performance short boards used by shredders. I would buy that guys fish, it would be perfect for you. Not a huge fan of mini mals (wife has one) they dont duck dive well and are not real good in sucky waves. Your surfing will progress way better on a fish