expert advice ?

[zarbatavis]

Hi guys,

i have decided to buy my own first board. So, i have sent out several emails to some aussie shapers asking for their advice/offers. I got a lot of nice and friendly replies back... great! But they are all quite different, suggesting boards with lengths between 6'6 to 8'1 :? , so i would like to ask you guys what your opinion is.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself:
I am 6ft tall (1,83m) and weigh 192 lbs (87kg). Coming from windsurfing i started "proper" surfing last year during the holidays. I am a beginner! I used an old Malibu and a surf-school foamie last year. Now i want to buy a new board, since the old Malibu is not really that waterproof anymore, and also very heavy.

Which offer sounds the best to you, and why? Or do you have any other suggestions (dimensions, makers...)?

Thanks a lot for your help!

Zarb.

[ric_vidal]

Zarb, probably better if more info supplied... like what level are you at and how much are you going to throw yourself into this? There are ‘beginners’ and there are beginners.

How big was the mal and the softboard?

McTavish "Carver" 8'1 - 21"2/3 - 2"7/8 @ 1095$AUS - Surftech? If it is it will be durable if nothing else. Length may prove an issue earlier down the track.

Stephen Ashley "Minimal" 7'8-?-3" @ 700$AUS - Don’t know them, and that is a fair bit of foam, which could prove good or bad. 2 3/4" would be enough and I think longer than you need.

Jim Banks "Glide Fish" 6'6 @ 910$AUS - Wouldn’t recommend a fish to anyone starting out, but having said that would be a good stable board, just depends how much it has to be ridden like a ‘fish’.

Dave Wood "Minimal" 7'6 @ 500$AUS - Based on price and the purveyor I would say from China, how parochial are you? Could be a good cheap alternative.

Chaos "Minimal" 7'6-21"1/2-2"3/4 @700$AUS - Smaller player, probably more into performance like everyone else, so should know his craft,
dimensions sound realistic.

Feral Dave "Minimal" 7'6 @780$AUS - Like Chaos only more so. Better known more for performance boards (Indo etc) and artwork, dimensions sound realistic.

Zards, no shaper is really known for minimals (exception maybe McT from a historical perspective and his mals full stop) nor do they necessarily want to be.

Lot depends on plan shape like more or less area in the nose and other elements of the design. Keep it simple and most tend to be.

Not so long that it feels a liability to turn/handle, not too short as it feels unstable, but this depends on your improving ability.

[phil osofer]

I'd suggest a Mccoy Nugget.
Size 7-7'6" long, 20"-21" wide and 3" thick.
Check his website.
Nuggets are more advanced than minimals,simply because the wide point and rocker apex are 3" below 1/2 way, combined with the wider and thicker tail means the surfers stance position is a few inches further back and therefore easier to turn.
It is interesting the price range of the boards you have listed.
With Mctavish and Jim Banks you are paying extra for their name.

[ric_vidal]

Nuggets are more advanced than minimals,simply because the wide point and rocker apex are 3" below 1/2 way, combined with the wider and thicker tail means the surfers stance position is a few inches further back and therefore easier to turn.
It is interesting the price range of the boards you have listed.
With Mctavish and Jim Banks you are paying extra for their name.

Worthy suggestion ‘phil-o’, but observation suggests most beginners stand further forward, so depends on Zarbs level.

Correct about paying for the names, but you will pay for the McCoy name too.

No doubt some one will throw the Miller Waterskate name in as well.

[zarbatavis]

First of all thanks for the quick reply ric and phil!

@Ric
The Malibu was roughly 9'1, the softboard i dont remember anymore...
You are right there are beginners and beginners. well, i am a beginner , managing to stand up and staying there until the sand stops me...

@Phil

Thanks for the tip, i am looking at their website right now...

[cousteau]

whoops voted for the Banks fish just cause i'd like one!
don't go it.

I'd personally go a McCoy very fashionable a few years back, somewhat dropped off the radar a bit of late tho, my mate had one when i was learning and it ripped, but i was too cool to be seen walking along the beach with anything that ugly, have now learnt weird and ugly boards are cool it's the gooses trying to learn on a micro shortboard who are not cool.

Or the McTavish good resale

[chrisb]

Each board seller of course has their specialty and biases - my experience when I was weaning myself off a mal (up at Byron Bay) was that the shapers would recommend fishes to ex-shortboard users who had experienced a prolonged break away from surfing, and minimals to ex-mal users.

However I moved successfully from a mal to a fish but this was when I was on holidays and had 7 days straight to practice.

Probably the best advice is, if possible, hire each of the different types of board mentioned and take the one that your'e most comfortable with.