Are Mini mals a curse to surfing?

[Greensurf]

As a recent comeback surfer (10 months absence due to injury, lack of motivation)...can't help but notice the proliferation of middle aged men with pot bellies riding mini mals...(very badly)...Whilst I have no probs with anyone surfing, none of these guys seem to know the general rules (or have they changed on me). I.e Person closest to inside of curl/on wave first generally has right of way.

They seem to just take off without looking at all. Nowdays with the equipment being so much better than 30 years ago..these guys can just get in the water and create havoc in the lineup..when I was a grom we all learnt on old coolites with no fins etc and had to pay our dues to the grownups etc...it makes it difficult to rouse on someone who is twice your size and twice as mean and ugly looking ).


I am an ald bugger too (43) but still abide by the basic rules...I even give the shortboarders/esky lids a break on the wave dept if I am getting too many waves to prevent more tension in the water.

What do you think? Is there no respect for rules and does the equipment assist in this? Perhaps a surfing licence? (just kidding...this is the last bastion of regulation perhaps). Your thoughts???

[WANDERER]

dats life in da big city!

look after yaself, everyone else comes second, a bit sad, but like i said thats life in the big city... dog eat faarken dog.

put ya blinkers on and get on with ya life cos its only likely to get worse.

[Greensurf]

Hey Wanderer,

Some of it was tongue in cheek... but perhaps you are correct...my frustration level has certainly increased...grew up at the bra b4 the bra boys were even in nappies...sure..there was the odd problem in the surf back then...but hey...It's so much worse now...luckily I moved to the shire and there are parts of Bate Bay where you can still get a bank to yourself before 9am.

cheers

[ric_vidal]

I am an ald bugger too (43) but still abide by the basic rules...

That’s not old ya git!

Get out there and get on with it, mini-mal or whatever, it isn’t the craft it’s the pilots that are the issue...

[Beanpole]

My missus informed me a week ago that her cousins husband who is at least 50 has bought a mal
A builder with a background in sailing and golf whos teenage kids ride lids and who over the years has shown little interest at family get togethers in ever talking about the sport suddenly decides to have a crack at it

[ric_vidal]

...have a crack at it

Mid-life crisis? Why not...

So should we really be concerned, I think not.

[matt...]

I am an ald bugger too (43) but still abide by the basic rules...

That’s not old ya git!

Get out there and get on with it, mini-mal or whatever, it isn’t the craft it’s the pilots that are the issue...

spot on !!

the mini mals aren't the problem - the fat, unfit, ignorant, soy-decaf-latte sippers are !! (yes, this is, too, tongue-in-cheek with a spoonful of truth)(never a truer word spoken in jest & all that crap...)

run 'em over....paddle around 'em....laugh as they eat it....anything to keep you sane in the big city...

[Beanpole]

I'm soy milk intolerant

[Shaunm]

You guys are slack! Fair enough question posed.
Mini-Mals are easier to ride I guess than Mals, seen a lot of mid-life-crisis-dudes tombstone wave after wave, month after month on real mals & they'd sink a short board, hence the popular mini mal. Plus you can get 'em new for around $400
Regarding courtesy it only happens in winter at some beaches (Syd metro) That's why summer is the off season to most of us nowdays.

[sean--]

Mini mals have allowed people back into the water who, at times, shouldn't be there.

[Greensurf]

I wasnt implying that I was an old fart just yet...but to groms 43 is ancient. I like the humour of the posts tho....my 2 daughters are learning to surf and thats really fun...no I dont ride a mini mal (yet)...have a 9'4" T&C Tolhurst and an ancient Wallace 9'10" ...not sure how old but has to predate early 60's as there is a photo of my wife standing (on land) on it when she was about 3 and she is 44 now...I am guessing 1960...unfortunately the fin was ripped out and I stupidly replaced it with a fin box and now its not really as retro as it should but hey is a great cruiser for noserides etc.

[chrisb]

Thankfully most of these learners on mini-mals tend to congregate at the usual spots such as Freshie, DY/Palm kiddies corners etc.

It's the ones who don't acknowledge their limitations and try more advanced waves that you gotta watch out for, going for the closeouts, going straight ahead when you try to go right or left on the wave, tombstoning etc.

Hopefully the colder weather will rid Sydney's waves of them.

[Beanpole]

There's no reason a board of those general dimensions shouldn't perform well.
It seems more like when the board is shaped as a little mal with all the bad bits chucked in and all of the good bits of long and short boards left out that it carries the blame and the lame.

[Troy_Cisco_Kid]

going in comps years ago travelling the east coast with my little young side kick Pimmy . We had a ball going in the 8 foot and 9 foot divisions ... nothing wrong with riding mini versions .... just more hard hitting tail surfing with some great carves thrown in.... heck the light weights even got some toes over .....

fun times

[Beerfan]

Haha this is very funny. As a novice, who happens to ride a 7'6" mini mal , i can see the point of all your frustrations. Me and my mate ( 9' mal ) always stay away from other surfers, mainly for the reasons that we dont want to

1.) Get in the way. I'd hate to take a nice wave ( in a crowded break ), just to f^&k it up, that would be a bit of a waste.

2.) Kill anyone!!. Our control of the boards is not exactly crash hot, and i would hate to run into someone, especially with 7 and a half feet of fibreglass. That could do some real damage.

We have found that there are usually waves all along the beach, and, while they may not be as "pretty", you can still have fun, and improve your surfing, without worrying about the above. Although, being a shift worker, i like to go out very early, that way, i can have any wave i want, as there's no one else there!!


P.S, quick question. My mates 9 footer seems to have a bit more speed than my 7 6 mini mal. Whenever we swap boards, i seem to get more speed out of his board, and on my mini mal, some waves seem to "die" under me. Is there a reason ( if any ) for this,like technique, board dimension, the fact that im a novice haha ??

Tah, sorry about the hijack.

[Shaunm]

I'll jump in before someone sells you a dummy.
Cause a 9' + is gonna take of quicker than 7'6.
In was sick of crowds so grabbed a longboard, started paddling like buggery when waves were not much bigger than a foot. I was first on so had right of way (well in my twisted mind anyway). By the time they broke they were around waist high and rode all the way in. No way on my 7'6 could I dream of that. However when catching beachies you can, depending on your thickness, ride waves shortboard style on the 7'6 when you would nose dive being a newbie. My 9'+ 3" thick takes alot more weeties to initially move than my 7'6 but once on the wave yippee.

Just keep doing what your doing
1. Staying out of everyones' way (You'll earn respect and if you're at the same beach all the time you'll get to know locals eventually)
2. Enjoy swapping boards and experimenting

[Spoon]

Just remember the mathermatics, for about every 5 older men taking up surfing for fitness in their 40's, 3-4 fairly new boards in pristine condition end up in the Manly Daily after they give it up in 3 months and try bike riding or squash. You can pick up hardly used boards with all the gear, good covers and such, for about $200-300 cheaper than in shops.

[Johnno]

You can pick up hardly used boards with all the gear, good covers and such, for about $200-300 cheaper than in shops.

Well I hope that it keeps up, as I'm still a good 10 years away before I might need one................