RealSurf Surfers' Forum

Hi,
I just noticed I haven't logged in here for a couple of YEARS!

I came across a bargain McTavish Micro and I was wondering if it was good for a light beginner who has been catching waves and riding the wave face on a rental 7'2 funboard (longboard for him) but not yet making much more. He's an athletic skater/snowboarder and accustomed to riding his bodyboard up to headhigh reefbreaks no problem.

I noticed that the Micro has rather fat rails and wide tail which made me wonder if it's hard to control for a light kid? Or is it the other way around as long as the wave is a bit mellow? Originally I was planning something more longboardish (like the slimmer railed 7'2) for him. I guess he will go on riding the bodyboard when it is hollow.

Any surf dad experience here?

can he catch his own waves?

whats his paddle strength like?


we need a bit more info.

steve shearer wrote:can he catch his own waves?

whats his paddle strength like?


we need a bit more info.

I wrote:
" I was wondering if it was good for a light beginner who has been catching waves and riding the wave face on a rental 7'2 funboard (longboard for him) but not yet making much more."

What I tried to say was that when the waves are nice, he's been catching a lot of his own waves with rental softboards, funboards and my log. Paddle strenght is not a problem, he's a young athelete and he likes to paddle with his arms a lot instead of kicking with fins when bodyboarding. With the bodyboard he's reading the waves really well, on the last trip he surfed more than most of the frustrated adlults at crowded Bali reefs

But standing up he's not yet pumping speed from the wave face, so I think he nees some forgiving volume and glide instead of rocker. And I was wondering what is it going to be like sinking the thick rail and wide tail for learning to make first real turns?

13 yrs, 45 kgs, he'll be ripping in no time if he's into it. With his already developed knowledge, you'll be a kook by Xmas. Get him a shorty and set him free. Fat rails? No way

Agreed, get him a short board, not an old man's board.

He'll thank you for it.

If it was 5'6" I'd say go for it.
My son used to ride my carver which was 7'11" as a mal when we were up the coast. Still does sometimes and I think it's kept his style smooth but there's no way he'd be riding it all the time.