I'm a weekend surfer (have been surfing off and on for 6 years) and I usually only go out when it is 1'-3', pretty small, mushy surf. I usually ride a 7'3" funboard and have no problem paddling and catching waves with it but would like a smaller board that will paddle just as easily and will catch waves in really small surf and don't want a longboard. When I asked around, a mini simmons was mentioned as something that might suit my needs. I'm 5'5" and 150lbs. Normally, I would gravitate towards as big a mini simmons as I can get, for instance a 6'4" tall, 23" wide, 3" thick board. Everywhere I've read says to get it a few inches shorter than you are tall, which would put me in the 5'2" board range. Since I don't go out in bigger surf, I have no need to duck dive with a tiny board. Knowing what I want the board for, is a smaller/more appropriate sized mini simmons better for catching 1'-2' waves or should I go for the largest, thickest mini simmons I can find? Thanks, I appreciate it.
this is the correct answer. a 'mini simmons' style board will only help you to look like and surf like a total kook.
I'm roughly your size....155. I've had four boards that probably qualify as mini simmons. The longest was 5'8" and the shortest was 4'11", all are about 22" wide, and i have been surfing all of them a lot over the past 5 years in exactly the conditions you mention 1-3 foot and mushy. A few things First off - i'm a big fan of these boards for these small mushy conditions - i find them more fun than a longboard, and WAY more fun than a 7 footer. its true that the 5'8" paddles a bit easier than the 4'11" and in some conditions, that helps, in most it doesnt really matter. Length seems to help in paddling, width and flat rocker is what keeps you gliding along once you set a line. Once up and riding, no matter how small the conditions, the 4'11" does as well as the 5'8". The 4'11" absolutely flies down the line on knee high waves and is by far the best of the bunch for me...its scary how fast it is...in a good way. At your size, dont get anything over 5'6" - 5'8" in a mini simmons. It just bogs everything down. I recommend you go really wide (like 22" - 23") rather than adding length that you dont need.
I think a 6'4" would be fine for your size, abilities and condition you surf in but you can scale down the width to 21" and the thickness to 2 3/4". that isn't a mini simmons anymore. it's a simmons. It will offer you paddle ability and glide to catch waves early and the easy glide to make through sections. and it will still turn well from the tail. If your not catching and making waves you are not having fun. I'm looking at it from what you are saying about your ability. like what you do now is just catching waves and trimming through sections and that is what you'll still be doing. if your looking to tear it up then go with what mitchell says.
I would just go for a longboard... I mean 1-3 ft is small and you'll probably have more fun noseriding then trying to work the wave to get a cutback or a kfc turn in... Idk, maybe I'm getting old.
I'm going to look for a 5'2" - 6' mini simmons. Price will probably determine which end of the spectrum I get. Thanks again everyone.
could be wrong, but seems like true old school mini-simmons are for advanced surfers (that surf too much) wanting something completely different in their quiver. Mini-sim already have such wide tails (which proportionately get even bigger as you size up), getting a mini-sim even an inch too big throws turning performance way off. If I absolutely had to have a mini-simmons, I'd probably go with a Vernor because the tail is more pulled in, modern keel quad fins...and seems all the features have been modernized to some extent. Maybe EPS on this shape (lotta surface area=lotta glass) for lighter, even easier paddling. I'd probably call or email David Vernor first and find out what size he recommends for me....then it's just a matter of getting used to it. [video=youtube;fPmplk0aAA8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPmplk0aAA8[/video]
You're not wrong... at least for me, personally. I'm 6'1, 190, and ride a 5'4 Mini Sim. It's thick, though, with thick, soft rails except for in the tail where the entire edge is hard and untucked. Twin half moon keels. A little belly in the entry, to single concave. Bottom contours very subtle... too little length to make the transition from displacement to concave without causing too much drag. Like the true fish, once you start adding length you start to undo what these boards are designed to do and feel like. Get the smallest board you can still paddle effectively.
For someone your size I would never break 5 foot long no matter what your ability level. If you need it bigger your not ready for that shape and may as well stick with another longer, wider board. Im 6'1 about 195 and have ridden Mitchells little board and I loved it. I loved it so much that I went out and shaped one for myself at about 5'0".
Blowing up a mini simmons turns it from a corky somewhat unresponsive block of foam to a super corky totally unresponsive huge chunk of foam. I would look into something similar to a Takayama Scorpion or McTavish Sumo. You can ride them shorter than your height for more of a groveler feel, or a little longer than your height if you want more of a mini noserider type of deal. Most of these types of boards will come with a long fin box as well as FCS boxes so there are numerous fin options.
