New board is here!

As some of you may know from recent threads, I ordered a mini-sim-esque from my shaper. 5'2 x 22 x 2.5. Stringerless EPS/epoxy. Man she's pretty. Don't have a computer, only phone. Can never post pictures so you'll just have to belive me.

This is my first non pu board, first short stubby guy, and first dedicated quad. Can't wait to try it out.

Tomorrow's looking like it should be a good day for the maiden voyage. Stomach high, mid tide heading towards high. Mmmm.

Ride report will follow, but just want to say thanks to all the guys who replied to the threads before i put the order in. Your input helped and I'm stoked with the way the board came out

 

Shaper is Mike Becker from natures shapes on LI. Iv had him shape 3 boards in the past year and a half to 2 years. All came out just how i wanted and surf great.





And yeah i went with the 5 fin. Probably won't ride it as a thruster but the option is there. A guy who has rode one of these shapes said he liked it as a thruster. Since I'm a thruster guy i thought i could justify it

 

Ride report will follow shortly. But right now all i can say i holy eff that was fun

 

So waves were waist/stomach high. Got out earlier then expected so tide was still on the low side. It wasn't super steep but it certainty wasn't soft either.

Now let me start by saying this. I wouldn't say i was skeptical of this style board, but part of me was worried people hyped them up a bit.

This board surpassed my expectations by a long shot. Caught waves with ease, turned incredibly easily. First two waves i came off the bottom and got right up into the lup for a top turn. Lost it on both turns but was really surprised with how easily i got up there. I was expecting a stiffer feeling. Boards fast but I'm more impressed with how it carries it's speed. No drop off. I was making sections and pulling off turns and it just kept going and going and going. Now earlier when the tide was lower, i could of rode my 5'8, but i wouldn't of been getting as long as rides at all. I had one wave that was insane. It's all a blur to me but it was like a 4 or 5 turn wave. One of those turns being on a steep section, as i came off the top i free fell a bit and still made the next section. I was amazed. So much damn fun.

As the tide filled in it did get softer and my turns became more drawn out and cruisey. Still no drop off in speed. It just kept going. The guys on LBs were kicking out and i was flying by them and skating my way to the sand.

Iv read these boards could be harder to turn, but i didn't experience that. The speed is there but I'm more impressed with how it carries that speed. It preformed great in the lower tide conditions early and kept performing as the tide filled in. Cruises well, makes drawn out turns well, and can even make more critical turns pretty well. I'm so stoked on it.

I'll definitely have to get use to the width, at the lower tide it threw me off on some turns. But with that being said i feel me and the board clicked today.

Lately i feel iv been in a surfing slump. On days like today if ride my 5'8 and would get one or two good waves. But I'd be left thinking to myself i should of brought a LB. But i don't want to LB. I feel like this board was the cure. I had the best sesh iv had in a long time, as far as smaller conditions go.

Thanks again to the guys who gave advice before i ordered. I think it was you Mitchell who convinced me to go a bit shorter than i originally planned and I'm really happy i did.

 

It's been awhile, but i got the board out for its second sesh for a Christmas morning DP. Waves weren't great but they're was somthing out there. Waves were about thigh high to just barley under waist high. Pretty fat, almost barley breaking. But it was clean. The LB would of been the safest bet for sure but i want to figure out the range of this mini.

It preformed well. It caught waves fairly easily, much better than i thought it would considering the conditions. I'm digging the quad feeling. Iv said it before, I'm not a quad guy. But it feels good on this board. All my waves were cruisey lofty up and down the face type of surfing. Nothing radical. But that lofty flow just oozes out when i ride this thing. Seems natural. What i really like is the length, on these super soft waves when you got to put pressure on that front foot to keep from losing the wave. It's right there. No fidgeting. No shuffling. I feel it adds to the ability to flow. Unfortunately waves began to close out and the tide was filling in so it was a short sesh. Didn't really get to test it out in the weaker conditions fully. But the waves i got were fun and I'm real happy with the way the board performed. I'd say today was one of those days were the only option would of been an LB if i didn't have this mini. And it didn't just catch waves, i was able to actually have fun on it instead of just trim. The board is definitely playing it's role and is playing it well.

Still riding it with the stock future fins, but just got the stretches this morning for Christmas. Not sure if I'll throw them in right away or if I'll continue to test the board out first before making the switch.

Merry Christmas everybody, hope the rest of you got a little watery goodness today

 

Definitely man. I wouldn't say i have it totally dialed in yet. But i will say it just feels right under my feet. Suits my surfing and when I'm on it i can go have fun without much adjusting or figuring it out. After two seshs on it iv had it in pretty weak small waves and bigger (considering the boards intended purpose) stronger waves. So i feel like i know it's range. But still need to get a few more sessions on it to really put it through its paces and see what the thing can do. Super super impressed so far though. Surpassed my expectations

 

Alright guys. This may be my last update on the board. Maybe not. But i feel i have this thing totally dialed in now. And with the lack of surfing/board threads, i figured I'd keep the updates coming.

Iv taken the mini out a few times since the last update. Now riding it with the stretch quad set. All the seshs iv had on it since the last update have been small, and steep. I got to say, i don't think i like it at a dead low tide even if its small (waist). A low/mid tide is diffrent. But at dead low when the wave stands straight up things can get interesting.

Yesterday's sesh was awesome. Chest high with a low/mid tide. I had my 5'8 with me due to the tide and size but after checking the surf i didn't see any throwing lips or anything crazy so i went with the mini. After paddling out i realized it was bigger and standing up more than i thought. My initial thought was that i made a mistake taking the mini. I was wrong. I had a blast on it. Although i think i would of had fun on the 5'8, the mini was super fun too.

It was similar to my first sesh on it. Steep but not super steep. Not fat at all. Ofcourse it caught waves with ease and the take off was smooth. I think i was taking off on more of an angle then i would on a traditional SB. The stretch quads felt great! My cutbacks were much tighter and i felt i could make quick direction changes easier for those quick hits on the end sections. The board was flying. Almost too fast. But in a good way. Carried so much speed through the turns and came out with speed. Allot of guys on traditional SBs were getting closed out on or getting one section waves where i was able to connect sections for long multiple turn waves. And surprisingly, on those more intense turns on end sections and up in the lip...the board works. Hard to explain. But due to width i feel like I'm going to eat it but it ride out of it every time. Felt very stable.

I'm realizing that i really really like it in bigger waves with some punch. Not too steep but not fat either. It's almost like two boards in one. In smaller or fatter conditions it's really fun but my style on it is more cruisey and drawn out. Where as when the waves are standing up a bit more, the board can actually get pretty radical. Can't surf it as radical as a traditional SB but it definitely can pull off turns i didn't think I'd be doing on it. I think the stretch fins help a bit there.

All in all I'm loving this thing a whole hell of allot. Much wider range than i thought. Capable of pulling off a wide variety of turns. Love the speed and control. I think the dims are prefect thanks to the guys who gave suggestions. The strech fins compliment it well and give it a bit of a tighter turn radius.

Hands down one of the best board choices iv ever made