Lavz and I scored fun warm offshore , small [to waist high , mainly ] conditions this morning , for a coupla hours .
Got a few waves each .
And , we took some photos too [non-digital sorry]. Thanks , Lavz , for transporting it to my place , after our ‘wozlocks’ get together at hicksy’s with “Sabs” and his family ! [a fun night, thanks Hicksy !]
And thanks , mate , for getting some shots with the water camera this morning …I hope the ones I took of you come out well too !
Didn’t get to duckdive or turtle / eskimo roll it [luckily]
Took a few waves to suss where to lie , for the "sweet " paddling spot.
Head down and one extra paddle [there was backwash] and I felt the glide !
I got one lefthander that held up aways , and did what felt like a slow motion backhand top turn [I guess if the wave had been bigger , it “may” have qualified as a "rollercoaster].
Pigdogged a few little lefts , but alas no tubes for me …but we both SAW a couple [all around us…beachbreaks …sigh]
It was nice to get a few rights , too …I think I like breaking in a new board on my forehand , initially .
Of course , I “HAD” to try cross-stepping [hence the “crossing over” title to my "other"thread on mals]. Cross-step to face plant , my move ! [I’m sure ‘Lavz’ probably got the moment of impact on film]
ben
p.s. - I need to put a few different single fins in it over time …
thanks chip! glad to here it goes well. pigdogging big down the line lefts is one of the most fun things ever to do on a mal. wait till you feel it! the cross stepping thing comes quickly enough anyway (like learning to duck dive when you start.
I would hope to use the Auslocks board’s fin next , or maybe the carbon fibre single I made [the templates are at hicksy’s at the moment , I forget the dimensions of those …
Wish I had the camera in my hand yesterday afternoon,
45yo man on a 9’ Mal in a 27’ Pool, duckdiving and knee paddling, spinning around to catch the backwash…very sad…I’m sure he went to sleep on it last night…
Congrats on the successful launching Chip!! Did the wax stay on the board?
I’ll drop the film off for developing tomorrow , and maybe if all goes well , there “might” be some ?useable? shots to post up here by friday, hopefully ?? [ It WAS very small surf though , so there may not be much inspiration …more just a record of how the board sits in the water while being ridden , etc]…
Of course , I “HAD” to try cross-stepping [hence the “crossing over” title to my "other"thread on mals]. Cross-step to face plant , my move ! [I’m sure ‘Lavz’ probably got the moment of impact on film]
Ahhhh… the cross step, shuffle, snag the leash, trip, fall flat on face routine… great to see it’s catching… now if only we could have a sequence aka Carvenalu on his 12’… now THAT would be interesting.
Glad to hear you got it in the water and had some fun. Sounds like you are having some fun expanding your options!
The glide’s preety sweet, huh? The glassier things are the better you can feel it. Mals really come into their own glassy from knee to waist high, IMHO.
Feel the difference in the turns? Different, huh? Not better or worse, IMO, just different. I like it, personally.
Piggin’s fun. Don’t sweat the cross-stepping too much. Soon as you get used to the bigger board it’ll start to come on it’s own. Biggest problem I had in the beginning was stopping! LOL! Watch Dougy cross-step straight off the nose! Shoulda seen my misses laugh. Thought she was gonna wet herself. Don’t wanna sound like I’m talkin to a kook, and I know you’ve practiced on a long skatey. But I found it useful to practice it on a beam (increasingly narrow)… When there were no witnesses.
This is a single, isn’t it? To me a 7.5" on a mal is on the small side. Try a 9" or bigger, if you get the chance, and feel the difference. Actually, I’m really looking forward to hearing about what you find playing with fins on this mal!
Lookin forward to the snappies, too… And do yourselves a favour and get to a point in the combie
Congrats!
-doug
PS. Loose the leash when your in close. It makes a surprising difference to the feel of the thing, IMO
7.5" is okay but its plastic! that’s the problem. wait till you feel a 10" fibreglass. Mal’s also go EXCELLENT in strong offshore 5’ waves winding beach breaks. and longboards also handle superwell and feel great to “arch” through hollow sections and tubes.
Oh 7.5" is OK, all right. I just think there’s a world of difference (read: improvement) with a bigger fin. I LIKE 9"+ fins and always encourage people to give them a try on their mals.
As for size, etc. Don’t need to preach to the converted Look at Bonga in single to double pipe. Gettin deeper than than just about anyone on a Mal! Now THAT is talent. I love em in everything.
But people will argue over choices once it gets to/over waist high. I just haven’t found anyone who can pick a better surf-vehicle in glassy surf below waist high.
Ben, I’ve got 9" fins in both my longboards, and even in waist deep water I hardly ever have a problem with it hitting the bottom. And these are like 1 ft waves with no shape whatsoever. In waves like that it’s best to get in trim early (like as you’re popping up) and ride it out.
Look at Bonga in single to double pipe. Gettin deeper than than just about anyone on a Mal! Now THAT is talent. I love em in everything.