Right, though I can surf a mini Trick Boardz the ride is only interesting because the board is so small. Riding the tinny Trick Boardz board was a good balance exercise and good for understanding where the sweet spot is. Riding a slightly larger Trick Boardz board, still way too small for me, however was really a lot of fun, but I don't think I'll ever air that board in those conditions, but I’ve done it a number of times, fun each time.
Jeff rides more than I do and has more hardware and experience than I. By my experience the Stixx Extreme and the Broadcast 5.6, yes the pressed out big brand board, are both very stable and have been very good for first timers. I have less experience with the Stixx board but while I had it for demo my crew found the Stixx board to be more stable than the rest of my quiver. Both the Broadcast and Stixx board have three fins I attribute stability to the fins.
If you look at the rest of my quiver you’d probably agree that the three fin Stixx (not one of my boards) and Broadcast boards are the most stable of the lot. I have three Trick Boardz, great boards I love them, but they are not as stable. I have an IS Red and IS Yellow, I prefer both boards over the Broadcast, but I think I’d put a first timer on the Broadcast before putting them on the Yellow or Red. The IS boards have two fins and in MHO are less stable. I’ve spun the Yellow for a 3, but didn’t keep the wake. I think the Broadcast would be much harder to spin. Pulling the fins on the Broadcast loosens it up. I think that a board that’s hard to spin is probably more stable and better for first timers.
Once I figured out that I could ride a Walker F-18 by dropping normal boat speed by 1 mph I rode the heck out of that board. Rail to rail speed was really amazing. The board is still too small for my weight and the boat speed was too slow, but I think that I really got what the F-18 was all about. I think part of what make the F-18 rail to rail fast is that it has two stable positions, defined by two canted fins. So I’d say that the F-18 is a little unstable, but in this case that’s an amazingly good thing, but also not a good first timer board. I think this is in line with what Jeff is saying.
The fin on the 4Skim board is further forward than most. I’m expecting the 4 Skim to spin more easily.
We varied the fin placement on the board cast in as many combination and permutation as are possible. More and bigger fins are more stable period. Higher stability is better for first timers. I think Shred Stixx offers more flexibility with the higher fin count. You can swap them out and tailor to your own tastes.
I’d go with a three fin Stixx board over a Broadcast any day. If I was buying one board and one board only and if I was planning on teaching many to surf for the first time I’d defiantly look hard at the Blue, but I’d give a Stixx board a hard look too since the three fin configuration give you added stability for that wobblely first timer.
Oh I also have a sheet of plywood that rides like a stick of butter and I copied and stretched a Walker F-18, but my construction technique made the board 4 times heavier, she’s a pig but a beauty in my eyes
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