Lost Mini Driver v Alternator

[buzzy]

Hi all. I'm 90kg, now 47, surf 3-5 days a week 6 months of the year and 2-3 days a week for the balance (except when skiing 3-4 weeks a year). Intermediate.

I love my 6'8" Alternator but it's just a touch too much volume for me. It does still work at that volume for me though after ski season when I lose surf fitness and add a touch of weight. As fitness improves though a tad less volume would be ideal. So I had been thinking of adding a 6'6" Alt to the quiver.

Then along came the Mini Driver. In addition to loving the Alternator I also love round tails. As I get older I also like a touch more width in my boards. So the 6'4" Mini Driver looked to be a pretty good board for me. The only caution I have is the reported 2.75" thickness, but I'm assuming most of that thickness is in the centre of the board, becoming more refined toward the rails. If so I'm not concerned about volume at centre.

So which way to go? Any comments, hints, views etc encouraged. Thanks.

[Goanna]

Hey Buzz, if I go I'll be going the 6'2" - very close in volume to our 6'4" Futura.

[Chris]

Hey buzzy i think you are going about this the right way. The Mini Driver does tape more towards the tail than a lot of the hybrids and performance hybrids out there. In fact i actually the main purpose of the board initially was to be a good wave board. It wound up working well in a lot of conditions too. i think you will like it because you'll be able to step down in length and volume a little bit, but will still have the support under you front foot, with a silky round tail that will provide control in decent surf....

[seabass]

Buzzy i ordered the 6'2 Minni driver i am 83kgs 187cm(using calculator puts at max end of my volume range) the 6'0 seemed to small so i went for a little bit more volume then less main reason because i will be using this board as my new all rounder hopefully from 2-6ft. I have read tons of differant reports on this board and from all the info i think i am on the right track and like you said it seems the board thins out at the tail and nose so i hope it will still preform with a little mose volume. I saw a vid on line and Matt B says order with a little more volume if your using it as your all rounder, thats in PU but i assume the basic principle applies to FST. I am going to get a hellrazor next or MB as my preformance board, so SP for those days(I love SP days the most), Mini for the in betweens and Something for those days sick leave was designed for and wives dread. if the Minni is to big I'll flogg it off and try a size down i have done this with previous FW its annoying in some ways but you know the nest time round you are spot on. Hope this helps.

[prjwebb]

Sea bass. The MN could easily be you're good wave board too. The tail thins our like my CBD Taj.

The flatter tail rocker will be its only limiting factor I reckon.

[Chris]

yeah. think of it as a head and a half down if you like riding shorter boards in good waves. I can see slipping into a few bigger sections on a 510 myself, would prefer it in hollow surf too. anything peeling or crumbly, thinking a point, i am probably back on a squash...

[prjwebb]

I think it would draw a nice line on a solid but open faced point though. I want to try mine in morocco this winter. Maybe as a quad.