MF Beastie Softboard

Lost fins and Board Damage - Creating a poor customer experience when only just starting to get into surfing – Executive Summary; - Board Soft and damages easily - Lost Fin on first surf - Paid $148 for new screws and fins Review; I've only just started to get into surfing and for my Christmas present I got a MF Beastie. It arrived and the box was very damaged but lucky the board only had a couple of marks on it and something I could live with, given it'll likely get a lot more after a few surfs.

On Boxing Day, I decided to take out the board for a test, strapped the board to the roof and off I went.

When I arrived at the beach I noticed the board straps (holding board on roof rack) had created a huge indent into the board. I've only now read on Facebook and other review sites that the board is incredibly soft and damages easily - warning if looking to buy this board.

On the way home I ensured I wrapped the board in a towel - yet indents are still created.

More annoying was on my first surf I lost one of the fins which came with the board (FCSII). I went to local surf shop, who advised FCSII fins were known to come out regularly and said the board should have come with screws to keep them in..... Why didn't the board come with these screw I don't know????

Additionally I was advised, you can't just buy one fin but rather they come in a pack of 3. So I purchased three new fins ($139) and a bag of 6 screws ($9) so I could going back out riding - now they're installed correctly.

Very disappointing first experience, if MF provided the screws initially I wouldn't have had to fork out an additional $148.

My new favorite board – So, I am no-one's target market when it comes to surfing. I'm a 51 year old female who has been surfing for nearly 40 years. I normally ride a 9'1" high performance long board, but after surgery for breast cancer I wanted to get back into the water with a softboard. I did a LOT of research, and it was a toss-up between the Odysea Log 7' which has around 70 litres of volume, or the 8' MF which is only 61 litres. I watched every video I could on both of them... which, I have to admit was pretty limited, because they are both relatively new to the market.

The Odysea log showed brave young dudes taking off on crazy waves (even pipeline I think), but they were 'just' going straight down the line. The MF at least showed Mick himself doing some fairly clever turns on the Beastie, and the single to double concave suggested the opportunity for some performance. They are within about $100 of each other on price. I have another MF board (the Little Marley, which I bought for my son, but have used) and an Odysea Beater and Odysea Skipper, so am familiar with, and like both brands.

I opted for the MF after much deliberation.. and used it for the first time today in sloppy little 1 - 2' waves with a building NE breeze (after not surfing for a few months). I was super impressed. It paddled at least as easily as my 9'1". The first wave I took off on was small but steepish, but the board didn't show any inclination to nose-dive. Then came the turns... just pivoting to catch the wave was a dream. No more maneuvering the titanic. But while it catches waves like a much bigger longboard, it turns as well as my 6' twin fin. Being a shorter softboard, I was happy to sit on the inside and take some steeper, messier waves than I would normally attempt with my regular board. I think I've finally found my true love!

Thanks Mick. x

It even fits in my car.