Am I being greedy? - 7'0 Single Fin

Hey Everyone,

I’m looking to kill two birds with one stone here. My girlfriend is new to surfing and wants a board she can transition to after surfing for a while on a foamie. 

I’m looking for a board that I can use in bigger, clean, lined up surf. 

She’s 5’6 120lbs, I’m 5’11 165lbs. I’m thinking a mid-length single fin (or 2+1) kinda like the Album Darkness (https://www.boardcave.com/shop/surfboards/single-fin-surfboards/darkness), but am open to ideas. 

This would be the second board I’m shaping, so would really appreciate any tips!

Thanks,

In my opinion…

The (brutal) answer to your question is "Yes. You are being greedy. " 

The solution to one set of requirements (novice adult female) will not have a lot of overlap with you surfing bigger conditions.   She needs more rocker and a narrower widths (particularly in the tail) and less fin than you.   Stick with a rounded tail for the neutral turning and hold.  She needs control, not top end trim speed. 

She won’t have the technique to make a fin cluster work and she won’t be able to outsurf a singlefin anyway so you might as well stick with that.   All adding side fins will do for her is give her two more edges to cut herself with.  And trust me when I say that its no fun seeing someone getting their feet cut or bleeding from their thigh because they came down on a fin wrong.   

The whole point of doing your own is to make fewer compromises.   If you want to do a board for your girlfriend then figure out what will best fit her situation and do that.    THEN do your step up board for yourself, specific to that usage.    

 

Yup, makes sense and kinda what I was thinking. I appreciate it!