Mick Fanning Softboards [Board Range Review]

Mick’s been a busy man since retiring from competitive surfing a few years ago with a number of business pursuits on the go. Becoming one of the major players in the softboard space is one of them! Our Mick Fanning Softboards review will look at what makes the boards stand out from the competition as well as an overview of the board lineup. 

More Performance than any other softboard?

With a mantra like “More performance than any other softboard on the market” it’s pretty clear their aim is to be the leaders in the high performance softboard niche.

So what is different about the way these boards are made?

“Performance issues were successfully resolved by utilising construction techniques and materials that are typically reserved for cutting-edge high performance surfboards and blending these materials and techniques with traditional soft surfboard construction” – MF Softboards.

MF Softboards provides a breakdown of their board composition:

It’s fair to say that Mick Fanning Softboards are quite different, in fact they blur the line between softboard and standard surfboard in the way that they feel and surf – many say they don’t really feel like soft tops at all.

As highlighted above that comes down to the construction technique – with a high grade E-Cloth and Expoxy resin layer between the EPS core (the blank) and the soft exterior shell (the foam). This adds strength and limits flex which is what gives the MF Softboard range its unique high-performance factor.

There are several boards in the Mick Fanning Softboards lineup so let’s jump in and have a look. All boards in the range are available with option of either FCS II or Futures fin boxes

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1. MF X DHD TWIN

This collab is a softboard version of the standard DHD Twin surfboard. The Twin Fin is perfect for summer waves up to around 4 ft with the optional stabilizing fin for bigger surf. This is a fast board which is easy to turn and push around. 

The board is suited to intermediate and advanced surfers and needs a bit of wave size to get going – it’s not a tiny wave groveller like many softboards. 

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The MF DHD Twin comes in 3 sizes:

5’4″  x  19 1/2  x  2 5/16 (27L)

5’8″  x  2o  x . 2 3/8 (30.5L)

6’0″  x  20  x  2 1/2 (35L)

CHECK ‘MF X DHD TWIN’ PRICE IN YOUR LOCAL REGION: 

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2. MF X DHD BLACK DIAMOND

This second DHD collaboration is another softboard model based on the very popular board of the same name. It is an all rounder with a pulled in tail to keep you in the pocket, a wide point up front providing increased volume making it easy to paddle and rides fast off the front foot. MF says this their board that can do everything but still packs performance for when the waves are pumping. 

The Black Diamond is suitable for a variety of waves, is easy to ride and fast. It also suits a wide range of potential surfers from beginner/intermediate to advanced.

It comes in 3 sizes:

5’10”  x  20  x  2 9/16 (32L)

6’6″  x  21 3/16  x  2 15/16 (44L)

6’10”  x  22  x  3 (47L)

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CHECK THE ‘DHD BLACK DIAMOND” PRICE IN YOUR REGION:

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3. MF EUGENIE

The MF Eugenie has a medium to low rocker, is an easy paddler and wave catcher. It offers a stable and predictable board that will work in a large variety of conditions. This is a direct replica of a board Mick himself designed for small days on the Gold Coast.

Compared to DHD Twin, this board can in small waves lacking much power as well as better waves and is suited to beginner (more so the 5’10) to advanced. 

It comes in 3 sizes:

4’10”  x  16 7/8  x  2 1/8 (19.04L)

5’6″  x  19 1/2  x  2 3/8 (27.74L)

5’10”  x  20  x  2 5/8 (33.35L) 

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CHECK “EUGENIE” PRICE IN YOUR REGION:

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4. MF BEASTIE

Moving on from the real high performance boards, the Beastie is designed with a little more focus on fun. Mark Matthews (MF Softboards co-founder) describes this as his favourite of the bunch and the “Hypto Krypto” of softboards. Designed with a wide round tail to provide lift and push in weak waves, and a pretty flat rocker means it rides well in a variety of conditions.

With an even distribution of volume through the board, it’s really stable so is a great board for someone looking to improve their surfing. At the same time if offers a very fun alternative to a longboard for more advanced surfers.

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User FEEDBACK: “Caught more waves and had more fun in 2-3 foot waves than I have in a very long time! It feels almost like my old fish to turn and isn’t too hard to duck dive (6’6″)!”

“I have a 9ft Beastie it is a ripper, catches waves really easily, fast down the line and turns well.”

Check out our in-depth review of the Beastie 9’0 Longboard. 

The board has a thruster (tri-fin) setup in a number of sizes from shortboard to longboard.

6’0  x  20  x  2 5/8 (37.01L)

6’6  x  20 1/2  x  2 5/8 (42.64L)

7’0  x  22  x  2 3/4 (50.05L)

8’0  x  22 5/8  x  2 7/8 (61.52L)

9’0  x  24  x  3 1/2 (88.71L)

CHECK ‘BEASTIE’ PRICE IN YOUR REGION:

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5. MF LITTLE MARLEY

A diamond tail, defined rails, a flat entry rocker and large double concave make this an easy paddler, wave catching machine that excels in small and weak surf as well as dumpy shore breaks. The Little Marley can handle a range of waves, and with the fin box setup providing a variety of options (can ride it as quad, thruster or twin) this wide little board is another more fun addition to the lineup that can still offer the high performance surfer something too.

Check out our in depth hands on review of the MF Softboards Little Marley here!

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This board comes in 3 sizes:

5’2 x  21  x 2 5/16 (29L) 5’6 x  21 3/4 x 2 1/2 (35L) 5’10 x 22 1/2 x 2 13/16 (43L)

CHECK “LITTLE MARLEY” PRICE IN YOUR REGION:

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6. MF Cat Fish

The Cat Fish is a retro 70’s inspired hybrid fish shape with a reduced nose area compared to standard keel fish design, built for fast acceleration and speed out of turns. 

This design is a response to those wanting to have a softboard in the quiver that will surf in a more diverse range of conditions.

Flexible fin options here for tri fin, quad, or twin fin. 

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This board comes in 3 sizes:

5’4, 5’8  & 5’10

CHECK “CAT FISH” PRICE IN YOUR REGION:

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7. MF x Kuma Fish

This model was the winner of the MF Softboards Global Shaper competition in 2020.

The flat deck increases the volume to help catch waves and provide more speed in poor conditions, the slightly forward placed concave bottom with a deep exit vee increases the tail rocker.
This board is incredibly fast and finds hidden pockets of speed on all types of waves.

CHECK “MF x KUMA” PRICE IN YOUR REGION:

We’re looking forward to bringing you in-depth reviews of each model within the Mick Fanning Softboards range shortly so stay tuned!