Pyzel Mini Ghost

tedshred5

Michael Peterson status
Aug 5, 2015
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What quad fin setup are you running? I got the mini ghost 5'10 varial foam. Ran the JJF front fins and HS rears same setup that I run in my Ghost and love, it didn't seem to be the right setup for the mini ghost. Any suggestions?
Dark Arts fronts and HS rears
 
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tedshred5

Michael Peterson status
Aug 5, 2015
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I recently went from Pyzel large (futures) and QD2 3.75" 80/20 to the AM2 front, Album NVS quad rears, and wow did it provide the board with some extra juice. FYI- lately I have primarily been surfing this in a very punchy beach break. The extra drive feels great for these conditions.
I wanna try this setup now

I will definitely replace my 5’10 PU with a Varial or XTR when the time comes. It’s a great bump squash shortboard for guys who ride fishy/alt designs imo
 

j_mac

Legend (inyourownmind)
Aug 16, 2020
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I recently went from Pyzel large (futures) and QD2 3.75" 80/20 to the AM2 front, Album NVS quad rears, and wow did it provide the board with some extra juice. FYI- lately I have primarily been surfing this in a very punchy beach break. The extra drive feels great for these conditions.

Since I am commenting, I really like this board, especially in the punchy break, it does work well in other conditions. I find it paddles really well. I know one review said it doesn't paddle well, I think it paddles great for its size. There are a lot of comments about finding the correct fins for this board (likely because of the wider squash tail). I think this is why I kept swapping back and forth between Pyzel/QD2 quad and Pyzel thruster, until my recent AM2/NVS setup.

This Varial board is withstanding surface pressure dings and I am beating the crap out of it. I asked Varial about this and they said their foam is denser toward the center so thinner/flatter boards are more resistant to pressures.

I have the 5' 6" and it works great, but the FOMO on a 5' 5" haha , so I YOLOed a 5' 5" Varial Mini Ghost the other day during their sale.
Follow-on thought - as said I really like the Mini Ghost, but I don't think it is the easiest board to surf. If you are used boards that generate speed, this might be a disappoint. For shoulder/head high waves, Mini Ghost carries/maintains good speed - no issue. When it is gets smaller, you need to generate your own speed, part of the reason whether real or not, is the feedback with the AM2/NVS fin set-up that provide drive to push off. This is also the reason why I am going down in size with the hope that I can wiggle the board easier, and I think it will go great in the smaller size and free it up a bit.
 
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sdsrfr

Phil Edwards status
Jul 13, 2020
5,857
11,266
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San Diego
Follow-on thought - as said I really like the Mini Ghost, but I don't think it is the easiest board to surf. If you are used boards that generate speed, this might be a disappoint. For shoulder/head high waves, Mini Ghost carries/maintains good speed - no issue. When it is gets smaller, you need to generate your own speed, part of the reason whether real or not, is the feedback with the AM2/NVS fin set-up that provide drive to push off. This is also the reason why I am going down in size with the hope that I can wiggle the board easier, and I think it will go great in the smaller size and free it up a bit.
Interesting about sizing. is your 5’6 sized big for you for the design?

fuller foil makes me think I’m supposed to size it between an hpsb and a fish but stubby pointy noses don’t always mesh with too much extra float or length, imo.
 
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oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
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San Diego, CA
Follow-on thought - as said I really like the Mini Ghost, but I don't think it is the easiest board to surf. If you are used boards that generate speed, this might be a disappoint. For shoulder/head high waves, Mini Ghost carries/maintains good speed - no issue. When it is gets smaller, you need to generate your own speed, part of the reason whether real or not, is the feedback with the AM2/NVS fin set-up that provide drive to push off. This is also the reason why I am going down in size with the hope that I can wiggle the board easier, and I think it will go great in the smaller size and free it up a bit.
5'5? Is that a mini ghost for ants?
Just teasing. How tall/heavy are you?
I’m 6’, 180-185 and sized mine 6’0 (34L). If this was a couple years ago I would’ve gone for 5’10-11 (32L). Think the one I demoed from @tedshred5 was 5’10 and felt just a touch small. if I were to go custom, I’d go maybe 5’10 lil wider/thicker- but not crazy short n stubby.

@sdsrfr i wouldn’t say the nose is that stubby (relative to what I typically ride. LOL), but definitely more foam with the beak nose than a similar outlined pointy nose SB like Phantom (mine is 6’1). I’ll try to put them together for a photo later.

Edit: I expect the MG to defeat the Phantom for the one pointy-nose squash thruster spot in my quiver and then sell the phantom.
 
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j_mac

Legend (inyourownmind)
Aug 16, 2020
418
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Interesting about sizing. is your 5’6 sized big for you for the design?

fuller foil makes me think I’m supposed to size it between an hpsb and a fish but stubby pointy noses don’t always mesh with too much extra float or length, imo.
Yeah I think the 5' 6" is slightly too big for me for the design intent and the waves I am preferring this board in. Its not a groveller, but a good small wave performance board (at least for me). I believe the 1/4 inch narrower, 1 inch shorter, and slightly less volume will give it more sensitivity to get in moving easier for these smaller, better waves. Its mostly the width, as I tend to like narrower boards.

The 5' 6" works well in bigger, slopier waves, and works very well in punchy break, I think there is more to get out of the board by going down a bit more for which the 5' 5" YOLO should excel in.

The narrower nose is the primary difference between Mini Ghost and my other boards which tend to be wider. The narrower nose with its volume lets you get into punchy waves easier, where say the wider front of the Twinsman catches more. I have survived some steep drop with Mini Ghost where I would have eaten on other boards. This board makes you want to go for it.

If there's a bit more slope, I prefer the Twinsman, but the Mini Ghost works well in these conditions as well, but prefer it with steeper waves.

I never surfed a Ghost, but think the Mini Ghost is the step-down Ghost for smaller good waves.
 

j_mac

Legend (inyourownmind)
Aug 16, 2020
418
1,567
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5'5? Is that a mini ghost for ants?
Just teasing. How tall/heavy are you?
I’m 6’, 180-185 and sized mine 6’0 (34L). If this was a couple years ago I would’ve gone for 5’10-11 (32L). Think the one I demoed from @tedshred5 was 5’10 and felt just a touch small. if I were to go custom, I’d go maybe 5’10 lil wider/thicker- but not crazy short n stubby.

@sdsrfr i wouldn’t say the nose is that stubby (relative to what I typically ride. LOL), but definitely more foam with the beak nose than a similar outlined pointy nose SB like Phantom (mine is 6’1). I’ll try to put them together for a photo later.

Edit: I expect the MG to defeat the Phantom for the one pointy-nose squash thruster spot in my quiver and then sell the phantom.
Congrats!!! It will be great to get your feedback on it with more than 1 session. It will be curious after time where you tend to use it and if you also downsize.

The 5' 6" paddles and catches waves so well (narrower front end with volume), it feels more than 28L in the way it paddles. Sitting on the board, it feels about 28L. Since the shape works paddling wise for me, getting a little more out of it on the wave, figured it was worth the YOLO experiment.

5' 8ish and 170lbs, Pisces, leap year baby!
 

oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
6,931
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San Diego, CA
Congrats!!! It will be great to get your feedback on it with more than 1 session. It will be curious after time where you tend to use it and if you also downsize.

The 5' 6" paddles and catches waves so well (narrower front end with volume), it feels more than 28L in the way it paddles. Sitting on the board, it feels about 28L. Since the shape works paddling wise for me, getting a little more out of it on the wave, figured it was worth the YOLO experiment.

5' 8ish and 170lbs, Pisces, leap year baby!
Ah ok. Makes sense for your height.

i’ve still got plenty of smaller boars but I won’t want my one DDish pointy thruster to be much under my height. I expect to grab it occasionally for WH-HH decent to good conditions at my local reefs when I don’t want a twin /quad. An alternative to the alt boars! LOL
 

kool-aid

Michael Peterson status
Aug 28, 2003
3,026
2,614
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San Francisco
Rode my Mini Ghost for the first time today and I'm not sure I'm too jazzed on it.

Granted, I haven't been in the water in over a month and the surf was a little bit soft but it was pretty damn good for OBSF in the middle of June and the board didn't exactly spark joy.

Board paddled ok, caught waves ok, and felt really fast off the takeoff (maybe too fast) but really slow on the face.

How are others feeling about this board? What are you using for fins? I was using the JJF larges (too big maybe)?
 

j_mac

Legend (inyourownmind)
Aug 16, 2020
418
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For whatever it is worth, my downsizing Mini Ghost YOLO FOMO experiment went well and my expectations were met with success! I prefer the 5' 5" over the 5' 6", it allowed me to move the board with greater ease which opened it up more.
 
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Swallow Tail

Billy Hamilton status
Oct 6, 2017
1,679
2,938
113
Your Mom’s House
Rode my Mini Ghost for the first time today and I'm not sure I'm too jazzed on it.

Granted, I haven't been in the water in over a month and the surf was a little bit soft but it was pretty damn good for OBSF in the middle of June and the board didn't exactly spark joy.

Board paddled ok, caught waves ok, and felt really fast off the takeoff (maybe too fast) but really slow on the face.

How are others feeling about this board? What are you using for fins? I was using the JJF larges (too big maybe)?
Id give it a few goes - over a month off fir me would prob = even a board I’m familiar w feeling off.
 
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oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
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Rode my Mini Ghost for the first time today and I'm not sure I'm too jazzed on it.

Granted, I haven't been in the water in over a month and the surf was a little bit soft but it was pretty damn good for OBSF in the middle of June and the board didn't exactly spark joy.

Board paddled ok, caught waves ok, and felt really fast off the takeoff (maybe too fast) but really slow on the face.

How are others feeling about this board? What are you using for fins? I was using the JJF larges (too big maybe)?
aw man, that stinks. I hope you were maybe just rusty cause I am really hoping it gets through the softer slopey-er sections at my local on decent-good days a bit better than the Ghost. That’s really why I wanted it. I expect to grab mine for punchier surf, HH and below- where the ghost would be overkill and was not able to connect through those sections.

The day I tried TS5’s 5’10 was a fun little CH skatepark day at my local reef, wedging and sections with tight transitions. It sparked enough joy that I wanted to get one in my appropriate dims, 6’0.
I used Lrg JJF sides with Med JJF center fin. Seemed great.
 
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Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,981
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PNW
Rode my Mini Ghost for the first time today and I'm not sure I'm too jazzed on it.

Granted, I haven't been in the water in over a month and the surf was a little bit soft but it was pretty damn good for OBSF in the middle of June and the board didn't exactly spark joy.

Board paddled ok, caught waves ok, and felt really fast off the takeoff (maybe too fast) but really slow on the face.

How are others feeling about this board? What are you using for fins? I was using the JJF larges (too big maybe)?
Large JJF always felt like too much fin for me. Maybe try JJF M center or just something smaller all around like DHD L's.
 

j_mac

Legend (inyourownmind)
Aug 16, 2020
418
1,567
93
Rode my Mini Ghost for the first time today and I'm not sure I'm too jazzed on it.

Granted, I haven't been in the water in over a month and the surf was a little bit soft but it was pretty damn good for OBSF in the middle of June and the board didn't exactly spark joy.

Board paddled ok, caught waves ok, and felt really fast off the takeoff (maybe too fast) but really slow on the face.

How are others feeling about this board? What are you using for fins? I was using the JJF larges (too big maybe)?
Bummer! Have you tried it as quad? I think I like it better as quad for most conditions, unless the waves are ideal for going top to bottom with a little more open face, when it this happens, the thruster works well.
 

kool-aid

Michael Peterson status
Aug 28, 2003
3,026
2,614
113
San Francisco
Big brother ghost.
The Ghost is epic. The last time I was in Indo I rode a 3 board Pyzel quiver and it was insane. 5'11 round tail phantom, 6'1 radius, and 6'2 ghost. I still have two ghosts in my quiver and they are undoubtedly awesome boards. I have really solid memories of surfing uncrowded well overhead plate glass race tracks on the radius and having the time of my life.

Definitely going to switch up the fins (smaller thrusters, try it as a quad). See how it goes like that. If the board is meant to be for better surf and it has to be kind of pushy and round then I'm skeptical. The board is just too chunky and corky for me to believe it will be fun in those conditions but you never know. Definitely think this just might not be my jam and it's going to be a YOLO gone wrong.
 
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