Just returned from a month in Bali and thought I would share some thoughts. By way of background I've just turned 60 and weigh in at 96kgs. I was told by a number of people that a Minion was totally the wrong board and fins for most conditions in Bali and that SUPers were really unpopular. I bought the Minion in May as a custom and have only used it twice in very small conditions as that is all the surf we have had.
On the popularity I found the opposite. I was treated like everyone else in the line up and saw absolutely no animosity at all. The only people singled out were actually surfers who didn't understand or respect the rules.
In terms of surf I had 6-8' at Bingin and Dreamland, 3-6' at Seminyak, Canngu and Balian, 3-4' at Medewi, 2-5' at the Sanur reefs and 4-8' at Nusa Lembongan. Over the month the only time I didn't get a surf was the first 5 days as Virgin misplaced my board.
Certainly my first few days was at Bingin Beach with a solid 6-8' and definitely way more grunty that what we get on the east coast, Mt Maunganui, NZ. Thinking that my board was wrong for the conditions it took me to my second session to even try catching a wave. I had also listened to advice to change out the standard fins to something with more drive. After catching two waves and struggling to turn the board at speed I changed the fins back to stock standard.
Over the month I experienced most conditions and most types of break. Overall I was absolutely stoked with the Minion. There were times especially at Lembongan where I would have felt more comfortable with a foot less board but then there was a lot of times when i needed the extra stability because of chop or wind or to ease the sometimes long paddle out to the reef.
Having read a number of posts on this forum about the importance of foot placement I spent a few session experimenting. In the end i found that I naturally found the right place to be. In the hollow sections more in the center and running out of wave or coming off the lip right on the kicker.
The biggest issue I had was dropping into a wave and controlling the speed. Paddling into a wave with my feet already in position sorted that.
The glide of the board was also amazing. There were times, especially at some of the Sanur breaks were the waves reformed into a really nice 2-3' wave. I saw a number of longer sups not making it, but had no problem gliding through and onto it.
I had also wondered about the durability as i have experienced the normal damage with traveling with boards in the past. Admittedly I wrapped it in corflute to travel with so no damage there. It was bounced on its rail on the boat ride in heavy seas to Lembongan and dropped on a concrete path by a porter. I had a surfer drop in on me at Canngu but the only damage was from hitting a reef and even then just a small chip on the nose. The board is the vacuum wrapped version and so is a little heavier. To date it is the most durable I have had.
I know there are critics of the design and i know that at 8'4" there are critics of the length. I've been through a number of boards and another Minion to get to this one. To travel with I don't think I could find better, for me, to suit such a wide range of conditions. At home I have tended to pick a board to suit the conditions at any one time. I don't think I will do that now.
Full marks to Simon and the team at DEEP.