Given the self explainatory names of these boards I feel a bit stupid asking this question.

I spent the last two mornings surfing a clean little beachie on a borrowed 9ft foamy (like the surf schools use). Now I think I want to buy a mal.

I found a second hand performance mal from a credible local shaper but I am put off a bit by the "performance" label.

Does a performance mal still allow you to run up and down the board, and ride the nose?

I am not looking to rip on this thing, I just want to have fun catching heaps of waves. I only plan to ride it when the surf is not suited to my SBs. (ie:fat or small)

Or may be I should just buy a foamy like the one I have been on for the last couple of days...