MF Beastie Epoxy Lam 7'6 review: a step-up soft top, not a first board
Updated 2026-09-20
The MF Beastie Epoxy Lam is a 7'6 soft top thruster, built as the step up model above a beginner soft board rather than as a first board itself. It is the one to reach for once a rider has outgrown the standard learner foamie.
What it is and why I bought it
Another Mick Fanning soft board that turned up alongside a Super Soft model, this one had no bolts on the deck for the fins, running Futures boxes with a set of Futures Safety F8 fins fitted instead. Measured against the box label of 7'6 x 22 5/8 x 2 7/8, it actually came in a touch thinner, closer to 3 1/8 through the middle, and noticeably heavier and thinner railed than the softer beginner model it sat alongside.
How it surfed
Taken out in some genuinely ordinary, waist to chest high waves, it paddled well and duck dived without much trouble despite its extra weight. That weight is actually part of the appeal: once it gets moving it carries momentum through flat sections rather than losing speed the way a lighter board can. The bottom carries a slight single to double concave, giving it a bit more contour than a typical soft top and helping bridge the gap between a foamie and a fiberglass board. Being able to pull the fins and try a different Futures setup, rather than being stuck with fixed fins, is the other part of what sets it apart from a cheaper soft board. Pricing on this model sits above a basic foamie but still well under a fiberglass board of the same size.
Who it suits and who it does not
This is not the board for an absolute beginner just learning to stand up, since a softer, lighter, more forgiving model does that job better. It suits an intermediate rider, or anyone moving up from a beginner soft board, who wants something that will not get boring once basic paddling and standing are sorted, thanks to the changeable fins, thinner rails and extra weight for momentum.
Questions people ask
What fins does the MF Beastie Epoxy Lam use?
It runs Futures boxes with Futures Safety F8 fins fitted as standard, and the fins can be swapped for any other Futures setup, including twins or a two plus one.
Is the Beastie Epoxy Lam good for beginners?
Not as a first board. It suits an intermediate rider or someone stepping up from a softer, lighter beginner foamie, since the extra weight and thinner rails ask a bit more of the rider.
How does the Beastie Epoxy Lam compare to a cheaper foamie?
It has a bit more bottom contour, a swappable Futures fin setup instead of fixed fins, and more weight for momentum, all of which make it feel closer to a fiberglass board than a basic soft top.
This one is still in the rack; more on where it fits sits on the quiver hub. For another beginner-friendly foamie in the record, see the Quicksilver Bat. For more on choosing a first board, see which surfboard should I get.