A couple questions from a surf jong

[CascadeCrudSkier]

Due to a change in location, I've had to focus on surfing more than skiing this past year. Unfortunately, I'm a complete surf jong and could use some help from anyone with some experience(Supu, Tuffy?).

For a background, I'm stuck right now in Pensacola, FL; though next year I should be living somewhere on the Pacific. All the breaks are beachbreaks, and the Gulf's surf is choppy, almost always breaking on the shore, and it goes from knee high up to about 10 feet. I'm pretty comfortable in the knee high range on my longboard but once it gets about waist-rib high, I'm lucky to catch anything.

First, I'm still trying to figure out what boards I need. I have a 8'6" longboard that I'm happy with on small swells. However, when things get bigger I want to learn to use a shortboard, it just looks like more fun. I have a 7'0" 'shortboard' but that's pretty big compared to what everyone else is on in the lineup. There's a ton of used boards at a local shop but the salespeople just say that everyone of them is good. Are there certain dimensions to be looking at? Do I want a wider board for stability or a narrow board for quickness?

As far as techniques go, on the small stuff I can get away with straightahead takeoffs. Once the surf starts getting bigger though, these takeoffs result in diving my nose into the sand. The good surfers seem to angle into the waves for their takeoffs but when I paddle at an angle, I miss the wave. If I try to turn as I stand up, it's usually too late. Any tips?

That's about it for now, I'm having fun but I'd like to get better and I feel like I'm hitting a beginner/intermediate wall.

[hop]

Sorry CCS, but that beginner/intermediate wall is still a ways away. I know because I'm still looking at it in the distance.

I'd say stick with the longboard or a hybrid until you get the hang of catching and dropping into a wave and making that bottom turn. My limited experience has shown me that the bigger the board I'm on is directly proportional to the number of waves I catch and the earlier I catch them. Those two factors give me more time to figure out the bottom turn, which is crucial to setting yourself up to go down the line. Pop to your feet quick and look where you want to go -> down the line. You'll go there.

Shorter boards look like a lot more fun but they're less stable and usually require a steeper takeoff, which gives you much less time to actually get to your feet and headed down the line before you get crushed.

Take all of this with a grain of salt since I'm probably about 1 day more experienced than you (if even that!)

[GheePup]

The transition from a longboard to a shortboard can take awhile for a beginner because longboards have much more volume making them easier to paddle. When you transition to a smaller board you lose float and your timing becomes more critical. What are the dimensions on the 7'0"? Is it a "gun" or a "funboard"? Your transition will be made easier if its more of a funboard shape than a gun (i.e. more volume, wider, less rocker....etc.) Once you progress on that get something a little smaller and so on. Don't worry about what everyone else is riding.

As far as technique goes, it sounds to me like you should work on getting to your feet faster so that you can get that board on its rail to make the bottom turn. If you are taking late drops it does help to angle the board slightly toward the direction you want to go on the face of the wave.

Oh and take a look at surfline.com. There is a lot of info there including a surfing A-Z glosasary and a surfers etiquette write up.

Good luck and have fun!

[mountainbored]

( Supu,Tuffy?) He says.

Come on, I wanna see how you answer this one!

[CascadeCrudSkier]

Thanks Adam, I guess I'll stick w/ the longboard for a while. While I'm definitely still a beginner, I'm getting comfortable in the small stuff w/ my longboard and felt that if I was gonna get owned on the big stuff, it may as well be on a shortboard.

The 7'0" board has a lot of shape to it, I belive it's a more of a gun than a funboard.

[hop]

Thanks Adam, I guess I'll stick w/ the longboard for a while. While I'm definitely still a beginner, I'm getting comfortable in the small stuff w/ my longboard and felt that if I was gonna get owned on the big stuff, it may as well be on a shortboard.

The 7'0" board has a lot of shape to it, I belive it's a more of a gun than a funboard.

Trade that gun for a hybrid and you'll be set. The difference will be you holding your own in bigger surf vs. getting owned. You want something wide up front with little rocker vs. a pointy, super rockered, pintailed death sled.

[tuffy109]

( Supu,Tuffy?) He says.

Come on, I wanna see how you answer this one!

hahahaha, who? me?

[whatcomridaz]

if you are stepping up to a shorter board pick up a low to mid six fish with a big nose thats got a lot of upward curvature, it'll help keep you from pearlin when you take off late and may help you save your stick when surfing beachbreak

[Pierre LeCouloir]

CCS - how big are you? When you drop down to a performance board, that's going to be a key question. How good a paddler are you and how's your wave knowledge? Until the answer to those is "good", you'll catch more and learn faster on a longboard (an 8'6" is barely a longboard, btw) or a fun board (looks like a longboard in the nose, but usually in the 7' to 7'6" range).

I personally would not recommend you buy a fish for a long time, and (no offense whatcomridaz), but I don't know why anyone would ride a fish larger than 6' (unless you're like 230 lbs).

And don't drop in on people, even if you don't think they're going to make it.

[tarkman1]

You're worrying too much about your board.

Get out and surf as much as you can. You need the paddle strength to paddle faster. Everything hinges on paddling fast enough. Also, learning the nuances of handling the drop takes time and practice. If you take care of these, you can start to get a better idea about the board that you might want.

[whatcomridaz]

CCS - how big are you? When you drop down to a performance board, that's going to be a key question. How good a paddler are you and how's your wave knowledge? Until the answer to those is "good", you'll catch more and learn faster on a longboard (an 8'6" is barely a longboard, btw) or a fun board (looks like a longboard in the nose, but usually in the 7' to 7'6" range).

I personally would not recommend you buy a fish for a long time, and (no offense whatcomridaz), but I don't know why anyone would ride a fish larger than 6' (unless you're like 230 lbs).

And don't drop in on people, even if you don't think they're going to make it.

No worries, I'm 210+ and love the float of the 6'4. Unless I'm paddling in sets with sub 10 sec periods, its fine for duck diving. If I was smaller 170 I'd go with a 5 10 or so.

second the don't drop in, and get back on your long board a bit when the sets are larger to keep your weight back and nose up when you pop.

and remember florida surfers are so good cuz the waves are always shit.

[Pierre LeCouloir]

I'm 210+ and love the float of the 6'4.

Makes total sense. Once out of the kook phase, a fish is a hell of a board for small surf. They can be a blast in overhead surf too if you don't mind the squirrels. Sounds like CCS should definitely log about a thousand waves on something really floaty first though.

[CascadeCrudSkier]

Thanks for all the replies, though I didn't listen to most of the advice and I bought a 6'1" thruster after trying someone else's and having a blast on it. It was used and a good deal...and it's way above my ability level. I can't wait to get good at using it, though that may be a while with the smaller waves of summer on the way.

As for some of the other questions, I'm 5'7" and 145 lbs so I can get away with using a smaller board. The paddling/wave knowledge question is kind of vague, I've improved a ton since I started but there's still guys in the lineup that seem to have an extra gear that they use for paddling into waves that I can't find. However, when the waves get nasty and the inner beach breaks close out, I somehow manage to paddleout to the outer break when most people are still stuck on the shore.

I've been surfing about 2-3 times per week since last September; whenever there were waves in the Gulf and I wasn't at work I was at the beach. I'm pretty comfortable on anything on my 8'6" board but after moving down to the thruster I'm back to catching the wave becoming my primary goal.

The waves have gotten smaller now that it's spring/summer and catching waves on my longboard is pretty easy. However, I feel like a beginning skier skidding all of his turns; I know I'm losing energy on my bottom turn and that the really good surfers generate more power from each turn. Any pointers on improving this?

[addict]

Yeah, if you want a shorter board just start with something in the 6'2 to 6'5 range, but make sure it has plenty of bouyancy (hig volume), plus maybe a flatter rocker and soft rails. You should be able to buy one pretty cheap, around here they'd go 2nd hand for sub-$100.

If your 7'0 board is indeed a gun with low volume, pin tail and narrow, thin rails it will be an interesting transition. Narrow rails indeed don't give any additional speed, they just allow you to control the speed easier (think straight vs very shaped skis) when going mach looney. They are also obviously slower to turn, and the tail shape also greatly effects this. On your new board perhaps look for a moderately wide, square or round tail, nothing resembling a pin.

The next thing is rails, you don't really want sharp biting rails as a beginner. Better to get a fatter rail for softer turns and forgiveness. Good luck, in surfing the west coast is always the best coast.

[AKA]

First, I'm still trying to figure out if i like boys

you should def hang at beACH!
GAY IT UP DOG!

[hop]

you should def hang at beACH!
GAY IT UP DOG!

Now now Little Red Riding Pants, CCS was ownerizing Chamonix before you were skiing on hand-me-downs and if you're not careful, he'll helicopterize yo' ass.

[Artz]

Your the guy moving to San Diego? Are you a Naval Aviator?
Ok to your question at this stage in your surfing stick to the Longboard and if you must have a short board stick to something that has volume. The whole fish thing started in San Diego way back in the mid 1970s. Seems there is a whole movement of bring back 70's era designs. Fish are a very specialized ride. Fast as hell fun and unless you know what you doing I wouldn't recommend one for as you say a surf jong . Stay with a more conservative shape maybe a a tri fin egg. around 7'6" to 8'0" Or if you want fast down the line get an egg shaped Bonzer! fuller nose wide mid section with a little meat under you, and slightly pulled in hips with rolled rails with slight chine under the rail. Board like that would be fun in 2 foot junk to over head. IMHO most retail surf shop guys are clueless or just don't give a shit as long as you by a board. That is why you get the "They are all good crap." Find out what makes a board work and why. talk to a shaper or two or three. Someone who has spent some time mowing foam. Talk to the people who glass the boards. Find the ones that have a passion for surfing and building boards. Ask and learn, then you make up your mind what will suit you best. Oh when the surf is flat go out and paddle your board it is a good way to train.