Short Board Question

cabla

I hope some of you can help me with this. I am looking to take surfing a little more seriously now. I have been surfing a few times now and naturally I love it. I can get up on a long board or mini malibu easily enough, not 100% but maybe after a warm up I can get on a good bit.

I am looking to take it to the next step, along with a bigger commitment I would love a bigger challenge. I just wanna know how someone gets on to a short board. Do they just get one and practise and practise, or is there some sort of progression? I do have quite good balance and I am 6ft if that makes any difference.

Hope my question isn't too stupid.

Thanks

seachto7

Can you get out back? Are you only standing up in white water or are you catching unbroken waves.
Can you turn? If so, how are they?

The reason I ask is I thought the same thing, and tried out shorter boards, but not shortboards, and found I still had a lot to learn.

Personally I stuck with longer boards, as I just wanted to cruise, I didn't want to do fancy turns etc etc.

If it were me I would stick with what you have until you find you can do everything on it. Then, borrow or rent a shorter board (many variations of them!), and see how you get on before committing.

What length is your current board?

steviesorous

Hey, agree with seachto here, being able to stand up, top, bottom turn and cut back would really have to be non issues if your getting a shortboard. its also really important to be able to control your speed and be able to generate speed. Shortboarding is all about turns and speed (and barrels )

I started out on a 7'4 epoxy mal about 5 years ago and moved onto a 6'4 fibreglass board after i think it was about 6 months once i had my feet and got doing turns. In hindsight the move was maybe too big, spent to many sessions in that early shortboard stage very frustrated but eventually got to grips with it after a month or so, but i was "surfing" on a daily basis then. If your only getting out every week or so i certainly wouldn't recommend it, progression will take you ages unless your at a decent enough level on a bigger board first.

OldGuysRule

Personally I stuck with longer boards, as I just wanted to cruise, I didn't want to do fancy turns etc etc.

Being on a longboard does not stop you doing fancy turns etc, in fact it should open up may more options and styles to you. Longboarding and shortboarding are different styles, longboarding is not just cruising or taking the easier way out.

seachto7

I agree with you OldGuysRule. What I should have said was I never wanted to imitate Kelly Slater :o:o

.....I wish......

Sport101

I'd suggest you move to a fish first and see how you like it.
Moving to a short board is a long process, unless you can get to the sea regularly. Paddle power reduces significantly as you go down in size too, so fitness may become an issue.
Good luck.

AnonymousPrime

I agree with sport101. Get something that is considered a shortboard but has a bit more meat.

Choose your days to surf carefully as you will find it is more difficult to get out back initially.

Work hard on your paddling tecnique.

After all of that, unfortunately it is like learning to surf all over again but best do it sooner rather than later yeah?

cabla

Great bit of information guys. Appreciate it all. As I am somewhat of a newbie and inpatient guy I was just seeing what the best method would be to transfer to a shorter board.

I have a fair idea now what I have to do now so I'll work on that. Fitness shouldn't be a problem with me, but I recon as a few of you have said, it's gonna be technique that I need to work hard on.

Again, thanks for the posts!

Raffeal

Would agree with the guys above, don't move onto a short board or fish for that matter, you're technique will suffer for it. when you say a mini mal I assume you're talking about a bic so for a big guy that's not a big board.

Practice late take off's in the critical part of the wave (the peaking part), you'll have plenty of fun on a mini mal doing that. Work on your paddling technique, It's more about where to be and when to start paddling though. As a rule and more then around 4 strokes and you're starting too early and are in the wrong place. Fitness will get you out back, experience and technique will catch the waves.

if you move onto a short board too early your technique will suffer, you'll probably either start paddling way too early to catch waves, and become unsteady on the board or start climbing or poping up into the wrong place to compensate. They're hard habits to break.

If you're determined though go to a shaper, like Mark (powersource) in Donegal and get him to make a board for you. Off the shelf is a little cheeper but not a whole lot.

See you out back some day

Raffeal

andreic

has a power source 6'3 x 19"3/4 x 2"3/8 for sale

A second hand board give you a way of trying short boards for decent money, could be an idea

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=2056144536

Cecil Mor

Shortboarding is not the next step, its a different direction!

A progressively designed mini-mal is a better bet.