Can i start surfing with a shortboard?

Question

Can i start surfing with a shortboard?

Answer 1

Absolutely not recommended.  First, you will have difficulty catching waves.  Second, you will exhaust yourself paddling around (both catching waves and paddling out).  Third, you will be taking off later on the wave because it is difficult to catch a wave early with a shortboard, which is very difficult for someone starting off.  Fourth, because a shortboard is harder to paddle, you may not be able to paddle fast enough to get out of the way of people riding the waves.  Fifth, when learning, you must have a board that is easy to paddle and stand on; a shortboard does not have these qualities.  Sixth, you need to be able to catch a wave to learn.  Seventh and final reason, you need to build confidence in order to progress and enjoy surfing; a longboard will enable you to catch waves and stand up easier.

Answer 2

it depends on your size and fitness. if you are a smaller person it should be fine. just choose a thicker shortboard, around 6'6''. if you are larger than maybe a mini mal?

Answer 3

yep u sure can. though it will take a bit longer

Answer 4

its h**l hard from going to not being able to surf to learning on a shorboard. my advice get a long chucky board to start with

Answer 5

You can, but starting with a longboard will make learning faster, as they are more stable to ride.

Answer 6

i dont know how good you are so, if you want to go buy a short board, but is way different than a longboard, i dont reccomend them for beginners

Answer 7

Anyone can surf on a shortboard. How athletic you are will determine how many waves you catch, how well you paddle, and how much fun/frustration you have.

What the poster above me stated works if you're a kid. Kids are so nimble and can pick up stuff quickly. You'll notice he said he's been shortboarding since he was 6. Once you pass your adolecent years something happens and your body becomes stiff and you're not as agile. I've seen tons of newbie surfers struggle on shortboards floundering  looking like chickens without heads and they never really progress with their surfing. There are a few exceptions (natural/gifted athletes) but most of us are average when we start off.

I firmly believe that the key to progressing quickly is catching as many waves as possible and if you surf in weak gutless waves most of the time, it will be very difficult for the average beginner to stand up and ride the wave. In this case, I would recommend getting a funboard or longboard because they catch way more waves and are much easier to stand up on. Once you build your paddling muscles up and learn to surf the wave  you can then go to a shorter board.

On the flip side, if you surf a spot with good waves and have above average athletic ability, perhaps you'll want to take a stab at shortboarding.

The answer really depends on a number of variables including how fast you want to progress. If you're intent on using a smaller board but only have average athletic ability and or surf in gutless waves, you'll probably take quite a while to improve with an abundance of frustrating sessions. The same person longboarding will have much more fun and surfing better than the surfer who decided to shortboard first.

I personally started surfing in Hawaii on a longboard...caught tons of waves...learned to surf the wave for what it gave me and when longboarding got boring I gave shortboarding a try. It took some time to get the hang out of it but now I ride shorties if the waves are waist high or bigger. Longboarding has helped smooth out my surfing style and I surf with what the wave gives me. I recommend all surfers to mix longboarding with shortboarding as well as riding other types of boards, fishes, retros, funboards, because you learn valuable lessons from riding different  boards.

Answer 8

MN girl is making her learning experience too complicated and long, seems ridiculous doing all of that when you can just get a long board and be surfing in no time. you can learn on a short board but you need patience because it will take 10 times longer and be 10 times harder. you should at least start with an 8'0

Answer 9

Although learning on a shortboard may take a bit longer, initially

IT WILL BE THE BEST DECISION OF YOUR LIFE.

Learning on a longboard is usually a bad idea. Although you will be able to stand up easily, down the road it will make no difference. Many people who learn on longboards get addicted, which is no problem IF YOU WERE ACTUALLY SURFING.

I learned on a 5'8 and rode it from when I was 6, till now and I am 15. I have better balance and a better feel for waves, since longboarding for beginners is closer to driving a boat.

If you are interested in becoming a longboarder, it's still almost better to learn on a shortboard, because your balance and control will be better. Then you can be a cool longboarder, with style and grace.

My friend is 12 and began to learn on a longboard and he CAN NOT SURF with any skill yet.

GO FOR IT

Answer 10

I am learning on a shortboard...sort of,  Igo out and paddle around and am learning the water a bit ya know, but then Im using a bodyboard to catch waves and learn waves a bit, and after I get a little better on the shortboard were renting a longboard just so I can learn to stand up and stuff...do whatever you want and figure it out as you go :)