Starting to surf?

Question

When just beginning on a surf board whats better long or short board, im very athletic and snowboard(i know its way different) but i catch on to things really fast and like to push it to the limit. Long boards look like they jsut ride straight i want to make cuts and go crazy. and any tips of the differences between riding a long or short board, getting up, etc?

Answer 1

I started on a long board and found it WAYY easier but it all depends on what style you want.  Longboard is more relaxed while shortboards can do more tricks and are faster.  Have fun surfing =]

Answer 2

You're definitely gonna want to hit up the short board. It's easier to pick up, and id say that its overall more fun. Plus it allows you to do all those turns and cuts that you want to do. And on the subject of getting up and etc., it's all just based on experience.

Answer 3

There are good things about both long and short boards.  I ride both (one at a time , of course). In the mid sixties, like almost everybody else, I started on a  longboard. I went shorter and shorter every summer, during the 'short board revolution.' After getting out of the service, I had afew years of sporadic surfing, before I got back to surfing as much as possibly could. (I've driven 650 miles to go surfing!).  I found some days that were just too small anything but a longboard. Just riding one size board is very limiting, conditions change daily in most places.

I am old, and fat and slow, so even my shortboard is 7'6". My 6'4" is a collectors' item now. Not every break has ripper, head high waves every day. A longboard is great for plenty of glide in that knee high stuff. One more reason to surf every chance I can.

You need a board that will float you well enough for you to take off (paddle and catch a wave). Most people learn best on long boards, although I have seen lots of surfers start on a short board and master it. Long boards are ideal for learners. There are also good internediate length boards to learn on, funshapes, mini-mals and some hybrids. You can always trade in a board and buy a new one when you are ready for a change (or keep your long board. I bought a new long board about 6/7 years ago, and, like I said, there are some days that it's the perfect board for the conditions).

There are no RULES for learning how to surf. Go to a good local surf shop and talk to the surfers there. They will give you good advice for what works in the local breaks you will be riding.

Learning to surf is more than just standing up on a surfboard. If you are going to surf, you should be a competent ocean swimmer. Not just good in a pool, but able to swim in the surf, and when the undertow and rips are strong. I have seen lots of good pool swimmers get rescued.

Once you get that far, I would recommend some surf lessons. Go to a REAL surf shop (not a bathing suit store that sells some surfboards). The folks there will rent you a board and hook you up with some lessons. If you are fairly athletic with okay balance, you will learn how to stand up fairly easily. Much more important, is for you to learn surf etiquette. A good instructor will make sure you understand the "rules" so that everybody else in the water doesn't want to kill you before you get good at surfing.

As far as snowboarding compares to surfing, both activities require some good balance and flexibility. Beyond that, they are apples and oranges.

Surfing is an ocean sport, and athletically speaking, you need to catch the wave, as opposed to having gravity start you off down hill. Catching the wave can be one of the hardest things to learn.

With all that said, snowboarding must be really cool (not for me, however, snow is something I only like to see on Christmas cards), and I am sure that the conditioning and balance skills developed snowboarding sure can't hurt.

It is not hard to learn to surf, but it is important to learn all the elements. Learn how to handle yourself in the ocean. We don't want the beach patrol and Coast Guard searching for your body. Learn the mechanics of surfing, and most importantly learn surf etiquette.

I have been surfing for over forty years, and some days, I'm not a good as I used to be, but it is the greatest stoke there is.