08 Jan All about surf training on a longboard

All about surf training on a longboard Surf training for beginners always starts with a softboard. After some time you will be able to choose what you prefer: longboard or shortboard, small fun waves or bigger and aggressive waves. Some people think, that only shortboard can be considered as professional surfing, and longboards are for beginners. In this article we will nail all the truth about longboards and why surf training on it can be felt like it was created for you.

Reasons to love the longboard

Small rolling waves

Wave conditions are the main reason for choosing a certain type of surfboard. Sometimes the only waves you get to surf are small with no decent swell, or, you might find yourself at the spot where the big waves are rare. Small waves like big boards. The extra flotation and paddle power that come with a big board make it easier to catch them, the extra weight helps you to carry on, and the lower rocker lets you plane even when going in a straight line. There are other types of boards that will work well in small conditions, but the longboard is always a great choice when it’s small and rolling.

Noseriding

The front 1/3 of the board is the main difference between the longboard and other surfboards. On most surfboards, the nose doesn’t serve any particular reason, except for putting stickers on it. ☺ But with longboards, you can actually spend most of your time on the nose. Noseriding comes with cross stepping and footwork, which means you get to walk to the front and back throughout the ride. Longboard is perfect if you’re looking for the new surfing experience.

More rideable days a year 

Wave conditions is what defines our surfing experience. And this is pretty much out of our control. Sometimes the waves are perfect but we can’t make it to the spot, and other times we have all the time in the world and it is just flat.  Having a longboard helps ensure that you will be able to actually surf on more days of the year. 4ft glassy waves are ok to ride on almost any type of board. But with a longboard you can have a fun session on 1ft waves. So now instead of only surfing 200 days a year, you will be able to make use of like 300.

Catching more waves

You can actually catch more waves. If you are an advanced surfer, you can probably catch any wave you want.  If you’re a beginner, a longboard will help ensure you get plenty of standing time.  If you happen to be all alone on the spot, you can spend a whole sessions doing turns and burns, paddling out, turning back and so on. Longboards are great for beginners because catching waves becomes so easy. But even for the advanced surfers, catching more waves means better understanding of how waves form and break.

Relaxed surfing style

First word that comes to mind when you think of a longboard is “style”. Longboards have certain grace to them. Longboarding can be a great way to relax. It’s easier to share waves when longboarding, since most people will get the waves they paddle for, so there aren’t many paddle battles and the spot is normally very friendly. If you’re looking for a way to relax and relieve stress, longboarding might be for you.

Reasons not to love the longboard

The wave is steep and hollow, shallow bottom

Longboards are great in many conditions. But when it comes to waves that rise quickly, this might not be the best choice. You can deal with the steep waves once you’re cruising, and you may tube from there on. But managing a wave that comes in fast might be troublesome. A longboard will tend to dug right into the floor, sand, rock or reef.

Maneuverability

Longboards aren’t maneuverable for a fact. If you’re attempting to make quick turns, you are left with 2/3 of the board sticking out of the water which is quite goofy. Even on the lighter longboards, maneuverability is relative. If you’d like to be able to dig rail and make full turns as you shoot off the bottom, you’re not going to want a longboard.  There are a few amazing longbaorders that will argue that you can do anything on a longboard. But we’re not them, shorter boards are still easier to maneuver for most people.

Big waves and duck diving

Surfing on a 3′ day is nice. Paddling out on a 12′ day is a different story. Spots with channels are ok, but finding yourself caught inside on a longboard might be a trouble. On a shortboard, you’d just duckdive. With a longoard, your best option would be to turtle, but at some point you’d proably find yourself being dragged back towards the shore with the board tumbling in the whitewater. Smaller boards work best for the waves with lots of power.

You don’t like dancing

Longboarding is a lot like dancing. It has got a style, involves some footwork, spinning and poses. If this is not your thing, adopt the shortboard style on a longboard or simply switch to shorter boards.

Big board – big troubles

The longboards are actually long, wide, thick and heavy. Storing, transporting and handling a longboard might become an issue if you have a small car, small house and small arms. The question if your board fits in the car and through your front door might depend on that difference between an 8′ funboard and a 9’6″ noserider. Travelling is another aspect to consider. One of the reasons not to ride a longboard would be getting it from a point A to point B. Some airlines charge more for boards over 7′ and others don’t take anything over 10′. Getting to some beaches might be close to impossible (imagine climbing 300 steps up with a log). If you really love longboarding, you will put up with it, but if you’re still deciding, this is something to consider.

Conclusion

When choosing a surfboard, consider something that will fit your personality, surfing style and the waves you’re willing to ride. You might enjoy the aggressive shortboard style and decide that logs are not for you, but maybe surfing will mean comfort and relaxation to you – then longboard might be your best option. Riding a few different types of boards is best though. When one style of surfing gets proficient, you can switch to another, that can actually help you perceive the surfing from a fresh perspective. We surf to enjoy ourselves, and being on a good board is the first step to having fun.