Volume versus length question

[Big H]

Depends on how big you are too....OMS you aren't a small guy....relatively speaking a 5'2" person vs a 6'2" person will have different perspectives on what is "short"....same goes for a 60kg person vs a 90kg person....

[oldmansurfer]

Of course there are preferences but the industry is set up to sell shortboards along the scale of what the pros use when most surfers would be happier with longer boards at least at first.

[Big H]

There was an Indonesian cat, about 35yers old and 60kg surfing a bodyboard at the break yesterday. Standing that is. Was getting a little run on it but not too far before bogging out. Still impressive though.

[Tudeo]

There are two ways of looking at this - the DBB theory, which is that more volume is (up to a point) never a disadvantage. And the decrepit old man theory (which I have made up since I am also 45), which is that you pretty much have only a few years left to surf shorter boards - if you haven't surfed a 5-9 by the time you are 50 or so, chances are you will never be able to (properly) surf a 5-9...

I think I combined both approaches when buying the Addvance 606, I'm 52 (6ft,73kg). I was seriously thinking of buying a longboard but then thought I can do that later when I'm too old and unfit to surf the shorter boards.

Before that I was using a 7'9" malibu shape. I could catch a lot of waves with it but I wanted more dynamic surfing. Next being shorter my Add also weighs only about 4kg, what is a *lot* lighter then my 7'9". Altogether I can still do easy cruising and even walk halfway up the nose when the wave flattens, but now I can also do more radical moves.

But before everything u must be able to catch the waves also when competing in crowds. For this reason I advise everybody to get the shortest and lowest volume board u can paddle. Of Course u must sit more inside in the lineup to catch ur waves, and to give this old man time to get to his feet first

[Big H]

Surf canggu and it doesn't matter if you are up or not unfortunately.

[Tudeo]

Surf canggu and it doesn't matter if you are up or not unfortunately.

Shouting helps sometimes

Btw. that clip of Devon Howard on the Surfsimply page is just beautiful. I like this flowing style so much more than that aggressive WSL style.

Interesting to see him move only his back foot, back for carving and forward for acceleration. The front foot never left it's position the whole clip.

[waikikikichan]

I was seriously thinking of buying a longboard but then thought I can do that later when I'm too old and unfit to surf the shorter boards.

Whoa, wait a minute. What did you just say ?

[jaffa1949]

Never mind the width feel the length!
Uncle Jaffa rides boards that enable him to ride a this best, no longer short! ( oxymorons) .
There is no debate ride what you can ride best, try driving with a putter!

DTC are you trying to evoke a response from a plaintiff there?
Ride long on a good day and you won't be caught under the short and curly !

[dtc]

That wasn't my quote. Something to do with the quote marks

I'm all for longer boards. Never surfed a board shorter than I am and almost certainly never will.

[waikikikichan]

i pressed the quote button on Tudeo's comment. But no worries all around. I just thought it sounded funny if it's interpreted as "Longboards are for old out of shape surfers". It is interesting hearing all the talk about volume when my board is about 70 + liters ( being 5'2" 54 kg )

[Tudeo]

I just thought it sounded funny if it's interpreted as "Longboards are for old out of shape surfers"

Ah, sorry for that

I didn't want to say that as a general statement, It was(is) just my line of thinking. In the last few years I already lost a lot of fitness, I want to get as much stoke as possible in the limited time I have left surfing. I get more of that surfing shorter boards, that's all.

And I can only hope to fall back onto longboards when the time comes that I cannot catch waves on shorter boards anymore. Hmm.. I'm not sure if this post helps, anyway just my humble opinion

Btw. my Addvance packs 48l in 6'6" lenght, I wouldnt go so far as saying its a small board

[jaffa1949]

Uncle Jaffa is 6ft weights a100kg so like all humans about 75% water that gives an approximate volume at about 80 litres And he can body surf he is a twin fin with round tail and a broken nose.
His equipment was shaped in the first half of the last century and has seen better days but he still gets it out in the ocean at regular intervals.

[Swimmy Tim]

It's a good debate, short long fat, whatever. If you haven't seen this article, many of the best selling shorboards in the world right now are the higher volume models (CI Average Joe, Hayden Hypto-Crypto, Firewire Dominator, Lost RV). I think the general trend these days is more volume on shortboards, even the performance elite have moved away slightly from the taco chips flogged by Slater et al back in the day.

http://stabmag.com/the-10-best-selling- ... s-of-2014/

As far as longboards go, no doubt they're capable high performance, same with SUP for that matter --- go to Hawaii if you haven't seen for yourself. Some serious rippers there.

[oldmansurfer]

I guess it doesn't amaze me that people want to buy what the pros use even though they won't get the same results. There is a disposable mentality about surfboards now also. They are made so light that there is no way they will survive for long. There is some eco concious goal that pro surfers should deal with..... how to recycle boards or to get boards made that do what they want but aren't disposable (don't break easily and regularly) or get boards made that can be recycled. I get boards made that will last for a long time. I don't go through 200 boards a year and may still be using all my boards for years to come if I can still physically use them LOL

[drowningbitbybit]

There is no debate ride what you can ride best

As long as "best" is defined as "having the most fun" and not "can do a certain trick" or "can ride the furthest"

[jaffa1949]

There is no debate ride what you can ride best

As long as "best" is defined as "having the most fun" and not "can do a certain trick" or "can ride the furthest"

Definitely

[oldmansurfer]

DBB I wasn't talking about you LOL well I see these guys surfing with these short boards having trouble catching the waves and they are young fit guys and me out of shape overweight old man is catching the waves they can't catch cause I am surfing a board a couple feet longer than their board.

[IanCaio]

Well, I am with you DBBB. Not everyone rides a shortboard because it's what the pros ride. For me it's what was available and what I could carry inside a bus.
Sometimes I feel a little "terrorism" over shortboards, like people only ride because it's what the pros are seem with. I know there are lots of people that get ahead of themselfs or just try to look cool with a shortboard, but there are people who ride them for different reasons.

The age and board size talk reminded me, on my last session I was for a while beside a sir who seemed over 60, shredding on a shortboard! Really cool

[oldmansurfer]

More specifically about length and volume this is my uneducated thoughts. Volume is important in the way the board floats you so ideally the volume would be right below your weight as you paddle as there is less benefit to volume that is in front or behind you. More volume will make it more difficult to duck dive. A longer board will get more push from the wave as you paddle for it depending on shape but given the same basic shape a longer board will get into waves easier even if they have the same volume. Once you get moving volume has little to do with the way the board handles unless you are going very slow but length can affect it in terms of more weight in front of the part of the board that contacts the water in turns. A really shortboard will be burried in a hard turn but the same hard turn on a longer board will have the same mount of the board buried and the longer portion sticking out over the water. This requires more force to run and slows down the process. So volume isn't too much of a concern except how it affects your paddling and duck diving.

[oldenglish]

I'm gonna chime in here.

First, in regards to the joe. The board carries a ton of volume for its length. I have a friend who recently bought a 6'1 maybe a 6'0. I'm 5'9 close to 190 and the volume felt a bit excessive. It caught waves very well and paddled well. I think as long as you have some experience getting up on a shortboard and making your own speed you will be fine going shorter. The board was so big that pushing on it hard for speed pumps caused it to slide out. It probably needed bigger fins in but was definitely way oversized (I will get into this later).


Volume Vs. Length, is not as simple as it sounds. Length adds glide. Just like when swimming. Extension of arms and lengthening the vessel helps cruise and maintain speed. Longer short boards are often easier to paddle even if lower in volume than short stubby grovel boards. They take fewer strokes to get up to speed and continue to maintain their speed much longer.

So how does the high volume but very short board help you on smaller waves? Once you have caught the wave it is easier to continue planeing. Less work making speed turns and milking the pocket than on a foiled out shortboard. In laymans terms it sinks a lot slower than a high performance shape. Also the reduced length allows a good surfer to fit more turns in on shorter smaller waves. This is the opposite for longer high performance short boards where you have a much lower volume usually due to foil (thin thin rails). The hpsb usually uses a lot more rail for turns allowing larger drawn out turns that work a lot better in waves offering a bigger canvas to draw your line where sinking is not a problem and control of speed becomes more important than creating speed.


In regards to length, these boards are shaped to be ridden very short. Over volumed and these boards generally get hard to control since they are very wide with full rails. This is why people generally ride larger fins on thick and wide boards in order to keep them tied down to the water.

If it were me, I would consider my ability to ride a board 3-4 inches shorter than me. If I doubt my ability to surf that short of a board I would look at finding a board made to be ridden at the length I'm considering and not try to ride a board in a way that goes against the shapers recommendations.