What was your first time shortboarding like?

[Cheshire]

What was your first time shortboarding like? I just started and lemmee tell you. I stink at it
The board was moving all over the place as I paddled out...never caught a wave yet..surf was only a foot high...could not pop up...paddled for 2 hours ....board felt like it was going to slip out from underneath. I was so embarassed. I would look around to see if anyone saw me paddling around like a klutz getting carried away in the current...

[deathfrog]

I can't drop in frontside on my home made shortboard...

but maybe it has to o with the fact that there's this big gouge out of it on the bottom of the left side that catches on anything...

[calisurfer]

first time shortboarding was tragic luckliy it was only me and my brother at the beach but i could barley paddle out past the break

[Cheshire]

Wow,..how long do you think on average it will take to be able to catch waves, pop up, etc ,then? I am going on monday...to waikiki...yeah i know..it will be crowed and dangerous. i'll probably get hit on the head or hit someone. But m friend is taking me there and i have no car so it's either waikiki or no surfing at all.

[Broosta]

1ft waves are quite small for a shortboard - when it gets bigger you may have more fun .

[tomcat360]

too small waves for a shortboard is probably my biggest mistake. i was stoked about my new board (for like 2 years) and then i realized that the waves suck, and progressed much faster on a longboard

this about sums it up...


tommy

[flex639]

my first time shortboarding i got lucky and the waves were pretty high so it was easy to learn

[Cheshire]

How does one pop up? on a shorboard that is. is it different than being on a long board? cuz i noticed that when i tried to pop up the board would sink,...and i would miss the wave...is it because you have to do it quickly?

[deathfrog]

as you're on the face and heading for the bottom of the water, you gotta stand up and turn away before you eat sand.(or reef)

anytime else it's too early

[Cheshire]

so as your standing up tunrn righ or left? oh boy,...it will be a year brfore i catch any waves

[tomcat360]

the bottom turn depends on which way the wave is breaking. if its an a-frame (breaking where it breaks both ways) then go whatever way you wish. if its breakin right, go right, left, go left.

so you say your riding a shortboard?

it might be in your interest to move up do a funboard for a while....

[Weebl]

Just practice on smaller waves, no bigger than 3 feet until you are able to pop up and ride down the line. You'll get the hang of it soon enough, you can't just expect to go out for your first day and rip it up do you? it takes practice, thats why surfing is so enjoyable (at least for me) because it is not as easy to learn as other sports, and you really feel acomplished when you are able to do a new trick, or even drop in for the first time!

[calisurfer]

yeah just the littlest accomplishments on a shortboard feel soooo good

[Driftingalong]

It's going to take lots of practice (time in the water). So, it depends on how often and for how long you go.
Shortboading is extra sensitive on everything.
Reading waves, postitioning on your board, positioning to catch the wave, paddling harder, popping-up faster...and because you go faster on a wave all of your timing and reaction for doing moves and turns needs to be faster.

[Cheshire]

gee, thanks alot you guys are awesome. thanks for the advice. i mean i didn't expect to start shredding waves the first day but one always hopes:lol:

[dondiemand]

first day with my shortboard was a nightmare, plus the waves were really crappy that day..i got really frustrated and thinking of buying my funboard back from the guy i sold it to..but like everyone says here, just go practice and eventually you'll get the hang of it, i got to stand on my shortbaord the second time i went, i cant make any turns yet, but i will..i always remember the line from the movie Step into Liquid, "real surfers never quit" so i guess that's where i get my motivation from

[Cheshire]

wow! you guys are die hard surfers at heart, even if you think your not, you all are because you have the gung ho go for broke attitude.

[FormosanSurfer]

It took me about 3 weeks of surfing 2/3 days a week before I was really able to ride my shortboard (6'9 super slim). I was so frustrated that I was ready to go back to the longboard. Then, bam I started catching waves. It was a super cool feeling to go from missing wave after wave, to actually catching the waves and riding them. I've been at it for about 2 months now and my shortboarding improves a little more every week. All I can say is stick with it and SURF. Surfing takes practice, lots of it. So, SURF!

[Cheshire]

ok so since my last post ive only been surfing like 8 times..seriously..i can't go often cuz of a personal issue,..family etc. so on my eighth time i tried a friends 7'0" and I caught a wave i was so happy cuz i felt really discouraged like i get the feeling that some people think it's a dumb idea to start learning on a shortboard and that we can't catch anything but it's not impossible. even though i still probably will paddle for hours it was probably just a lucky fluke i caught one

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

i learned at alamoana on a shortboard.i think it took me about 3 months going abut 3 times a week to drop in. if you sink and the wave goes past you either it was too small (you cant ride smaller waves very well on shortboards, that part of the reason people have longboards.) OR you didnt put enough weight on the front, or you didnt catch enough speed before you stood. i cant teack. goodluck