Surfing Waves

Hey guys!

I have a question that I haven't been able to find the answer to anywhere online. I've been surfing for the past four years almost daily. Although I can short board I prefer longboarding but have only done so in about 4-6 foot waves. I'd like to up my longboarding skills and be out there on bigger days of 8+ feet but I'm scared I'm going to snap my board in half. NOT because I'm going to fail dropping in on a wave but because I'm going to need to turtle as soon as a giant wave is about to crash on my face.

SOOOO my question is, for the more experienced longboarders, will my board be able to take these impacts straight on? Should I turtle the waves and hope my board doesn't snap if the wave lands right on the board? if the wave is about to land right on the board do I ditch the board and dive deep? (of course making sure no one is behind me). Any help would be awesome! I have a beautiful 9' 6" and chickened out making it past the break in fear of the board snapping on a larger wave. Thanks!!!

If you want to get really injured, or break a board, a good way to do it is to sit right under the lip of a big wave as it breaks on top of you. Think about how heavy the water is.

The answer to your question is - don't position yourself so the wave will crash on your head. It shouldn't be that hard - you can tell where the wave is going to break, don't be there when it does. Sit back, or whatever, then paddle hard to get past the break.

Will your board survive if you get it wrong - probably. If its a well built longboard. Those small thin shortboards built with 4oz glassing will snap; but a good solid 3inch LB with 2x6oz glassing is pretty strong.

Where is your home spot. Hawaiian scale 4-6 feet isn't the same as California scale. Are we talking Head and half feet tall waves or Double over ?

In the twenty years surfing a longboard, I've broken two of them. Each was not on the wave but getting out. One was brand new first day, 3 waves ridden, then snapped. Clean up set at Makaha. Held on, should have ditched it.

If you don't want to break your board, then use more of you Brain and not Brawn. Paddle in and around if you have to. Don't fight the wave, work with it. Count the sets and know when you should start to paddle back out after a ride. But if you're the only longboarder at a heaving beach break, I can't say much other than worry more about breaking your neck than your board.

Is your 9'6" gloss polished 50/50 rail single fin ?

recently I turned turtle on a wave with a ten foot face right where it was breaking. The wave was crumbly but it pounded me solidly then ripped the board out of my hands and other than that it wasn't too bad but if I were to do it again I would probably abandon the board and swim for the bottom. I haven't ever broken a board in two but I do try to avoid the lip. I would say that in additon to avoiding the lip avoid dangerous waves with shallow reefs or that break close to rocky shorelines or cliffs.

Don't throw boards away!

Glass them more strongly.

This is what's left of my first board. Had it for 2 months only. At least now it fits inside the car.

BaNZ, is that an epoxy board? How did you manage that?

I've posted this before, the precursor to the happy snap was a crease across the bottom of the board and damage to the glass laps on the rail.
Eskimo roll through the smallest shorebreak

It's glassed super strong, I'm pretty sure it can hold its fair share of hits. I never thought about actually timing and waiting haha. With a short board I always just kept going but it makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the help everyone! =D

dtc wrote:BaNZ, is that an epoxy board? How did you manage that?

It is an epoxy board. Got thrown over the lip, but it was only 3-4 feet wave. Shore break but then the water was at least chest high so it is unlikely to have dugged into the stand. I ditched the other part as it was sucked into a rip.

Was a second hand board so I suspect it might have been damaged previously. Check the photo, it broke off quite cleanly but I think the yellow stuff might be from a repair? Saying that, most people I knew who had a southpoint board either broke it or sold it as it was too easy to nosedive. But of course it was definitely my lack of experience and skills.

Looks dirty but it isn't that bad, the sand from the beach is black and with 25+ water with 30+ air. It melts the wax pretty quickly and driving in a tunnel with polluted air for 15km does that to your board.