Surfing Waves

Im 6'4 195lbs.Been longboarding & minimal for about 6 yrs.Surf about 3-4 days per week.I would say im reasonably fit.
Ive decided to move to the shortboard for a number of reasons.
Ive heard the CI average Joe is a starting point but cant figure out dims?
Has anyone here moved from a longboard to a shortboard and can give some advice?

You are going to get a bunch if different answers, here is mine. Buy a board in between your target board:

Get a transition board towards shortboarding. I was 5;8 195 lbs when I transitioned, instead of buying a funboard I bought a hybrid california gun. Simply put, a big fat shortboard. Mine was 7'2 x 20 1/2 x 2 3/4, but it looks like a big shortboard. Had more than enough paddle and I was actually able to duckdive it.

Another choice, and this is a debatable tioic, is to to get a big fish. Fishes where not meant to be bought big, but the king fishes are great for a transition board. They have a lot more paddle due to the extra volume and width. I had a 6'8 x 21 x 3 for a long time, I still have the same fish as a 6'1. Again, not the intended purpose for a fish but they are great for small waves after you transition down.


I rode a 6;5 x 19.5 x 2.5 after that, about a year and a half later, and still ride that size, though I have boards as small a 6'0

Baby steps is my advice....secondhand boards and go down gradually, 4-6" a step then sell it and get something else a little smaller so you don't really feel much of a difference. If your mini Mal is 7'6" X 21.5 X 2.75 then get a funboard with a pointy nose (less volume) around 7' the same width and thickness and so on. I had a kstep 7''3" like IB reccomended (big gunny good paddling with a shortboard feel) for one of my steps and it worked well just like he said. The only other recommendation is no less than 20" wide for awhile; narrower boards I tried coming down were a lot more frustrating...you just don't get the necessary speed for the stability that you need while trying to sort a smaller board, less float and new takeoff positioning and timing; a little wider really helped me. Steps around the sizes IB outlined (7'6" Mini to 7'2" to 6'8"ish to 6'5"ish) will get u down in the shorty range in good order, time depending on your frequency and amount of application while in the water.

I took a lot more steps than that and went down drastically and then back up after learning thru trial and a lot of error....and when it comes to buying boards I understand that I have a problem and only take comfort in knowing that I am not alone....

Only other thing is that if at all possible, keep one or two of the previous boards as you step down...that way when you have a few frustrating seshs in a row you and reignite your stoke and surf something larger and easier....I work out issues I have when I get stuck on the smaller board and go up in size to re address a basic technique then reapply to the smaller board again; usually gets me over the hump and saves on frustration.