Shorebreak safer for shortboarders?

[BaNZ]

I was the only longboard that day. Wave was thick and breaks very close to the shore. I see everyone else surf all the way inside so I followed. When the lip came crashing down i had nowhere to go. Landed on my head and back a few times. Got a few cuts and bruise when i took the full force of it. Had to hold my head down and pray i dont get it by my own board.

But when i see the shortboarders, they dont seem to be bothered at all. Everytime when i get up i had to check whether my board is still in one piece. Normally i dont surf if it breaks so close to the shore, but i was itching to go in the water.

[peazz]

Shortboarders have to take the drop at a more critical point in the wave (steeper) hence why they are further in

When you shortboard u are able to duck dive your board, after a while u gain confidence in these conditions because u know how to 'spot it coming' and 'get out the way'.

Dont let it phase u mate

[oldmansurfer]

Used to be that some breaks like pipeline were really difficult for longboarders to surf. Now the modern designed longboards do much better but still shortboards have an advantage in certain waves. However lots of longboarders never deal with steep faced fast breaking waves so maybe it's just getting used to it. When you wipe out make sure you kick the board away from you (and anyone else) and land flat (with your body horizontal to the bottom). If you are getting driven into the bottom going through the wave then learn to avoid being where the lip is coming down. Try to time it better. Watch and if the wave is going to break on you stay inside or go back inside and let it break then go through it or go sideways to get away from the lip. If you absolutely have to take a hit from the lip abandon your board and dive for the bottom and brace yourself on the bottom. It's a little more difficult to rapidly generate speed down the line with a longboard but that is what you need to surf fast breaking steep waves. Depending on the size of waves near the shoreline and the depth of the water I will stand and hold my board above the wave while leaning forward so I don't get driven back and walk out then stand inside the break till it lets up enough to let me paddle out. If it's bigger I go to the side where the waves are smaller and go out there.

[dtc]

Shorebreaks can be really hard for longboarders because the typical shore break doesnt build up and then break, it goes 'up and over'. As peazz said, a shortboard can catch that, a longboard cant (you also need a bit more time to get a longboard up to speed cos its heavier).

On the up side, when you are in a normal 'build up and break' situation, you can catch the waves before the shortboarders and cruise past them (looking admiringly at you...)

[oldmansurfer]

One other thing I noticed with my longboard was that it didn't like to hang on a wall so if the wave was really steep it would end up at the bottom which gives less push and you go slower. On bigger waves you can just turn back up but on smaller waves you might get hit by the lip.