Why a shortboarder would want a longboard. :)

[HurdyGurdyManOnAWave]

honestly, this video looks like so much fun. I've been trying to drop in on the really steep part of the wave like what some of these guys are doing. Its not easy at all and has led to a bit of frustration for these past few weeks, I gave up for a while, because I felt like I was forgetting how to surf. But it looks so cool, and I can imagine the feeling. must be exhilarating

it looks like they are going straight down on some of those waves.

if you have any other cool videos like this, please post!

[HurdyGurdyManOnAWave]

Why does it look like they were surfing in place? like they werent moving.

[Big H]

Check this list out:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=16611

[Big H]

Longboard & single fin videos I like:

...this is taken from Sprout with among others Rob Machado and Joel Tudor (in video)

....this is a short from the movie Hot Buttered Soul - Terry Fitzgerald (owner of Hot Buttered Surfboards) ripping it up on single fins

....from Morning of the Earth....close to hearts around here....

....from a crazy series centred around the exploits of pro surfer Jaime O'Brien

[oldmansurfer]

I doubt you were trying to drop into waves that size. On bigger waves they move faster and there is more water coming up the surface of the wave while you are trying to go down so it seems slow. If you watch very big waves break they seem to be in slow motion. It is just that your frame of reference for waves is small and bigger waves do actually take more time for the lip to drop although it may be moving faster than a small wave(it's taller). It is very likely some of those longboards weren't made for riding big waves but some of them were however now big wave boards are different shaped while they may still be long and wide and thick. Newer boards work better than those old boards did. Those guys knew how to take a pounding from big waves and did it repeatedly and they knew how to navigate swimming in them too because there were no leashes and no jet ski's.
If you want to take off on bigger waves then positioning becomes very important. The bigger the wave the more difficult to take off but usually a wave will have a spot that allows you to take off. A bigger board paddles better and can get you into the wave quicker but then may be more difficult to maneuver .
On steeper not so big waves the length can be a problem since the wave curves more than the board but rocker help to lessen that. The trick to taking steep drops is to first of all start off on smaller waves. Then you have to lineup in the right spot which is generally somewhere around where the lip is first pitching over and paddle harder and popup quicker and angle the board from the top. Going big just increases the difficulty.

[HurdyGurdyManOnAWave]

yeah, i definitely don't ride waves that big. there have been some around here pretty close to that size, but they were mostly closeout type waves, with a barrel and no way out, unless you were trying to catch it from outside of the peak.

its that steep angle take off. yeah, having a shortboard helps doing that on smaller-mid sized waves, i see it as possible though.

i cant believe how heavy and thick those boards were. couldn't imagine getting wacked by one of those in the water.

[HurdyGurdyManOnAWave]

Big H. thanks man... the music is authentic in these. really dig it. and the boards they have on Morning of The Earth look really sick.

[HurdyGurdyManOnAWave]

but yeah, im still a beginner, so dropping in is still a bit of a struggle. I learned how to gain a little extra speed only just the other day. It came naturally, but the launch was a bit of a surprise, i almost fell backwards off my board.

[oldmansurfer]

That movie was made about the time that I started surfing. My original board was a 6'10" diamond tail single fin , no leash. I went up to a 7'2" diamond tail single fin with a leash. Caught some huge waves with that board.
Here is something to watch

[oldmansurfer]

one more

[oldmansurfer]

Here is a video from the island I live on

[oldmansurfer]

Sup at Hanalei. It's what Laird does when the surf isn't big enough for him

[oldmansurfer]

Gerry Lopez Uluwatu