Surfing Waves

I bought my first board the other day.. one of the most exciting days in my recent surfing life. It's a 6 8" pointed nose with a squared round tail. Is this technicly a long board or a short board?

It is a short board - as defined by the narrow nose profile. It is a large shortboard however and is well suited to a beginner shortboarder. If it is a narrow board (18.5" wide or less across the widest point) it would also be suited to larger than average waves for an experienced surfer of average weight.

Make sense?

Cool understood... as with the pro's the bigger the waves the bigger the board...althought mine is like 6 8" 20 1/2 and 2 2/72 thick. so its's proabably a lot wider than what most experienced would use.
I have used a 8f, 7 4" and a 6 6" and i one that i could manage the best and still get up on was the 6 8" , hence why I bourght the size I did. The only drama i have is- although i have been doing heaps of training... paddleing on a smaller board is tougher.. like when i am trying to catch a wave i feel almost like i am getting sucked backwards towards the wave although i am trying to paddle my little heart out. I have tried using differecne strokes.. long stong paddles versed small panicked strokes. Is there something i should be doing like leaning more forward the board or something?Or is it all just about practice?

That board sounds about right for you, and as for the paddling thing - its really hard to tell what the score is without seeing you paddling so best to just ask one of the better surfers what they think next time you're out. But practice will improve things - as long as you are practising the correct technique that is ! Basically just make sure the board is flat when paddling so not dragging the tail by sinking it nor nosediving - nose tip about 2-ish inches out of the water. Oh yeah and long powerful strokes rather than short scrappy ones.

"6 8" 20 1/2 and 2 2/72 thick"
It depends on your weight. if you are a feather, like 140lbs you have a long board as far as width, length and thickness with a short board shape. If you are like 180 plus its a wide shortie.

To the originl poster.
There are several things that affect your ability to catch waves. Firstly, your nose is too far out of the water and you lose energy by having your back-half too deep in the water. Secondly, you simply are not paddling hard enough. Or thirdly, the nose of the board is quite narrow compaired to your other boards and you are doing everything right but you just can't get it to "plane" on the water. This is a common thing for guys used to wider nosed funboard & fish shapes with noses 14" or wider (as measured 12" back from the nose)when they get on narrower nosed boards. By narrow nosed I mean 10.5"-12" or so.

On these boards it's harder to get going...but they are better rides when up & running.

Or you just suck and will never surf!!!!!1

To brent ..well being a chick i am a bit heavier than most and am like 5 5" but am pretty muscelly as i train most days am am 130 lbs. I have actually started pulling myself further up the board just before i start to paddle for a wave which seems to help a fair bit. My board isn't that narrow at the nose. I supose since i haven't really been surfing for 3 mths it's all about practice...thanks heaps for the advice.. makes perfect sence.
oh and Rctkj.. thanks for the works of encouragement but do the same rules still apply that you mentioned earlier since i am smaller than 140lbs?

Thanks to Brooster for the words of wisdom.. as everyone says practice makes perfect.

Cool Tadwablue. The thing I notice most with learning women surfers is they are not "aggressive" enough when catching a wave. They paddle & that's it. If you watch guys, when they really want a wave it's a do or die all-out effort for 2-3 secs...then they're away.
Try being aggressive...see if that helps.

Great so no more ms nice aust surfer chick... grrrrr
ganna go rip the bejesus out of my local break and heaven help any more marine animal (or bloke for that matter) that gets in the way of me and my waves.
It probably hasn't really helped that most of the swell that we have been getting her has only been 1-2feet with no kick ...(hence the long delay in the WTC men pro @ bells beach) victoria's cost has resembled a pond in recent weeks and i am sure my gold fish has better breaks at his bowls reef than what bells had the other week.
Am going up to the gold coast in 7 weeks go will be hammering by them on bigger waves.. be sure to advise on progress

tadwablue wrote: ...victoria's cost has resembled a pond in recent weeks and i am sure my gold fish has better breaks at his bowls reef than what bells...

niice... I gotta use that sometime.

feel free.. there are plenty more from where that came from...

If you're 4 ft 2, then 6'8 is a longboard!