Surfing Waves

What up, so I just started surfing and I can’t get enough of it.. I’ve been snowboarding for years now but surfing is a whole new experience and I’m loving it. I’ve been surfing with a good friend of mine on rented boards (generally longer boards). He just gave me his last board its about 6’2 maybe a bit bigger. So my question is, how hard will it really be to learn to ride on a short board. He taught himself how to ride on a short board I was told, but it seems as though I am getting some negative feedback from others. it’s a great board and it would save me some cash on having to buy board myself. So what are my chances… thanks

trikz14 wrote:So what are my chances…

Small, negligible, minute, miniscule, tiny, petite

You CAN learn on a shortboard, but it'll take a long time and not be much fun

Stick with a bigger board (mini-mal or whatever) until you're surfing beyond its capabilities, THEN get a shorter board

Its not that tough. You will learn on it, it will just take more time, and some patience, however, you wont pick it up imeaditly on a longboard either. I think if you got it for free, use it. It would be stupid to put it away on a shelf, and go buy a longboard. If you're having extreme diffuculties, rent a longboard a couple times and go out with your friend. You'll get the hang of it.

Yeah suck it and see. My first board was a 6'4" and I did ok on it. Everyones different but won't hurt to ride it for a while to see if you get on with it.

yeah thats what i thought it may just take you a little longer 2 get up and running but in the long run it would help because some people have troble changing from long board to short

Using a shortboard is a major handicap. . . even assuming that you suddenly learn to surf like a shortboard pro it is still a handicap because the vast majority of waves are not able to get a shortboard going even in expert hands. My advice is to get the wave count up via a longboard, and to keep it there. . .if you want to progress get a better longboard. You only get so many days in this life. . surf on as many of them as you can. . forget the shortboard hype and go longer.

i say keep the short board and buy a long board when you get the money so you have something to ride on the big days (shortboard) and something to ride on the small days (longboard). all the hype

Bbaysurfer wrote: keep the short board and buy a long board

EXPAND YOUR QUIVER!!!!!

the vast majority of waves are not able to get a shortboard going even in expert hands

Roy you are so full of 5h1t mate , I can get going on my shortboard on anything a longboard can - and I'm maybe only halfway up the scale. Ok maybe not as fast but there's not much difference at all - bassically if I'm not having a good surf and can't do any moves then nobody is having a much better time whatever the board. I don't give a 5h1t about theories etc. I'm just going on real life experience.

Well perhaps it is fair to say that some things are outside your experience because it is a hydrodynamic fact (supported by experience) that long boards can catch and ride waves that a shortboard can't.

I remember at the 2002 Nationals in Raglan that they had to stop the competition one Saturday because no one could catch a wave in the shortboard semi finals they were running at the point. . .huge crowd there the whole bit. . . so I went out on my 13'9" and started catching long fast rides on the little peelers which were breaking almost on the rocks. . . the judges saw this and decided to start the competition again. . . so out came the shortboard hotshots again, but 'no cigar' they couldn't catch a solitary thing, and after another hour the management gave up and I went back out on my 13'9" amnd started hooking into it again. Just one example out of hundreds which illustrate my point.

I realise that it is trendy to call bullsht on me but you really can't win if you are saying that shortboards are 'all round' boards because they are not.

.

" there will always be those guys that take to something with natural ease , i believe this goes for just about anything in life "

try your short board if its free ! ... then give it your all for a few months if you feel like you are not improving on it then it makes sense to think about getting a longer board !

Ok, yes, a longboard can catch waves better then a shortboard, but i have ridden some pretty freakin tiny wave (<knee high) on my 6'0 short, which i happen to know has many of the measurments of the tim curren. Now, mabye i couldnt do all that much on those waves, but the longboarders couldnt do much in general. I live in an area that rarly get over head high, so mabye i am wrong to have only a shortboard, but i find them much more enjoy able.
He lives in NC which often see bigger waves then where i am, so he will do fine on a shortboard.

Now as to the competition you talked about. First off, i bet you they did catch a couple waves, but if they're that small, it wouldnt be that smart to hold a compitition that day. And i doubt they called it back on because they saw you surfing it on a 13'9. They must have thought it would or did pick up a little.

Now on the other hand, longboarders generally dont take their 13'9 longboards out on triple overhead with a fast peel.

So there are tiny waves that shortboarders can't catch, but those waves, a longboarder wont be able to do much with anyways. And there are waves that a normal longboard will not go out in becuase of conditions. They may have done it in the past, but it would be pretty freakin stupid to do it now.

namino tsume wrote:Now as to the competition you talked about. First off, i bet you they did catch a couple waves

No they didn't. You calling me a liar?

Now on the other hand, longboarders generally dont take their 13'9 longboards out on triple overhead with a fast peel.

How would you know? There are only a small handful of riders in the world riding boards of that length. My 13'9" has handled triple overhead hollow reef waves and can take on bigger waves easily.
Don't make big opinions based on ignorance.

So there are tiny waves that shortboarders can't catch, but those waves, a longboarder wont be able to do much with anyways.

Not true.. .to a keen surfer a long fast ride is always worth having.

Also, it isn't just small waves which shoertboards miss out on, they also miss out on a whole range of waves. . .like waves with long broken sections and bigger waves which are hard to catch.

And there are waves that a normal longboard will not go out in becuase of conditions. They may have done it in the past, but it would be pretty freakin stupid to do it now.

Nonsense. A well designed longboard gun can handle any kind of wave. The 'normal'longboards you are talking about are lightweight foam noseriders (absolute crap in bigger waves, and not really longboards at all) .. .it is unlikely that you know much about real longboards.

Life is full of surprises!

learning on a longboard is easier i think ... but that doesnt mean that learning on a shortboard is impossible! i think, if all youve got is a 6'2, then go for it! but if you can borrow someones longer board, then it might learning a little less tedious.

Broosta wrote:

the vast majority of waves are not able to get a shortboard going even in expert hands

Roy you are so full of 5h1t mate , I can get going on my shortboard on anything a longboard can - and I'm maybe only halfway up the scale. Ok maybe not as fast but there's not much difference at all - bassically if I'm not having a good surf and can't do any moves then nobody is having a much better time whatever the board. I don't give a 5h1t about theories etc. I'm just going on real life experience.

Roy I stand by what I said earlier. But need to add that I'm not interested in nor do I count as 'surfing', wobbling around on a plank staight lining it to the beach just because you can due to length of board - that you can keep. Any wave a longboarder can surf and do moves on - so can I on my short board.

So you are allowed to say that I am full of shite because I point out the obvious truth that longboards can ride a wider range of waves than shortboards can? Like which part is the shite huh? You mean that anything that isn't what you do doesn't count as surfing? classic, what BS! You have got no idea have you? So the Duke and Tom Blake weren't surfing because they were going straight on a 'plank' . . . and King Paki and King Kamehameha were not surfing because they weren't pulling the moves pulled by the great Broosta 2005? Well really, you have a very narrow minded idea of what surfing is don't you? Didn't you know that surfing is the act of waveriding pure and simple? You have the nerve to tell me that what I do isn't surfing. . . really, your arrogance appears to know no bounds! I haven't said that your shortboarding efforts aren't surfing have I? It's all surfing isn't it?

I don't know why I waste my time with some of you people I really don't. How about running off to the management and getting me banned for saying that I am a surfer? Go on, I am sure that they would understand, and it would save me having to lower myself to your level.



.

No Roy, you are so full of shite because you said " the vast majority of waves are not able to get a shortboard going even in expert hands".

this is turning into a big angry ..

stop it ...

NOW :S

trikz14 wrote: I’ve been surfing with a good friend of mine on rented boards (generally longer boards). He just gave me his last board its about 6’2 maybe a bit bigger.

try the board-see how you go with it, keep renting on smaller days, experiment and let your expertience (and quiver) grow good luck!

RoyStewart wrote:So you are allowed to say that I am full of shite because I point out the obvious truth that longboards can ride a wider range of waves than shortboards can? Like which part is the shite huh? You mean that anything that isn't what you do doesn't count as surfing? classic, what BS! You have got no idea have you? So the Duke and Tom Blake weren't surfing because they were going straight on a 'plank' . . . and King Paki and King Kamehameha were not surfing because they weren't pulling the moves pulled by the great Broosta 2005? Well really, you have a very narrow minded idea of what surfing is don't you? Didn't you know that surfing is the act of waveriding pure and simple? You have the nerve to tell me that what I do isn't surfing. . . really, your arrogance appears to know no bounds! I haven't said that your shortboarding efforts aren't surfing have I? It's all surfing isn't it?

.

Roy, Firstly, you are right on this that longboards catch waves easier then shortboards, however that doesnt mean shortboards cant catch waves.
Secondly, what are talking about?! no one ever said that what you do isnt surfing. That wasnt the arguement, we were talking about catcching and surfing waves.


"I don't know why I waste my time with some of you people I really don't. How about running off to the management and getting me banned for saying that I am a surfer? Go on, I am sure that they would understand, and it would save me having to lower myself to your level. "

what the hell is your problem? your the one coming in here acting all smart and arrogant. If dont like "lowering yourself to our level" then leave!