Popping up on a Shortboard

[LostAtSea]

Here's some pros and their take-offs...

[steveylang]

This might be completely wrong but it was a theory I came up with during my last session, where I continually fell over and failed (but thats for a different reason)

The volume in bigger boards means three things (for catching waves): you can catch them earlier. you can catch them easier (because there is more volume for the wave to work on) and hence you can be out of position a little bit and still get them, and you can paddle into the right position earlier.

However, the downside is that a sucky wave will suck you up the wave face faster (because of more volume/floatier). So on a bigger board you need more momentum to overcome the water going up the face

On a short board, you dont need as much momentum because the water going up the face has less effect - you arent as floaty. So you just need to be in the right position and take a few strokes. Of course, you need to be in the right position; you simply dont have that margin of error you do with a bigger board. But you also dont need to have the same momentum.

I failed year 10 physics so I may be completely crazy.

I think this may be part of it. Also, having now surfed pretty small to pretty large boards, I think the lighter weight of small boards makes them quicker right off the line to paddle into a steeper face- quicker to turn and quicker to generate that initial momentum. A long board feels different- even on a late takeoff I try to take a couple of set up paddles to get the speedometer off zero before the wave hits me. The bigger board gives you more buoyancy and maintainable speed but is significantly heavier, whereas a short board feels a lot nimbler by comparison.

Or maybe it's just that the same wave that feels very steep (and too late) on a longboard feels less steep (and makeable) on a shortboard, so it's just that you're typically paddling into steeper waves no matter what on shortboards (and thus easier to just drop into), and that's the only effective difference. But if you are handy enough with a longboard to deftly compensate for it's larger bulk and mass, you can take off in same exact steep waves just as effortlessly as on a shortboard (especially since no paddle take offs are possible on a longboard.) I think I'm leaning towards this LOL.

None of this matters in the water of course- we surf by feel not by calculations- but it's interesting to consider.

[Big H]

Board shape/design and foam distribution make big differences. Here are two longer boards, one 8’ the other 8’6”. The wider tailed board makes catching small waves easier than the pintail board, but the smaller area, more tail rocker (can’t see it but it’s there) and reduced volume of the pintail means more control and less push from the wave in situations where less is more (later takeoffs, bigger hollow waves.)

[Tudeo]

I love this theorizing about what happens in that magical moment the wave picks you up, and the role of the different variables at play.

Lately I have been mainly longboarding, before that I was more on my (big) shortboards. I agree there's a huge difference between a longboard and a shortboard takeoff. But.. With a longboard u can do a shortboard takeoff and with a shortboard u cannot do a longboard takeoff.

A typical longboard takeoff relies on very fast paddling on a gentle sloped wave to get in extremely early. Doing that on a shortboard is (almost) impossible, because the relative small water displacement surface creates too much drag, to get enough speed to get in that early.

A typical shortboard takeoff needs a steep wave, just before, or at the moment of breaking. If in the right position, the place where the upward force of the sucking water and the downward force of gravity are almost in balance, you only need a little extra push to let gravity get the upper hand, and there you go. Thing is, you can do exactly that on a longboard, if u can avoid the pearl..

Key is timing, it helps to look over your shoulder to see what the wave is doing just before it hits you, so you can position your body drastically back on the board, even at the very moment the wave throws you.

The trouble starts after you take off and stand upright in a wave face that has more curve than your low rockered longboard has. Angling and standing far back or/and a good amount of tail rocker can get you thru the hard part so you can turn the nose down the line and enjoy your ride.