My experience with a 6'1" shortboard

[IanCaio]

Hey folks,
I've been spending my last weeks on vacation focusing on learning how to surf, something I should have started way before. I bought a 6'1" shortboard, not a really proper board for a begginer, but it's what I found for the money I had. I wanted to make a post to share my experience so far, and maybe give some tips for people on the same situation as I was.
I've taken my board to the beach about 8 or 9 days, each day for at least 6 hours, once I've even stayed 10 straight hours surfing. Since it's harder to start on a shortboard, in my head longer sessions could accelerate my learning.
The first days were kind of frustrating obviously, being caught inside, learning how to balance while paddling or even sitting down on the board. Trying to read waves, pearling. But it was fun anyways, somehow I could go home happy even without catching a single wave. In the fifth day I catched my first proper wave, and I dont need to describe how happy I was then. On the sixth or seventh day, I could drop in about 70% of the waves I commited paddling to. Now I'm working on my bottom turn, but things get much more fun after you can pop up!
On the meantime I had some good and bad advice, some good and bad experiences, so I might aswell share it here:

-An obvious tip is avoiding crowds, rather waiting longer on a worse spot then staying in the way of other surfers. In case you get in someones way be friendly and apologise, most will understand. Stay away from the more agressive ones.

-Try to keep you upper body still while paddling, it's way harder but it's worth practicing. Also focus on having a good paddling position to avoid pearling or dragging too much water. Dont forget to take your feet out of water or straightening them to stop dragging!

-If you have a shortboard, I find it better to go straight to unbroken waves.

-Commit, if you bail its water, just be carefoul with your board and you should be fine (considering you're on a beachbreak). Also, the moment the wave catchs you, the board might get a little bumpy, and you might think you'll pearl if you pop up. It's normal, but as I said, commit! In no time you'll be able to know when you're actually on a bad position (about to pearl) and when you're not.

-Catch your first waves paddling straight to the beach. Catching waves on an angle is harder, and you should try it after you can catch them going straight. I lost lots of time because of a bad advice that said you will pearl on a shortboard if you paddle towards the beach. You wont! (Unless you are bad positioned on the board ofc)

-Have fun! If you dont have patience to bail a lot before standing up, dont get a shortboard at all. Some people might take more time to learn on a shortboard then I did, some might take even less. If you did some sport before that requires balancing on a board like skating or snowboarding/sandboarding it might help once you pop up. Dont lie to yourself thinking learning how to surf will be easy, but it will be fun!

Feel free to criticise any of my advice, I'm a begginer and it might even help me if you do.

Good waves for you all!

[oldmansurfer]

Interesting insights there Ian. I also learned on a shortboard and started off on unbroken waves. I had been riding unbroken waves on a kneeboard (actually shredding waves on a kneeboard). I wasn't going to ride whitewater, that held no interest for me. When I learned (in the early 70's) to surf most new surfers learned to surf on a shortboard. It's more effort than a longboard but it was thought of like you had to pay your dues if you want to play. you have a good attitude about it all which helps. Committing to the drop, yeah that's a life long necessity. Sounds like it's all good advice in my opinion.

[billie_morini]

Ian,
very honest, reflective, & inspirational post. Thank you. You definitely committed to the passion of surfing. Keep the stoke, Brah!
billie

[waikikikichan]

You paddle straight to the beach to catch the wave. When you do catch it, are you going over on your belly and into the flats still on your belly ? Then as you say it gets "Bumpy" and the board gets bounced around a bit ? After that you Pop up ?

Also you take your feet out of the water during the paddle back or while catching the wave ?

[IanCaio]

Hey guys, thanks for the feedback!

Oldmansurfer,
I've seen some people learning on funboards here, but most locals start or started on a shortboard, probably because of the facility to get them or the budget. I guess I like that "pay your dues if you wanna play" feeling though, makes it more exciting when you accomplish something, right?

Billie_morini,
Thanks man, I'm glad you liked it! Gonna keep up for sure.

Waikikikichan,
I guess that was what I was doing wrong in the beggining, holding too long before poping up. Then because of the bumpyness I didn't had the courage to pop up in the flats, thinking I was gonna pearl.
Right now I pop up as soon as I fell the wave dragging me, the bumpyness comes when I'm already on my feet.
But maybe for people beggining realizing this bumpyness is normal might help them accomplish the drop in, I don't know, it helped me somehow!

About the feet positioning, I don't really keep them up, I just straighten them, so they dont drag much water, and I do it both when paddling to the line up and when catching a wave. Should I start getting used to keep them up or there isn't much difference?

Sorry for taking a while to reply, I'm writing this from my cellphone!

[oldmansurfer]

Ian I learned originally on a shortboard but quit surfing for a little more than 11 years and restarted. When I restarted I was about 57 years old and out of shape. I started on a used 9'6" bigwave gun but switched to a used 9'6"longboard. Now I surf an made for me 8' custom funboard and kind of wish I had started with that but in reality I had to get into shape before I could use it as I do now. Restarting surfing has been a long process for me mostly because I only have a little bit of time. I started out surfing 30 minutes a week (that's only 26 hours a year). When I used to surf before I put in more hours in two weeks than I did for a whole year this time around. I increased to one hour a week but still that isn't much however I am getting in shape now. I think the start with a shortboard option is much more realistic if you are young and in shape and also it's more realistic if you have lots of time to go surfing frequently. Many of the posters here do not and come here to keep stoked till the next oportunity. I think your experience is useful to others who want to start on a shortboard especially if they have the time. I agree that learnig to surf is self rewarding. You get something down and it's such a sense of accomplishment and then on to the next thing to learn. But somethings you are always learning such as reading waves and trying to determine which waves you can ride and which you can't. I am so stoked when I do something I didn't expect to do.

[IanCaio]

For sure, I'm not defending that people should start on a shortboard, I did it mostly because I couldn't find a second hand longboard or funboard available, and a new one costed more then the double of a good second hand shortboard.
One day I was surfing, and conditions weren't the best (waves getting "chubby"), and there was this girl on a longboard catching lots of waves with almost no effort, 3 paddles and she was in! While I was there waiting and could only pick up a few with much more effort.
For begginers I would for sure recommend a longboard or a funboard (rather the second for people that like me depend on the bus to get in the break). It will be easier to paddle, to get in waves and, not sure about that last one since I havent tried those kind of boards, but also getting on your feet.

I also agree that shortboards are only an viable option if you are fit and have the time. I'm even worried about the last one, because I actually live about 140 miles from the beach, only being able to surf often now because I'm on vacations. Once I'm back at college I'll probably come a weekend per month.
Is it ok to keep the shortboard since I can already pop up or is the funboard easier even on doing turns and so on?

Rainy day with a few lightnings, guess my afternoon session is getting out of question..

[oldmansurfer]

I think surfing infrequently may just hold you in place on the learning curve. A longer board won't work quite like a short board and you will find you need to be really careful about where you place your feet when you do whatever you do. A short board is meant to do mostly everything from one spot the longer the board the more you have to shift around to do the same things. A longer board allows you to be less fit (thank goodness for that ) So the longer board won't turn quite as well but it will catch waves easier. A longer board will be more difficult to make steep drops but you can learn to handle them but it will never be as good as a short board at that (except on bigger waves). When I restarted surfing I used a 9'6 longboard (I was really out of shape). Once I got to where I could feel the length of the board as an inhibiting factor I got my 8 foot fungun. I still love my fungun and sometimes I do stuff that people might think I actually know how to surf and I am thinking of getting a 7'6" fungun just for a little more maneuverability but I haven't really run into problems that I couldn't solve with being careful where I place my feet but I am still working on that a bit for cutbacks on bigger waves. you can't duck dive with a fungun so you have to be prepared to do other things.

[IanCaio]

I guess I'll keep up with my 6'1" then, since I'm mostly working on turns now, and you said shorter boards actually respond better on turns. I hope I can keep improving even coming less times to the break, but better coming less often than not coming at all!

Went surfing yesterday after the rain was gone, biggest condition I ever went on. I think the waves were about 5 to 6 feet, breaking with no rest between series. I was worried to be caught inside, but went in with a guy. Got past the breaking zone, which was the only thing I was proud of yesterday. Paddled for 4 waves, 3 got fat as they approached, and the one remaining was good, but there was a guy in the way. I though a drop that big would make me go down so fast I might not be able to turn soon enough and go straight to him.
My bad luck was a bigger wave coming behind, which I failed to duck dive (didnt go deep enough). Got into the washing machine, rised up, then another wave coming and I was like "where is my board, I need to duck dive again!". Pushed the leash, duck dived not deep enough again (probably should have bailed the board and dived), another hold down and then me paddling in shame back to the shore. It wasnt a walk at the park though, paddling back with waves breaking behind pushing you back isnt easy!
I just feel bad I lost that single wave.. If I had those hold downs, I could at least have a cool drop in to remember!

[oldmansurfer]

Yeah, other surfers can mess you up or push you to get the best ride of your life. I recently caught a wave that had a huge section break in front of me, I totally jammed the bottom turn and did a forward hop and got in front of the section but all the shortboarders (maybe 8 guys) were right there and I didn't feel like I could weave in and out of them and so I chose to cut out. long ago when I used to surf I was good enough to weave in and out of them but not now. Man I really wanted to ride that wave, it had a nice wall and was going to maybe tube out but I didn't go for it. Still just making it around that huge section was great. Oh well, there is always another day and another wave. You will get many more and miss many more.

[IanCaio]

For sure, we can't get that bothered about losing a wave, who knows tomorrow might give us even a better one. Gonna go surf later today, conditions are predicted as a 3.5ft to 4ft swell, and waves up to 5ft. I'm hoping since the sea transformed already, the series might be more well defined and it should be easier to get on line up without fighting for your life!

Where do you surf bro?

[waikikikichan]

2 benefits of shortboards compared to longboards is 1 you can duckdive and 2 you can kick. You should be able to kick during the take-off paddle. No need for deep kicks, just shallow flutter kicks. I don't usually kick on the way back to the line-up, since my legs were used so much on the ride.

[IanCaio]

I wasnt sure if I could kick while paddling, only did it when it seemed like using my arms wasnt going to be enough to catch the wave. Didnt know if it actually helped or was some sort of psychological thing

I wouldn't use it to get to the line up either though