Why is it so hard to paddle this board?

[waikikikichan]

That and my neck is killing me thanks to trying to paddle quickly and look at the tail of the board at the same time to see what it is doing.

I hope you don't do that to setup the rear suspension on your mountain bike. You shouldn't be looking at the tail. AND.... you should not be looking at the nose. Go by feel. Does it feel more free, does it feel more restricting. Where is the sweet spot to glide.

[dtc]

When DBB says the board is too small, I think he saying it's too small to float you fully on the top of the water. Not that it's 'too small' for you to use. Like I said before, boards that are smaller (in comparison to weight) will sink a bit and will be harder to paddle as a result. But that doesn't mean you can't surf them - the issue of what board size is right for you is not determined by paddling. It's determined by wave catching, although obviously if you can only paddle for two waves a session due to fitness or injury etc, then that feeds into wave catching.

Ignore the tail, it follows what the nose is doing. Sure you could get a board with a different foam distribution (more in tail perhaps), but for the board you have do as Jaffa says and get a starting point and then adjust on feel as waikikichan says. Different water conditions, wind, swell size etc will all affect positioning on a day to day basis

What you end up with in terms of paddling ease or difficulty is what the board allows you to have. Maximise efficiency, but you can only maximise it to the boards limit

[IB_Surfer]

Just a question, do you use a center fin with side fins?

[icetime]

Basically you need more explosive power in your arms when catching waves, if the board is a little short then you can even use your legs though you still use the same amount of oxygen, most of it goes to your legs so your arms will be weaker, only use this technique if your legs are stronger than your arms.
Always make sure your board is flat on the water when paddling or as others said you won't glide over but push water, but don't keep it too flat when catching waves or else you'll pearl and drink plenty of water

[Spring2016]

Thanks for all your replies. I bit the bullet an purchased a second hand longboard today; I have put the board that started this thread up for sale.

Here is the Longboard.



I have no doubt I paid over the odds, and I have never heard of the make...but it is 9'6 x 23 x 3 1/2

I know that will be able to carry my weight. I will return to my step down board once I have lost a few stone over the summer.

[dtc]

Hot buttered surfboards are one of the original /pioneering surfboard makers. Very well known in Australia (although I have to confess I didn't realise they were still making boards all those time later)

http://hotbuttered.com/pages/hb-story

That big concave under the nose suggests it's a nose rider/can be used for nose riding. Others will have a better idea, I'm not across nose riding desigb

[Tudeo]

I bit the bullet an purchased a second hand longboard today

Great! Let us know how it goes!

[waikikikichan]

Looks like the fin is all the way back in the box. Put the fin in the middle or slightly ahead of middle.

[Spring2016]

Looks like the fin is all the way back in the box. Put the fin in the middle or slightly ahead of middle.

Hi, thanks for the advice. Does moving the fin ahead help with stability?

[dtc]

Moving the fin forward loosens the board up or easier to turn. Moving it back makes harder to turn, which does add stability (less twitchy). The fin is the pivot point so the closer to the middle of the board the easier to turn.

But too far back and all it does is go straight.

Start with the fin somewhere (about middle) and move it up or back maybe 1cm or 1/2 inch at a time depending on whether you want it looser or not - until it feels about right. It might take a few sessions to get it to the right place

If you want a 'fun' test, put it all the way back and surf it, then go in and move it all the way forward and surf it straight away. It will teach you a bit about the role of the fin

[Spring2016]

Perfect, thank you. Will leave you with this youtube compilation of surfing fails that was upload a few weeks ago and has already had 2.5 million views.

[dtc]

Guess that video shows in part why people get upset with drop ins.

[Spring2016]

Hot buttered surfboards are one of the original /pioneering surfboard makers. Very well known in Australia (although I have to confess I didn't realise they were still making boards all those time later)

http://hotbuttered.com/pages/hb-story

That big concave under the nose suggests it's a nose rider/can be used for nose riding. Others will have a better idea, I'm not across nose riding desigb

Thanks dtc, at least my board is a good one then. I am sure it is quite old but Longboards don't come up that often for sale in the UK. Well, ones that look like they won't sink anyhow

[drowningbitbybit]

Hot buttered surfboards are one of the original /pioneering surfboard makers. Very well known in Australia (although I have to confess I didn't realise they were still making boards all those time later)

http://hotbuttered.com/pages/hb-story

That big concave under the nose suggests it's a nose rider/can be used for nose riding. Others will have a better idea, I'm not across nose riding desigb

Thanks dtc, at least my board is a good one then. I am sure it is quite old but Longboards don't come up that often for sale in the UK. Well, ones that look like they won't sink anyhow

Hot Buttered used to be (probably still are - I haven't been there in a while! ) a big thing down in SW UK and even on the south coast. I think a few different shops sold them. Don't know whether they were being shipped from Australia or whether they're now made en masse somewhere in Asia, but they had a good reputation at places like Saunton. I use to see plenty of them skipping past me as I was still trying to catch the wave on a shortboard that I wasn't ready for!

[Spring2016]

Thanks ,Drowningbitbybit. Saunton to the Gold Coast. nice