Learning to Surf the Short Board
Learning to Surf the Short Board is a process of patience and dedication. You have to love surfing and you have to love getting better in every way. The short board is the black belt and requires the same slow dedicated process.
Surfing requires strength, flexibility, and stamina. By the time a surfer has progressed to purchasing his first hardboard, he probably has all these sufficiently to power the fun board at 7’6″. Each step to a shorter board requires more of all three.
Getting to the First Hardboard
By the time a surfer has moved to his first hard board he has been catching real waves and executing an efficient pop up. The focus now has become catching real waves and riding better. The surfer has learned the bottom turn from the wave face to the pocket. He has learned to accelerate for speed. He has learned the cut back.
The purpose of the short board is better maneuverability for tricks. The mid sized wave range of 5′ to 20′ is great for the short board in both catching waves and riding. When waves are large, they are mostly on reefs and barreling. Here the surfer is catching and riding in the tube.
The most use for surf board maneuverability is the smaller waves up to 10′ where the surfer can rip the lip, do 360s, aerials, plane the lip, and other tricks. The professionals in contests are maximizing the short board potential.
The Process of Moving to Shorter Boards
Moving from the fun board to 6’10” officially short board territory requires mastering the same maneuvers at each stage of getting shorter boards. The move to shorter should not be more than 6″ at a time because each move brings on a host of new challenges.
It is only desireable to move shorter if there is the need for more maneuverability. If a surfer is not in the water often, it is difficult to maintain the strength, stamina and timing. Depending on one’s athletic ability and frequency of visits to the water, a surfer may settle into just the right length before hitting the short board length.
More Posts
Oceanside Surf Lessons for Beginners
Beginner Surfers Learn the Pop Up
How to Progress to Surfing the Short Board
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