Category: Surf Boards

What is the Fun Surf Board

The fun surf board is the best step down after learning the basics on soft top surf boards. It is a length between 6’10” and 9′. It could be called a mini-long just like the 8′ soft tops beginners used.

It is usually a hard board and retains the width and thickness of big boards while reducing the length. The idea of going to a short board is to reduce length 6″ at a time but maintain the thickness of 2 3/4″ and width of 21+” as long as necessary.

Having Fun

Hardly anything is more important in surfing than having fun. One of the best comments my surf students can make in Oceanside Surf Lessons USA is this is really fun. They often say it before they are successfully riding the surf board to the beach.

Sustaining the fun is usually a function of maintaining the right surf board for your skill, size, and athleticism. The short boards you see riders rip in the movies are by advanced athletes in extreme surf shape. This means flexibility, upper body strength, usually leanness, and well schooled in techniques.

Surf Progress is Slow and Board Shortening Should be the Same

Surfing skills and athleticism progress slowly. One thing you do not want hindering your progress with techniques is riding a board that is too advanced. The higher volume boards (length x width x thickness) make ever phase of surfing easier. 1>They are easier to paddle so that you last longer, 2> catch waves easier before they arc, and are 3> easier to ride.

You can’t underestimate the value of those three aspects. Without anyone of them, surfing becomes a struggle and work. As you get stronger you can last longer to learn longer. You can paddle faster so you could move to a smaller board. As you practice more, you start to master techniques which would allow you to ride a less stable (shorter) board.

The older guys and the smart people want to have as many rides as possible and have as much fun in process that is possible. The board is not just a show piece, it is the ticket to the kind of enjoyment you will experience.

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To learn how to surf take surf lessons in Oceanside

Good YouTube video on how to surf

Which Surf Board to Use

When students learn how to surf in my Oceanside Surf Lessons, they learn on a high volume board so the new techniques they learn are not hindered by the surf board.  New students think surfing will be as easy as it looks. Film is quite deceiving in that experts with years of experience and in top “surf” condition seduce people to start. I am not complaining, but in lessons the reality becomes apparent.

Surfing is a serious sport that requires skill building, conditioning, dedication, practice, and heaps of courage. Other than football, few sports can trash beginners like the ocean. The problem for beginners is they have to learn the hard way through the experience of hard knocks. We soon learn to avoid the impacts.

Students would be happier to utilize the board that supports their conditioning and skills. This keeps it fun. You can learn on most any board. Staying on the soft tops for a good period of time acquaints one with techniques, the waves, safety, and stamina.

Anyone finds their first day tiring. How much physical conditioning you pledge is a function of your ambitions and anticipated rate of growth. Learning techniques is a function of study time and practice. Its good to read books, watch videos, and real surfers in the water. Each time you learn something, you can see more when you observe.

Moving down in board size should not be as big an objective as being fit and skilled.

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Learn surfing in Oceanside Surf Lessons

This is a good video on Learning How to Surf

Surfers Like the Long Board for the Advantages

When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA, we begin on 8′ and 9′ soft top boards. 8′ is considered a mini long and 9′ is a long board. After surfers spend a few months learning, they may decide to go long board or short board. Going the short board route is the more challenging.

The long board is easier to paddle so you don’t have to be in as great of condition.

The long board catches waves easier than shorter boards. You can start on a wave before it gets too steep.

Once the wave catches the board, it is easier to pop up and stay on a long board. You can catch small waves easier.

The Techniques to Learn Surfing the Long Board

The beauty of surfing is that it offers so many opportunities to do what you want.

Surfers like the long board because you can have fun driving it down the pocket. It is easier to ride because unlike a short board, you don’t have to pump for speed.

Turning the long board is accomplished by putting weight on the back foot and swinging the nose in the direction you want to travel. You can also walk back or forward.

The most power is in the top one third of the wave so you like to begin at the top and eventually drop lower on the wave.

Finding the Right Beach Breaks for Surfing the Long Board

You can surf most beach breaks with a long board, but one reason surfers like the long board is that the long ride is the most fun.

Short boards like steep waves so they can maneuver with rips. Long boarders want to ride forever so they like breaks like reefs that have long rights and lefts.

In San Diego, beaches like Terra Mar in Carlsbad and Swamis in Encinitas are long board havens because waves build slowly and stay well shaped for a long time.

* If you want to learn surfing, look at my Home Page    Good tutorial on Catching Waves. https://youtu.be/N7KopjbzxjE

The right Beginner surf boards can make a big difference in the speed of progress for new surfers and the enjoyment they experience.

The Right Size is First

The films make surfing look easy and if you watch surfers at the beach, a lot of boys are tempted to just rent a wet suit and surfboard and head for the water. What all beginners learn, is it is not easy. The surfboard is designed to be streamlined and perform well in waves. It is very sensitive to where you place your weight. This is the issue beginners don’t know how to address. 

The beginner surfer should start in foam waves and ride straight to the beach. The board needs to be balanced by the surfer to catch a wave, then wait until the board is in front of the wave, and then place hands on the board and pop up to perfect position.

The problem is, beginners aren’t perfect about anything at the beginning. They have a lot of bad inclinations that the surfboard won’t support. I used to train beginners on an 8′ foam board and then moved to 9′ foot with more success. Even on a 9′ foam surfboard, most surfers struggle at the beginning.

If the board is not big enough, then they don’t have the opportunity to progress from catching a wave to trying to stand up. I can coach new students through their errors until they are perfecting the techniques and riding the board to the beach. A 10′ board would be easier, but too big allows students to be sloppy and not really learn the techniques correctly.

Once students have learned the techniques and can land on the board correctly, I move my students to the 8′ foam surf board.

Progressing from Being a Beginner

Beginner surf boards should start with the foam board and then progress shorter 6″ at a time. The first good hardboard would be the fun board at 7’6″ in length, 21+” in width and at least 2 3/4 inches thick. Students could decide to stay with the long boards if they don’t surf often, if they are not real fit, or if they are older. Nothing wrong with surfing on 9′ hard boards. The line ups are full of them.

The shorter boards are harder to paddle, harder to catch waves, and harder to ride. Surfing progresses slowly. Improved surfing requires great flexibility (yes stretching), upper body strength (gym is good), stamina (aerobic cross training) and lots of courage. Shorter boards have to catch waves as they arc and therefore crashes are like being in a washing machine. As waves get bigger, crashes get your attention.

Have patience in your learning and stay on high volume boards to ensure that it is always fun. Too many crashes and the fun seeps out.

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For surf lessons in Oceanside, see the Home Page

My pop up video

Good video for Catching Waves