Advice on switching from long to short

General Discussion
1

So yesterday, after MUCH waiting and setbacks, I picked up my 7’6" egg and took it out for a couple sessions. [dimensions are 7’6", 21" wide, and 2-7/8" thick. Plenty of volume to make a good transition.] Overall, the two sessions went well but I would LOVE some advice on making the transition down. My first session I only got two decent waves and didn’t do to well on them - I felt like a new kook all over again! The second session went better and I got 4 or 5 decent ones with one wave that I was able to connect a long left all the way from the outside bomb into the inside section. It was a bit of a funky day for surf with rogue waves popping out, some shifting peaks, and a decent bit of chop. I felt like I was starting to get the feel towards the end though.

Basically, I’m looking for advice on what to do differently on this shorter board. I tried paddling for some waves that on my LB I would’ve had in two or three quick paddles, but despite my digging I didn’t even come CLOSE to getting into the waves. I probably just need to focus more on being on top of the peak. But also it’s a strange transition because I’m so used to a single fin and a thruster is a total different feel. I loved the few moments I had where things clicked and I’m stoked to get to know this new part of the quiver. I’ll be on summer break from school starting friday and I’ll be trying to get in the water most every day if possible and that’ll boost my confidence and abilities with the new board. But, does anyone here have any advice for me to make the transition smoother? I’d love to get to a place after a few more sessions where I’m catching most of what I paddle for and am able to focus more on the new maneuvers I can do on the smaller board rather than the basics of catching the wave and dropping in.

Overall, I’m just stoked. I’ve been waiting for this board for almost nine months, but due to finances and then some setbacks my shaper had it’s been a long wait. But like I said, any advice from those who have made the transition before would be great. All my friends made the reverse transition, they started short when they were younger and then began to longboard later on.

2

Hi Johnny - I kinda had to chuckle that you're calling a 7-6 "short" but I do the same thing.  I ride a 9' a lot, and I always marvel how much my 7'6" (I have a couple in that size range) feels like a shortboard.

Yeah, you have to be right there where the wave is breaking, unlike the 9 footer.  But hey, its much easier to duck dive when you have to!  You solved your own problem when you said you'd be getting out a lot more frequently - thats the key, really.

I'm in a different boat than you - I'm older now, and can't get out much due to circumstances.  But I still like the looser feel of the 7-6, even 'tho wave count goes up with the longboard.  If the waves have any punch at all, I feel much more comfortable with the shorter board.  If the waves are easy rolling, I'm having a blast on the longboard.  'Course a lot of times I just take one or the other and don't know what the waves are gonna be 'til I get there.  Its all good.

3

Haha, I know the 7’6" isn’t short, but to me it feels tiny! I was a little worried when my shaper recommended a 7’6" that it would feel to big, but I can say that after yesterday I wouldn’t be happy with a board much shorter! I was telling my shaper that I know someday I’ll be riding shorter and smaller boards but for right now that board is as small as I can go! I’ve ridden a couple 6’10" boards and a 6’4" fish while I was in costa rica last summer, but I never really got those wired.

I did remember yesterday how nice it is to be able to duck dive…those rogue waves that popped up would have been aweful on my noserider! Especially since I never have a leash attached on that board…I don’t even have a loop on it right now. haha. I guess I’ll just need to be more intentional about finding the peak. I just didn’t know if there was any different paddle technique I needed to learn or what. Also figuring out how to pump for speed rather than move up and down the board for speed will be weird. I also noticed my pop ups need to get a lot quicker, if I’m taking off on the peak there’s not as much time for the smooth and slow pop ups I’m used to. On the LB I’ll push up and sort of just drag my feet right to where they need to be, on this board I noticed I need to be much quicker to get to my feet so dragging doesn’t really work.

The nice part was that yesterday was a day I would have not liked my longboard at all due to the steepness and weird build on the waves, but it felt right on the egg. 

4

Sorry, double post. Computer did something weird.

5

Johnny you pretty much solved the problems yourself.

I’ve only been surfing a fews years so this topic is still pretty close to my own recent experiences.

To summarise though:

  • You need to be further inside/closer to the break
  • And therefore you need to be quicker to your feet
  • stay crouched low longer when dropping in, keeps things more stable
  • Work your board from rail to rail more when carving the face (this is more a thruster thing than a shorter board thing), this is how you make/maintain speed. If you go straight on a thruster, the toe in of your fins create drag and slow you down and make it a lot harder to make sections. I still struggle with this but when you get it right you fly! It’s definitely diferent to single fin. You can trim but it needs to be the right kind of wave face and speed.

Take it out as much as you can but if you see the average guys just getting one or two turns in on a wave, take you longboard and save yourself the frustration. I say average guys as the advanced guys can make crap waves look like 10 pointers sometimes :slight_smile:

Another tip I was told and worked wonders for me -
When paddling into a steeper faster wave (or any wave for that matter) as you need to with a shorter board, look along the face as far as you can where you want to go and just get up. It slows down the wave considerably (seems to anyway) and helps get your balance and line set better. I jumped a level overnight with this as I found more often than not I was looking down at my board or down the wave giving a faster and steeper perspective and therefore some hesitation :). It really slows things down and I seem to have much more time.

hth,

Mick.

6

MickD - your advice was great! I got out again on Tuesday and I caught the very first wave I paddled for! My friend and I started at more of a shortboard beach break but slowly drifted up to a longboard wave further north and I was still able to catch most of what came through. I focused on keeping my eyes farther down the line and pumping that board for speed. It was a pretty small and slow day, but it was good experience for me. In reality, I would’ve preferred to have my longboard out, but I’m wanting to take a month or two off from the LB just so I can let my body get used to the egg. I found this session that my wave catching ability skyrocketed and I didn’t completely screw up any of my drops. The only times I slipped up was when I would try to do a quick turn around to catch the wave - I slipped off my board while paddling. -_-. But thanks for the advice in that post, it helped.

7

More wax where you sit.
Grab the nose as you spin the board.
Instead of paddling speed, wait for the swell to start to pick up the board, THEN lay more forwards than normal paddling position, take 3 quick strokes, and get up.
It’s no longer slow motion surfing, you gotta be quicker and more dynamic. Good for some, not so for other’s.

8

More good advice - I’m far to accustomed to paddle speed. On the noserider I’ll paddle for a wave, sometimes for 15-30 seconds just to catch it. Why? Because I can. I’ve been trying that on the egg and while it has more paddle power than a “standard” short board, it isn’t a longboard. So, thanks for that. I think next time I can get out is Saturday and I’ll be sure to focus on waiting for the wave to get me. That saves my arms some too! :].

9

I'm glad this came up again , Johnny ...

 

  I had previously asked this , on this link of a 'fairly' recent thread .... 

http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/it-looked-you-were-riding-mal

 

and various other threads over the years here as chipfish61 ,  and chipfins61 ....and had not really received much help , yet.

 

  [I just wonder if here , as we have an older audience , that maybe a lot of people are actually going the 'usual' [??] route , from shorter to longer boards , as bodies cease , and midriffs increase [ to be somewhat diplomatic about it?] ]

 

Anyway , for me , personally , as I switch between shorter / longer / shorter [depending on conditions ,  and my body response on the morning ] .... the main things I've noticed over the years [and recent months ] are....

 

1. switching from the 9'4 mal to the 6'6 x 22" quad [fairly flat rocker] , I can and often do , double paddle [two arms thrusting together] into waves .

 

  on the 6'11 I've been riding more lately , I do that also .

 

BUT ...the main difference being , the 6'11 is a pintail thruster , the 6'6 walden a widearsed diamond tail , thick and pretty flat.

 

 2.  The 6'11 has more nose and tail rocker. I tend to put my chin on the deck , double paddling later into waves , and , because of a few years of riding the mal ,

 I have to force myself to lie further FORWARD on the 6'11 [it nearly feels as if it 'should' nosedive at this point , but due to the acccentuated nose kick , it generally DOESN'T ! thankfully]

 

3. The bad habit I need to break [from riding my 9'4 mal] is throwing my weight back / 'upwards' [arching back] a bit , when at the moment of take off  . Doing this  shifts the weight off the front inside [wide nose] rail on the mal , and to some extent , prevents it catching / bogging on takeoff. But doing it on a shorter board ...nup , not good , benny boy [I get held up in the lip and pitched , or blown off the back [61kgs + strong offshore  = oops , missed the wave of the day ...AGAIN ?!   :(    [no more waves for this guy ,  if it's crowded and THAT happens too often ...]

 

4. On the shorter boards [I have a 6'6 , a 6'3 and a 6'1 [thrusters] also , as well as the [rarely ridden nowadays] 5'8 'bushfire' fish] ...

 on these shorter boards , I need to ENGAGE that forward rail more , as on the waves I ride , I usually have to drop in fairly late , and at an angle , very quickly !

 

  Knees together , ankles together , head down , double paddle [occassionally , take a couple of EXTRA paddles than I think I 'should' need to CATCH the wave [ why , you ask ??  ...well, I'm used to the mal's 'glide' , remember !]

 

 Well, mate ,  I hope that perhaps some of this helps ? 

 

.... And , yes , I realise I have been the answer to my own questions from years ago , as I type this .

 

 There just ain't no substitute for time spent in the water ,

 trying different boards [and in my case , FINS,  too ! ]. Of course , It also helps you with wave selection , fitness [ and , personally ....it helps gives me peace of / in  mind , too .... 'SEAHABILITATION' ...yeehaaw !

 

  cheers !

    ben  

10

" On the noserider I'll paddle for a wave, sometimes for 15-30 seconds just to catch it."

 

  ummm..... REALLY ???

 

....I think it was  Nick Carroll's 'Surf Your Best' book that said words to the effect of  

'if you're taking eight or more strokes to catch the wave, then ....????? "

In my mind ,  15-30 seconds worth of paddling to catch a  wave DOES seems a 'little' long  , perhaps ? ....

 

  cheers !

 

  ben

11

Hi Johnny’, glad it helped, it helped me heaps.

Hey Ben,

Nick Carrol’s book is excellent.

One of the tips for short boards and late take offs is to lean forward into the drop! It works and as you say on the short board you need to engage the nose rail on the drop to help turn you out of it. Concentrating on putting the front foot forward first (don’t worry about your back foot, it will follow naturally) is a big help here, it forces you to get/lean forward.

I think he also uses the analogy of the skateboard dropping into a bowl, you must lean forward to drop down the face, makes sense :slight_smile:

Cheers,

Mick.