thanks

I went out for dawn patrol and the advise you guys gave worked well. I put the fin to the front and didn’t lean. I didn’t catch an edge all morning.

Hi Tina, A little more advice if you’re up for it…with the additional length of your new longboard you’ve taken on more volume and weight at the front of the board (when considering turns). In smaller, slower waves there is no rail-to-rail turning (like a shortboard). Rather, think in terms of “pivoting” the board from your rear foot. Heavily weight your rear foot, while lifting (un-weighting) your front foot. Going frontside you will know what to do next. This will help you lift the nose out of the water, leaving less volume in the water to turn. Your turns will be easier. The backside “drop-knee” turn is designed to do this, i.e. weight your rear foot so you can bring (pivot) the nose of the board around more easily. I’d like to suggest that you place your fin(s) as far forward in the box as possible, especially if the waves are small and mushy. Bring a screwdriver or allen wrench with you and if it’s possible, peridocially get out of the water, and re-adjust your fin placement. Also if you have a 2+1 (sometimes called a reverse thruster) you know, three fins with the two outside fins forward of the middle fin, try removing the outside fins and surfing the board as a single fin, just to see how it feels. It might loosen the board up and make it easier to turn. Something that a lot of folks overlook is fins and how different designs effect surfboard performance. Not only does the placement of your fin make a difference, but the size and design (base, rake, foil, etc.) of your fins can make a huge difference in how your board turns and performs. The great thing about all this is that there is a whole world of exploration and experimentation out there that can add to your fun while building your knowledge about surfing and surfboard performance as well. sur4evr, nib