New longboarder
Interesting topic. It does sound like there's way too much volume, though I'm not very familiar with longboard dimensions/literage.
Sounds like an excess of foam. It's true that learners need more volume, but there's a limit. Don't ask me where the line is, but 24 inches wide x 4 inches thick is definitely on the other side of it.
Get a regulation 8 or 9 foot long mal, 3.5 inches thick or thereabouts, 21 wide. Dont get hung up on volume. You want the board to feel the water, not sit above it, and you want to be able to push through whitewash when you're paddling back out.
is the board you bought a soft top?
Get a 9 0 longboard 22 1/2 " wide x 3 ' thick , the flatter rocker allows easy glide in take offs , and I would recommend a smaller single fin with side bites.....buy a good well known brand second hand , and will be easy from there....and do not go back to the shop again as he ripped you off!
Thanks for the info to all who posted. The board isn't a soft top its a Michael Dolsey board which seem to be relatively popular on the east coast of the US. I won't be shopping with this guy again. I have another local shop that sells a better selection or I may buy new. Second hand boards are really hard to come by in my neck of the woods and people want top dollar for them when you can find em. Fortunately for me I paid a couple hundred dollars off MSRP so I didnt pay anywhere near retail on the Dolsey. It's actually pretty nice and well made board just wayyy too thick. I'll find some big 250 lb guy who would do well on it and sell it to him but it may take a while. Any thoughts on going longer say 9'6 or 10'...???. We have small waves here most days...2 to 4 foot is average probably closer to the 2 foot range and our break is a shallow shore closeout so waves typically break quickly in about 1 to 2 feet of water...so basically not the greatest conditions...most days...we get a few nice sets on occassion. I'd like to get something that I can take out on the really small days and still have fun but will still work in 4 or 5 foot surf. Flatter rocker??...longer?? ....thanks for any input.
Redrivsurfer - Do you realise that one of the fellas giving you advice is a world renowned surfboard shaper who has made boards for multiple world champions ?
That’s one of the reasons why I love surfing so much ....lack of pretension.
On any given day you can be sharing a line up with the best surfers in the world or talking design with one of its iconic shapers.
Conversely , I can’t imagine running into Serena or Federer having a hit down at the local tennis court. Or the CEO of Nike taking foot measurements for your next pair of runningg shoes
Hope you find the right board and get some sick ones.
Redriv also helps if you know what style of longboarding you want to explore as well as what waves you will be surfing most.
Do you want to do cutbacks and turns at speed or is cruising down the line more appealing? Big difference in the sort of board required and if your buying new it’s worth considering as they are not cheap.
Also width = stability so if you are tipping a 24” wide board on its side paddling then you need to improve your technique. You should be looking ahead and down the line when paddling in only tilting your head to the side to check for surfers that may already be on the wave.
the takeoff is already blown if your looking back to check your position whilst trying to catch it, try to make those decisions earlier and focus 1st on safety of yourself and those around you and then the wave in front. Hope you get some mate
no I did not.. who would that be...I would love any advice i can get
As far as surfing style, since 90 percent of our waves ( Florida Gulf Coast ) are 2-3 footers on a shallow beach break, something I can just cruise straight down the line with on a winters day would be ideal. Nothing too radical at all. maybe some sweeping turns or being able to throw in some drop knee turns...Since I am new to longboarding I really have no idea what shape or size would be best but by no means am i looking for a performace longboard. Even when I surf my SUP board I usually just trim down the line. I love the old school style of longboarding which is why i decided to go this route vs trying to learn to surf a short board. Most of our local guys actually ride short boards but i want to be able to take advantage of even the smallest wave. We have several months of nice clear water and empty beaches ahead of us so i am stoked to be able to get out there and work on this..once I get a proper board. Thanks all.
Hello,
New to the forum and traditional surfing in general. I am coming from the stand up paddle/surf world and am making the jump into regular surfing and more specifically longboarding. My question as a new guy is this: I bought a board from a local surf shop owner and on his advice I went with a board with LOTS of volume. Actually except for being only 24 inches wide this thing looks like an SUP board ( its 4 inches thick). I was told the extra volume would make learning/catching waves much easier and that I could progress to a board with less float later on, however.....this board was built and shaped for big guys...ie 240-250 pound guys and I weigh 190 pounds soaking wet...I think its 80 liters and maybe more. When on the board it feels very "corky"...as in unstable unless I am paddling straight ahead and any movement aside from a straight paddle upsets my balance, for example if I turn to look over my shoulder to see if a swell is approaching, that small shift in body weight makes the board want to roll and I feel like I will fall in. The board obviously sits high in the water as compared to a board with say 65 or 70 liters so could all this volume actually be counter productive to my learning? I have always heard that when learning the more volume the better but is there a point where you can have too much? Thanks for any insight.