How do you steer this thing?

[Bwgan]

Hi guys,

Surf yesterday was terrible, but the key word their is surf! There was and I was out, 25mph onshore wind, it was horrible.

Anyway, I posted a thread a few weeks ago about having a sh1t time on my board and a few of you got back and said I'm too far back and need to move further forward, thanks for the advice. I have done so and it did seem to work, although i'm still pearling, but not as much. I also found that when I pop up I need to take a step or two forward, would that be right?

Anyway, how do you turn a longboard? It was as if it was on rails. I'm no expert surfer and don't pretend to be. I got talking to a guy who said I need to paddle the board in the direction I want to go in, at the moment I paddle straight at the beach and ride the board in, so now I want to progress to doing something to prolong the ride. Any advice?

Cheers

[Laguna]

Its fine to creep your feet forwards and backwards on a board after popping up. I sometimes walk on my 6'10 up and down to the middle like its a longboard.
Anyway so you can catch waves and want to know how to start turning?

Its better to try turning as soon as possible once you have stood up, without speed you wont turn as well.
Turning a surfboard is all about weight placement, and most of your weight is placed on your back foot. When you want to turn use your leading arm to point in the direction you want to go, also this is important, always look where you want to be going - never look down at your feet!

Once you point your front arm and look in the direction (left or right) you want to go your feet + hips will adjust slightly automatically (they will twist) and enable you to turn.

Think thats the simplest way to start turning, its just like on a skateboard - you have to lean into the turn

[Bwgan]

Cheers for that Laguna, thats what I thought, about the skateboard and leaning. But when i did that the rail would dig in and the board kept on going straight until the point where it went under water or I fell off?!?!?!

[Laguna]

Sounds like you are trying too hard to turn and are putting to much wait on one side. Its all smooth - no need to move your feet, just transfer the weight, twist your hips and use your upper body weight to turn.

If you stand in your 'pop-up' position and keep your feet still but just twist your hips with your arms out and move from your hips up in the direction you want to turn , you should feel your angles tweaking with where your upper body is turning to go - this is enough to turn

[Bwgan]

I have a vision of myself doing something like Chubby Checkers twist on the board

I shall do my best next time I'm out and I'll let you know.
Cheers

[Driftingalong]

I also found that when I pop up I need to take a step or two forward, would that be right?

Anyway, how do you turn a longboard? It was as if it was on rails. I'm no expert surfer and don't pretend to be. I got talking to a guy who said I need to paddle the board in the direction I want to go in, at the moment I paddle straight at the beach and ride the board in, so now I want to progress to doing something to prolong the ride. Any advice?

Cheers

Paddling in the direction you want to go will definitely help.

You need to have you're back foot over the fin to do any sort of significant turns.
So, it depends on were you are when you pop-up. You may just need to put more pressure on your back foot. You may need to step back with your back foot, while not moving your front foot (this is what I do). Or, if you're pretty far up the board; you may need to cross-step back to the tail. Press down hard and put more pressure on your heel or toe side depending on which way you want to go (and look and point in the desired direction). You may over do it and fall, but at least you'll know what you need to do next time.

Cross-step forward when you are already going in the direction you want to go in order to gain speed.

Longboarding is all about walking the board.

[bluesnowcone]

turning a longboard is is all about your weight balance, its not just turning, you have to lean, its whats caled rail to rail surfing

[Stylemaster]

Easy tip is wherever your head goes your body will follow. Lokk to where you want to be. To turn a log you have to be right on the tail. When you think you are the take another step back. Pivot baby

[Bwgan]

Cheers guys, just need some clean surf now, fingers crossed!!!!!!

[bluesnowcone]

style master is right about the pivoting thing, but you gota rememba to get back to the middle or you will lose the wave

[SINGLEFIN74]

driftingalong has it.
to turn a longboard quickly , your back foot needs to be on the tail , over the fins. when your going in the right direction , you'll need to trim the board by moving forward over the sweet spot unless its a big wave and theres all the push you need
watch guys surfing big pipe
even on shortboards , once they've set a line the back foot comes forward , off the tail pad , to shift weight forward and gain speed
if you stay on the tail on a longboard in small waves, it'll stall , the wave will overtake you
surfings all about trim
your position rarely changes paddling. the nose should just clear the surface of the water. to prevent pearling (nose goes under and board shoots out between your open legs as you dive for the bottom) watch which way the wave will break and paddle towards 10.30 or 1.30 ish respectively (beach at 12.00 obviously) otherwise the rocker (bottom curve) of the longboard won't fit the wave. you can almost take off sideways on a longboard
hope that helps

[Bwgan]

Dude that was excellent. thanks a lot. I just need some fleshing waves to practice on!

[bluesnowcone]

what you can do is after you have turn'd the board quickly let it stall slightly then cross step to the front and get some hang time, it wont be for long but stalling the board is a good way to learn how to hang 5 and 10.