Long to Short

[ChasingDaylight]

Hey,

Just seeking some advice - I've been longboarding for about 2 years and loving it, but wanting to ride something shorter. I'm riding a 9'1" just now and I have a 6ft and a 6'4" which i recently acquired. The 6'4" is super dinged and yellowed but looks solid enough.

Anyway, any advice on how to position myself, when to pop up ect ect on such a shorter board?? Would love a bigger transitional board, but seeing as I'm a poor student I'm having to make do with what I've got...

Cheers

[Rickyroughneck]

Hey,

Just seeking some advice - I've been longboarding for about 2 years and loving it, but wanting to ride something shorter. I'm riding a 9'1" just now and I have a 6ft and a 6'4" which i recently acquired. The 6'4" is super dinged and yellowed but looks solid enough.

Anyway, any advice on how to position myself, when to pop up ect ect on such a shorter board?? Would love a bigger transitional board, but seeing as I'm a poor student I'm having to make do with what I've got...

Cheers

Just get out there and do it.

[surf doc]

Yea it's gonna be tough at first, remember to keep at it and don't expect instant success but shortboarding is very rewarding in the long run.

First get used to paddling in trim. You'll notice that arching your lower back and getting your weight far forward on the board will be even more critical. When you think you're arching your back enough, arch a little bit more and you're there. Remember that your legs and feet are now hanging off the back, so don't let them splay outward and create drag. Either keep your heels together or cross your feet over each other.

Once you're paddling well, then it's time to go for waves. You'll have to catch them at a steeper, more critical angle and that means a faster pop up as well. I found going backside particularly difficult at first. But yea like Ricky said just get out there, you already know how to read waves and that's the most important part.

[tony g]

Try to position your self in the more critical part of the wave for your take offs (not to late of a drop, but where the wave is steeper). This will make it easier to catch the wave. It is also a lot easier to drop in late on a shorter board as you do not have so much nose to keep from pearling. I would also ride the shortboard only until you get used to it, or the waves go flat.

[ChasingDaylight]

I would also ride the shortboard only until you get used to it, or the waves go flat.

...and by this you mean...??

Thanks for the help guys.

[Asian Flash]

I've logged my entire life on nothing smaller than a 9'6 and recently (3 weeks ago) I tried shortboarding on a 6'2. I stood up on my 3rd try and noticed some tips that helped me through the short journey. First of all, have a nice wide stance. When longboarding you have alot of room to work with so sometimes when I stand I have my feet touching just a couple inches from the rail. On a shortboard you cannot do this at all. Position yourself on the center of the board and have a nice wide stance. Second, just give it time. I would get so pissed off surfing because I couldn't turn quick enough, but the more I went out, the easier it got. Right when you popup you must turn instantly. On a longboard you have time because you have all this momentum you can throw yourself with, but with shortboarding you need to really attack the wave. I'm still learning and I thought that my personal advice will help you greatly because of the similar transitions that we both took from longboarding to short. Just remember to ride you log once in a while for it will get lonely

[surf doc]

Right when you popup you must turn instantly. On a longboard you have time because you have all this momentum you can throw yourself with, but with shortboarding you need to really attack the wave.

This is well said. I find myself almost placing the board under my feet already angled one way or the other and all the time thinking: bottom turn and get down the line.