Surfers Like the Long Board for the Advantages
When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA, we begin on 8′ and 9′ soft top boards. 8′ is considered a mini long and 9′ is a long board. After surfers spend a few months learning, they may decide to go long board or short board. Going the short board route is the more challenging.
The long board is easier to paddle so you don’t have to be in as great of condition.
The long board catches waves easier than shorter boards. You can start on a wave before it gets too steep.
Once the wave catches the board, it is easier to pop up and stay on a long board. You can catch small waves easier.
The Techniques to Learn Surfing the Long Board
Surfers like the long board
The beauty of surfing is that it offers so many opportunities to do what you want.
Surfers like the long board because you can have fun driving it down the pocket. It is easier to ride because unlike a short board, you don’t have to pump for speed.
Turning the long board is accomplished by putting weight on the back foot and swinging the nose in the direction you want to travel. You can also walk back or forward.
The most power is in the top one third of the wave so you like to begin at the top and eventually drop lower on the wave.
Finding the Right Beach Breaks for Surfing the Long Board
You can surf most beach breaks with a long board, but one reason surfers like the long board is that the long ride is the most fun.
Short boards like steep waves so they can maneuver with rips. Long boarders want to ride forever so they like breaks like reefs that have long rights and lefts.
In San Diego, beaches like Terra Mar in Carlsbad and Swamis in Encinitas are long board havens because waves build slowly and stay well shaped for a long time.
* If you want to learn surfing, look at my Home Page Good tutorial on Catching Waves. https://youtu.be/N7KopjbzxjE