How Surfers Move from Soft Tops to Short Boards
Many beginning surfers got inspired by seeing surfing in movies and they instantly want to know How Surfers Move from Soft Tops to Short Boards. It is a slow process that takes frequent visits to the water.
Beginner surfers begin on 8′ or 9′ soft tops catching foam waves in waist deep water and riding to the sand in Oceanside. It has a good beginner beach next to the Pier. I start surfer up to 110 pounds on 8′ boards and over that weight on 9′ boards. The higher volume boards make it easier to catch waves, popup, and ride.
Having Fun Should Always Be the Focus
The important perspective beginner surfers should have is to have fun and not be focused on looking cool carrying a short board to the beach. If you can’t ride it, you don’t look cool. A surfer who rides the soft top well does get respect. The soft top might be the ideal board for surfers who can’t get to the water often. Strength, stamina, skills, and timing all fade from not surfing frequently.
A surfer can ride foam waves to the beach, then paddle out to catch bigger foam waves and then start catching small real waves on the soft tops. Then they can advance to real waves learning how to catch waves down the face, then pointing the board to the corners. Then they learn the basic maneuvers of bottom turns, cutbacks, and accelerating for speed.
Moving to the First Hard Board
At this point, if the surfer gets to the water often, they might consider a hard board. They can go shorter stay the same length, or go longer. The idea is still to stay in the water for a few hours and catch as many waves as possible. Board volume makes this possible because it is easier to paddle. The first hard board on the way to short board should be 7’6″, frequently called a fun board. It is the name for boards in between short and long boards or also called mid-long.
Once again, this board may serve the surfer all their life. It is a very maneuverable board that catches waves and allows for all the tricks. You can even duck dive real waves which is a big advantage of hard boards on a sand bar beach. The surfer should only move shorter by 6″ at a time and maintain the width of 21+” and thickness of 2 3/4+”. This keeps all the advantages of high-volume boards while moving to narrower rails for better carving.
Short boards technically start when the board is 6’10” long. These boards are low volume and a lot of work to paddle because the surfer sinks the board under water. The lower volume the board, the more power is needed for the wave to launch it, so the surfer needs the wave to arc above his head. More skill and courage is required as the surfer progresses to shorter boards.
The best process is to take your time, enjoy each board, and keep building skills, strength, stamina, and courage.
Read Other Posts:
Beginner Surfers Learn on Soft Tops
5 Steps to Improve Surfing Performance
3 Ways to Catch Real Surfing Waves
Training to Ride the Surfing Short Board
Short Board Surfing Techniques
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