Riding the Surfing Short Board

Riding the surfing short board should come after mastering the fundamentals on a soft top board. The surfer learns the timing of catching foam waves, how to execute a perfect pop up, and demonstrate the ability to ride straight to the beach without falling off.

The short board is a reduction in the volume from a larger board. It becomes more difficult to paddle as the surfer’s weight pushes it under water. It requires the timing of catching real waves, and it is less stable unless the pop up is perfect.

Catching Real Waves

A real wave forms and gives the surfer a few seconds to paddle down the face. The surfer has to be in the right position to allow the real wave to roll under the surf board. Then the surfer paddles hard for three strokes and pops up.

On a short board the surfer rides in the pocket. He can get into the pocket by riding down the face and executing a bottom turn into the pocket. A bottom turn is like all maneuvers, turning the eyes and upper torso in the direction of the carve and then placing a little weight on the toes or heels to initiate the carve.

The surfer can also get into the pocket by pushing the nose of the board toward the pocket after catching the real wave and before popping up. The third way to get into the pocket is to paddle along side the unfolding wave at the corner and let the wave come under the board while the board is pointed at a 45 degree angle toward the beach.

Carving on a Real Wave

There are three main carves or maneuvers. The first is the bottom turn, explained above, which gets the surfer into the pocket off the face of the wave. The bottom turn is used again to ride up the face of the wave to rip the lip, do a trick or an aerial. The bottom turn is used while ripping the lip to turn back down the face of the wave.

Accelerating is crucial for a short board. After getting into the pocket, the surfer moves the nose of the board up and down the face of the wave with his front foot. This increases the speed and keeps the surfer ahead of the falling lip. The speed is also necessary to perform maneuvers.

The third major maneuver for a short board is the cut back. The cut back allows the surfer to return to the power, stall on the wave, or show some style. The cut back is executed by turning the eyes and upper torso away from the face of the wave in a reverse and placing pressure on the rail furthest from the face. The board will then reverse directions.

The best way to learn is to watch videos, read, and observe surfers in the water. Have fun.

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