Before we embark on the longboarding journey it's important first to understand the differences between longboarding and traditional shortboarding, as the way you ride each board is completely different.

Sure, there are similarities up to a point: the way you paddle, pop-up, etc.

But past that point things change considerably.

In fact longboard surfing is almost an entirely different sport in many ways, and in this lesson we’re going to be diving deep into what makes surfing a longboard so unique.

You’ll learn:

And a whole lot more.

WHAT MAKES LONGBOARD SURFING UNIQUE?

The ethos around surfing a longboard is a million miles away from traditional shortboarding, with the two disciplines chasing totally different things.

Let’s take a closer look at what things make longboard surfing so unique:

THING 1: STYLE

In shortboarding style is an afterthought, something to maybe work on and refine down the track.

However when it comes to longboarding, it’s ALL about style.

And the good thing about style is that it’s subjective, and it’s this subjectivity that encourages longboarders to unleash their creativity, their own unique approach to riding waves.

And this individuality is encouraged and supported by the longboarding community.

THING 2: GRACE

I know I said above that style is subjective and I stand by that, but there are limits…

Of course if you want to get real creative go nuts, but there are some elements of good style that are universal.

And grace is one of those.

What do I mean?

Well, I just Googled what ‘grace’ means and here’s what came up:

Noun: Smoothness and elegance of movement. “She moved through the water with effortless grace”.

And that pretty much sums it up.

THING 3: FLOW

Flow is similar in many ways to grace, just expanding on it a touch, and applying it to surfing.

If grace is the smoothness and elegance of movement, then the flow element is the way that’s translated onto the wave.

The way you transition from one point to the next, linking manoeuvres together seamlessly. 

That’s flow right there!

THING 4: FUN

That’s right, longboard surfing is all about the fun.

It’s not about aggressively fighting for waves, trying to rip the bag out of everything you catch (that’s reserved for the shortboarders ).

Far from it.

Instead it’s all about the simple joys of riding waves, sharing them with friends, and connecting with the ocean.

DRAWING LINES AND THE ART OF LONGBOARDING (THE RIGHT WAY...)

Longboarders draw very different lines on a wave to shortboarders. This is one of the big things that differentiate the two.  

The lines a longboarder will surf are predominantly horizontal and down the line, whereas shortboarders draw more vertical extreme lines on a wave.

It’s these soft, drawn out lines that make longboarding so hypnotic to watch.

No thrashing of the arms, pumping and bouncing, battling to milk every last bit out of the wave.

Instead longboarding is more like a dance. A poetry of connection between the surfer and the ocean, ebbing and flowing in harmony together.

THE SHAPE OF YOUR LONGBOARD AND HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR SURFING

Lonboards can be broken down into two different categories: noseriders, and high-performance longboards.

Let’s take a look at each in a little more detail.

NOSERIDER

Noseriders are built for small, peeling waves - either pointbreaks or soft rolling beachies.

Counterintuitively the boards aren’t shaped for maximum speed, instead they are designed to manage speed so that the surfer can position themselves in the pocket of the wave more often (this helps with riding the nose).

This is achieved by the conscious design decision of having soft rails from the nose all the way to the tail. These soft rails create a kind of suction, sucking the board to the wave, and this helps the surfer to ride on the nose more easily.

Noseriders also tend to have flatter bottom concaves to glide over flat sections, a wider nose, and a large central single fin.  This fin stays in the wave acting as a rudder, stabilising the surfer whilst riding the nose.

WHO ARE NOSERIDER LONGBOARDERS SUITED FOR?

Noseriders are perfect for surfers that live in an area with a lot of small waves, or locations with soft rolling pointbreaks.

They’re also for the surfer that’s looking to learn how to cross step, and how to ride the nose of the board.

The flatter rocker, plus the added width and volume, not only make these boards super fun and forgiving, they also make noseriding much easier too.

HIGH PERFORMANCE LONGBOARDS (HPLB)

Noseriders are built for small, peeling waves - either pointbreaks or soft rolling beachies.

Counterintuitively the boards aren’t shaped for maximum speed, instead they are designed to manage speed so that the surfer can position themselves in the pocket of the wave more often (this helps with riding the nose).

This is achieved by the conscious design decision of having soft rails from the nose all the way to the tail. These soft rails create a kind of suction, sucking the board to the wave, and this helps the surfer to ride on the nose more easily.

Noseriders also tend to have flatter bottom concaves to glide over flat sections, a wider nose, and a large central single fin.  This fin stays in the wave acting as a rudder, stabilising the surfer whilst riding the nose.

WHO ARE NOSERIDER LONGBOARDERS SUITED FOR?

Noseriders are perfect for surfers that live in an area with a lot of small waves, or locations with soft rolling pointbreaks.

They’re also for the surfer that’s looking to learn how to cross step, and how to ride the nose of the board.

The flatter rocker, plus the added width and volume, not only make these boards super fun and forgiving, they also make noseriding much easier too.

HIGH PERFORMANCE LONGBOARDS (HPLB)

...changing the fin position even slightly will have a big impact on the way your board rides.  

So the best thing to do is run a little test, moving a couple of cm’s each time, seeing how it feels then testing again. 

Using an iterative process like this you’ll find your fin placement sweet spot in no time.

WRAPPING IT UP

Longboarding is about the dance - style, grace and flow. It’s more than just a sport, it’s a way of life.  

A life where you enjoy the simple things and go with the flow.

Embrace all of the above, and if you haven't already go and give it a go. 

A whole new world of surfing awaits.