So... Should I buy a longboard or not?

dude longboards are amazing and turn a small session into a great time,who wants to dog it out on a shortboard? plus they are awesome in huge surf if you can do it... you can also catch so big waves from futher out and ride a part of the wave that cant be done on a short board.

 

As post one said try em! I appreciate the style of guys who do rock them. How do ya get there? Try try and try again, just like ya did on the shorty. Ya already know how to wack it. now learn how to feel the vibe and be one on a big stick.
I learned on one like most people. Maybe a compromise may be some thing in between or not. Ya never know till ya try sum stuff. Be open about it and find a good guy in your area to help ya figure it out. Enjoy the ride!

 

Enjoyed that. Thanks, as well as for the 2x4 tip.
The boards appeared to have very little, if any, nose rocker. Is that a characteristic of this type of long board?

 

Get a softtop. Thank me later.

 

Its a reverse rocker. The rocker is set closer to the tail, so as when you are noseriding it locks into the curl and creates a lift in the nose.

And to the op, like others have said yes get a longboard. Please dont let it be another godforsaken "high performance longboard", if you're gonna do it do it right. (Sorry to everybody else whom ive offended, im a longboard snob).

 

Not gonna lie, after catching a handful of rides (nothing spectacular but still rides) tonight on the 7'6 in pure gutlessness, I realize that I'd rather be on some sort of log this summer and being projected down the line rather than scratching for schitt in aggro fashion on a groveler. Yes, I chastised the LB but have always recognized its value. Gonna keep my eye open for a deal on the classifieds.

 

As far as length goes, what would be the advantage of say a 9-8 or 9-10 log, such as the two below from recent Norfolk/VB CL ads? Even saw a new, 10-0 Stewart Hydro Hull SLX marked down to $500. But that seems way too long.
I was looking into possibly getting a used 9 to 9-2 log for under $600 (if wife lets me). Other than transport and storage considerations, at what point is a long board too long?
http://norfolk.craigslist.org/spo/4427453109.html
http://norfolk.craigslist.org/spo/4456392443.html

 

How big are you and what kind of LBing do you want to do?

 

Heed leety's advice and stay away from high performance LBs. 5 fins is 4 too many. You should develop lb style not ride a really long SB.

 

im not even gonna read any of this ****. Yes buy a longboard.

 

Like somebody else just said, you could think of it as a "reverse rocker," with more tail kick than nose flip. Those LBs in the vid are designed for long, peeling waves, and mostly for smaller surf. They're not really the ideal noserider shape for NJ beachbreaks, but they work superbly in those clean California points and rock reefs, as you can see. They have flattened nose rockers with long, crisp nose concaves that go from about a third the length of the board to almost half. Then they typically have some kind of displacement hull bottom that fades out in the tail by lifting up to meet the rail line, which are typically a pinched "up" rail in the tail, with no edges anywhere except around the perimeter of the concave. The rail is typically turned up in the nose, as well. They're generally ridden at longer lengths.

For around here, where the waves are shorter in length, and can stay dumpy/punchy even when it's small, you need a little more rocker overall, and you don't really need the exaggerated tail kick. I will shorten the nose concave to no more than 1/3 the length of the board, and blend the concave rather than keep that crisp edge. I'll still turn the nose rail up by putting a bevel around the front of the concave. Then I go to a flat section behind the concave, fading into a rolled vee, to flat behind the fin box, with a little kick there. The rails are not pinched, but soft and 50/50 the whole way, except for that bevel in the front. They're generally ridden at shorter lengths.

HPLBs are a whole different story...

 

Length really depends on your size, so we will have to get back to you on that when you drop the info. But for reference, I'm 5'8 and hover between 145-150. I ride a 9'0, I personally wont go much bigger then a 9'0 at this weight. The 9'0 is plenty for me in small stuff and small enough for me to maneuver and feel comfortable in big stuff. If I ever get a dedicated nose rider, I might go up to a 9'4 or something. As a lighter guy I feel like anything bigger is just too much board. Again that's just me and I'm no expert.

 

By the way, today was a fun day on the LB. A little textured and fat with the fuller tide but plenty of room to get nice big turns in while the only guys out caught nothing on there shortboards and got out no more then 30 min. I was thinking of this thread the whole time. My surfing felt especially fluid and stylish today. It was a damn good day.

I kept dropping in and throwing my hands up screaming "look mom no hands!" I crack myself up sometimes. Because it's mother's day. Get it?

 

Turn turtle instead of duck diving, especially when large. Ask Big Wave Dave for tips on longboard sacrifices.

 

I say no longboard. Buy a parallel rail, flat rockered, round nosed short board with a quad set up. With the right amount of volume you will be able to ride any wave a longboard could and have a lot more fun.

 

I say no longboard. Buy a parallel rail, flat rockered, round nosed short board with a quad set up. With the right amount of volume you will be able to ride any wave a longboard could and have a lot more fun.

 

I swear by 4+1 longboards, logging on a quad pintail in overhead surf is amazing in itself. I also love single fin noseriding on the right days! I suggest a longboard quiver! People think I'm crazy but it's true, with a couple longboards you'll never miss a session EVER! And your wave count will always be triple that of everyone else in the line up

 

I'm 5-10, 188lbs. More interested in cruising on the waves and nose riding - when conditions permit. Too often the surf I'm out in is waist high or less. At VB, it's fairly quick close-out beach break, and long peelers are a rarity. At least I have yet to see them here in my brief 20 months of surfing.

BTW, thanks, everyone for the info. I've been seeing these 9-8 to 10 ft LBs for sale. They look like nice boards, but seem a bit long for some reason. I'm not looking for a paddleboard. Are these longer LBs better suited for conditions in CA (long peeling waves and point/reef breaks)? I'm relatively new to surfing, so I'm not at the level where I get full benefit out of many of the performance features.

Note: I think LBCrew answered my question in the second part of this post. Thanks, LB.