Dichotomy: LB v. SB

I don't have a long board, only a 7'6" which feels huge to me. When it's bigger, there is no way I would let my 5'10" go. But on smaller days, I have had that 7'6" out and its a lot of fun.

 

What about a floaty fish? Or just like a potato or one of them roberts mush machines? Might be a safe bet on a chest high day.

 

I guess I look at it as living the best of both worlds (or multiple). I would prefer my HPSB and HH glassy, punchy surf. I prefer my wider/thicker SB for when it's mushy, sectioned out, or smaller. I have a 9'6 and an 8' for days like your talking about. Just go out, catch a ton of waves, no pressure (long board makes you less serious about surfing I think) and leave the water feeling Irie!!!

 

You need to take Barry Cudas "shaping" class. It essentially teaches you to chase 38-32-36 and to forget all other shapes.

 

Glide.
I Think I know what you're sayin'. I've been longboarding smaller and mushier stuff for a year. And I think it has to do with glide. Or at least forward projection with less effort. Been digging the glide more on bigger waves too and my boards are getting more and more geared for it. glide also means a good paddle. I want to get from here to there a little easier. Done right you don't lose much maneuverability. Been riding the biggest days on a Russ Short bonzer. Thing is sick. I'm not generating the speed, I'm controlling it through turns. I'm still surfing vertically but I'm making it through the sections that I hadn't been since I've been civilized and I stay in the water longer because I'm not as gassed from always having to pump for speed. and it's a 6'2". It still duck dives. between the long board days and the bonzer days I'm on a quad fish.

I like skating down hill because no matter what I do gravity keeps the board moving. Even when I fall off it.
in my mind I surf like this.
https://vimeo.com/10639986

 

Ride what you brung.

I don't discriminate (unless you are a kook).

My idea of a "dichotomy" is to listen to Bob Marley while you're on a ski lift.

 

I feel that (along with wave size/ conditions )- that it also has to do with how your feeling/mood or style.

For me-longboarding is more then just being able to ride a smaller day- it's about style and how I'm feeling that day. Same with shortborting

I actually rather ride a longboard in waves that are waist/chest hi or bigger, rather then small knee hi. So there are days that are totally shortboardable but i would rather longboard- so I do... I have also been know to take it out on select big days- talk about an adrenaline rush dropping into an 8 to 10 ft wave on a longboard! Although I'm always hesitenant on paddling a longboard out on bigger days so as not to break a board...

Anyways- I gotta agree, there is something about longboarding that is super fun and refreshing- no matter the wave size.

Here is a smaller day in the spring on my 10'4 Phillips pig...

 

Yewwwwwww, Mr. Belmar!!!! Doing it in STYLE!!!!

 

Thats some smooth stylin!!!
Lucky if I get a wave that you can do 2 turns on

 

Sometimes she give off vibes that say ride me hard! Spank me!!! Treat me like a dirty girl and leave your marks all over me!!

 

Yep but it goes in phases , sometimes prefer the LB and other times the SB. I usually bring both and decide after checking it.

 

chest high long period lines this evening after work. I was riding a 4'11" square tail twinnie. The guy next to me was riding a 9'6" I think we were both having a blast.

For me, board choice is about a lot of things besides wave size. Phases (i've been digging the log a bit more this year) whether the conditions suit doing a bunch of turns (go short, regardless of wave size up to a point) or the conditions favor walled up/get slotted/no turns (mid range or even longboard no matter how big).

I tend to ride longer boards/longboards in big surf and shorter boards in smaller waves with my smallest boards (4'10", 5'7") for the smallest waves.

This seems to be a different approach, but I like it.