Short, Long, or SUP, what's the difference and why does it matter?

ok, lets see if you pass the litmus test.

Where do you go surfing? Is it at a more crowded / popular spot?

Surf in the winter? Are you a "local" anywhere?

After you catch a wave, and there are others in the line-up, what do you do?

Can you turn that thing? Can you even feel the ocean through that 5" of composite decking?

Could you slam on brakes or turn direction in an instant? If you have to bail, what do you do? Simply stepping off the back and hoping the leash works out is a good way to take someones head off, is my point. If I let my short board get away from me it only weighs like 8 pounds. Your SUP weighs 40.

And the crummy short boarders are only fooling themselves, they actually don't get any waves. All sup riders get waves, the ones that can pull an evasive maneuver and the ones that will yard sale all over everyone.

stereotypes are based on reality. It does suck that the masses have ruined it for you, but hey, you could always get a nice meaty retro shorty that will paddle a bit easier, life's not over yet!

 

you may be right, but kook/incompetent shortboarders tend to self-regulate. they can't catch waves, & just drift around the line-up, like so many buoys. idiots on longboards &/or SUPs catch more waves by virtue of their larger equipment...the same equipment that makes them more likely to harm another surfer.
& not to come off as a ****, but you really can't claim to be a shortboarder in the modern sense...you said yourself that your smallest board is a 6'10" fish. unless you're 6'2" & 225+lbs, that's not a shortboard. that's the size fish my 66 year old, 220lb, 1 knee replaced father rides.
you imply that pre-judging is a bad thing; i say it saves time. if you identify the people you can count on to not really catch waves or blow waves, you can up your wave count considerably. 9 times out of 10, those people are easily identifiable. after over 20 years of surfing, i've found that kooks have a pretty distinct appearance.

 

IN CONCLUSION: ride what ever you want, as long as you rip. ripping=respect

 

SUP, LB, SB Question

My opinion on this subject:

I can understand longboarding due to a shoulder injury or when getting back in shape. I have had to do it. If not injured, the goal should be to short board in good waves. That is the most challenging. Being on the East Coast, it is crucial to travel. When you get in really good waves, long boards can get unfunctional and you can get cleaned up big time. If you get too heavy, you have to find a way to slim down to be able to short board. As you age, you have got to do more to maintain short boarding conditioning, physically.

from leethestud
"I have surfed with people who call sets, catch one, and paddle on down to the next sand bar"

I agree with this. Longboarders should give others a "break" by not hogging waves and try to keep some space between them and the pack because you can kill someone (it is hard to duck dive and turn, DawnPatrolSUP) I will do this if I am on a big board and at a beach break, especially. This doesn't apply to Big Wave Dave because it is fun to have him around. Also, when it is so small that short boarding is basically unfunctional, longboards are fine. It is better than nothing.


from aka pumpmaster
"My personal opinion on SUPs is that they could be great for exercise on flat days but I'd rather not see them in the lineup."

I agree with this. Sup ing is not surfing especially on the East Coast. It is for Flat Water only. Even with shoulder injury, shouldn't do it in the surf.

This is how I feel and I have been surfing for 31 yrs and have done at least 31 trips out of the country for surfing.

 

So after having my ups and downs with the Fish, mostly due to my shoulder issues and fitness level at the time, I decided to start looking at long boards

You brought up the topic and asked the question.......

Sounds to me like you started getting older/outta shape and just went the "upsize the board route" and then just kept going to a SUP (Wow a BIG board AND a paddle). My personal opinion is that a SUP is 1 blade away from a jet ski and is closer to kayaking than surfing. Long boards are one thing, SUPs are something totally different. I tend to see the guys ridings SUPs as guys who see them as a way to get more waves, not as a way to "rip harder". 1 of the biggest rushes I get in surfing is the take off, going from an almost stand still, lying prone, to standing upright and accelerating down the face, the steeper the better. This is completely missing in riding a SUP -you are standing up the whole time.


I am always curious when people say "shoulder issues" did you get a diagnosis? Is it actually painful or does it get sore afterwards? Is it something that can be corrected through PT or surgery? A guy I have surfed with for the last 25 years had to have one of his repaired about 10 years ago due to repetitive motion stuff, surfing, playing 3rd base for years - SOB swims at least a mile a day and can paddle for hours - he is 51.

Jim

 

I've seen you in action, and on action alone I judge. You're a kook no matter what you choose to ride, kook.

 

and I reiterate, KOOK

 

so basically you wrote all that to say that you discovered what it means to have a quiver? i surf longboards cause i like the way the ride, not that i think i am better than shortboarders...theyre just speed bumps.

 

This is more of a comment on the entire climate of SI right now. DawnPatrolSUP's OP was a long drawn out post about how he likes to ride all kinds of boards and has the discretionary income to do that. More power to ya and your fiance for buying you the boards. But why oh why when people respond with a point of view different from yours do you get all huffy puffy? This defensiveness is unnecessary, you asked a community for their varying view points! If they don't 100% agree with you.... who gives a ****!

And another thing ******** ****** ****** ******.

Why are these ***** necessary???

Can't we just cuss? Obviously everyone wants to do it. Swellinfo man behind the big computer in the sky did the old **** in this thread. We know all the dirty words. If a young child is on this website and reads a cuss word let the kid's parents deal with it instead of censoring speech.

And lastly, I want to see some D's. And I know Aguaholic does to.

 

I ride a surfboard because I'm a surfer, you guys write essays online because your lame.

 

Technically......You still havent ridden a Longboard since they start at 9'......not 8'1. I personally dont care what board anyone rides as long as they act in a safe manner and dont become a wave hog when on larger boards.....I surf whatever board i need for conditions offered to me. It shouldnt matter what you ride as long as you're considerate to others in the water which always comes back to etiquette, that little thing so many refuse to adhere to. Everyone wants to have a good session but dont let yours ruin someone elses...........

 

I own two SUPs for flat-water use. I have never and will never bring them to a break.

In my experience, if you surf well, people don't care what you ride. However, the overwhelming majority of SUP owners surf like it's their first day in the lineup. I think I started seeing SUPs at the break about 3 or 4 years ago. Since then, I've probably seen hundreds. Out of all of those, I can remember exactly ONE guy who I respect... had an orange McTavish that he rode like a beginner shortboarder and didn't use to hog waves. 'Til there are more of him and less kooks riding SUPs, there's no choice but to assume a SUP rider is a moron and act accordingly.

 

Think you struck a nerve with this post...JUST SURF!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Starting this thread was like getting a bunch of snakes together and asking them why they bite people.