A longboard is an excellent addition to any surfers quiver, regardless of their experience level.
For this reason, what traits should you look for in a longboard are as follows: The answer is dependent on the kind of longboard you’re looking for.
In this section, we’ll talk about three different kinds of longboards: high-performance longboards, more classic logs, and soft-top longboards.
There are subcategories within each of these categories, so we’ll concentrate on the general qualities of each and leave the particular up to the reader.
How To Pick The Right Board For You
As you go from beginner to intermediate, you acquire an awareness of the value of your surfing equipment and the impact it has on your performance and overall enjoyment of the waves.
There is no such thing as a “perfect board.”
As you go through the descriptions of the numerous surfboards below, you’ll see that design is all about compromise.
Increase your surfboard’s volume to increase glide and stability at the expense of maneuverability.
When a rocker is introduced, control and performance improve, but speed decreases. There is no avoiding it.
Thus, rather than asking, “What is the ideal surfboard for me?” you may instead inquire:
- “What is my objective?”
- “How often am I going to surf?”
- and “How excellent a surfer am I?”
Additionally, visiting an experienced friend or surf instructor for an unbiased evaluation of your surfing talents and the resulting consequences for your surfboard selection might be advantageous.
High-Performance Longboards
In the skateboarding world, the term “high-performance longboard” refers to a longboard that is meant to be ridden in the same manner as a shortboard.
Enhanced rocker, redesigned rails, and bottom contours are common features of this kind of longboard, as is a 2+1 fin configuration (single center fin with side bites), and it is composed of lighter glass than a regular log.
These boards are designed for surfing with a lot of speed and strength.
Climbing higher on a wave and performing more critical spins in the wave’s most essential portions are made possible by the combination of rocker, rails, bottom, fin arrangement, and weight.
While these boards may still be ridden on the nose for a little period of time at the tip, they are often surfed in the same way as a high-performance shortboard while surfing.
Because of the lighter glassing on the board, it can do hard gouge turns, floaters, and even airs without breaking.
Consequently, the flex pattern is more responsive, and the total weight is less than predicted given the size of the device.
High-performance longboards are made completely of polyurethane or epoxy, just as they are with shortboards of similar performance.
While the PU material retains the ideal-typical flex patterns, the epoxy material results in a board that is much lighter in total weight than the PU material.
When riding one of these boards as a shortboard, weight has a significant influence on performance, which is why selecting epoxy is a wise decision in this situation.
Fins on this kind of board are often designed for maximum performance.
The center fin will have a drive-release ratio that is equivalent to that of a shortboard’s fin, but it will be far larger.
They are frequently the same size and form as those found on a shortboard, and they aid the surfer in recovering control of the board during forceful turns as well as offering greater grip on a steeper-faced wave.
Side bite fins are also available in a variety of sizes and shapes.
If you’re looking for a high-performance longboard, this is a thrilling style to surf if you have the right equipment.
For those searching for something entirely different and preferring to reserve their high-performance surfing for their shortboards, a more classic log may be the best option.
Traditional Longboards
Commonly known as a “log”, traditional longboards are generally constructed of a heavier-weight fiberglass deck, with more classic rail and bottom designs.
There is a range of colors available for longboards as well.
According to the wood kind and desired performance, the fins you pick for your board will vary from one another.
It’s a wonderful site to look into if you’re interested in knowing more about longboard fins, from the Flex Fin to the D-fin.
While one end of the fin range is geared toward a more progressive approach to conventional surfing, the other end is geared toward the more classic log nose riding technique that has been popular recently.
Due to the weight of these traditional-style boards, they can sustain speed through flat sections while also giving some additional stability for nose surfing and other techniques.
Logs are an excellent alternative if you want to be able to move about the board a bit.
They give stability and enable you to easily transition from one rail to another.
The concave at the front of some of these boards has even been engineered specifically for nose surfing, to help in the production of lift and to provide the rider more control when riding the wave.
The traditional log is ideal for long, peaceful point breaks or on days when you want to take it easy and do nothing.
When surfing waves of consistent size and form, this kind of board delivers the maximum fun possible.
At some time in their lives, every surfer should possess, or at the very least try to utilize, a board like this.
Soft Top Longboards
While both the high-performance longboard and the traditional log are good alternatives for novices, they aren’t the ideal options for advanced riders.
The original heavy log may be too frightening for some, but a performance longboard may be lacking in the required stability.
Getting it out of the whitewater and into the lineup might be challenging if you have problems paddling. It is also a large board to manage.
Even the most experienced surfer may be afraid to go out to a particularly busy break, fearing that their big torpedo would threaten the safety of everyone else on the beach.
Having a longboard with a soft top is the ultimate solution to all of these problems.
It paddles smoothly and is somewhat stable, making it ideal for scurrying up to the nose, tandem paddling with your buddies, and being bonked on the chin.
It makes no difference; their soft tops are capable of everything and will not put you or anyone else at risk.
In addition, these circuit boards are often very durable. They do not need waxing and may be kept in the sun for extended periods.
Your children can run around on them on land and there are no dents when you hit with another surfer on a party wave.
And some of them have progressed to the point where they can surf proficiently.
Additionally, it should be sent to the closeout department. If you were looking over a regular log, you would not do anything like that.
It provides endless amusement and is a must-have in any surfer’s arsenal, whether they are beginners or seasoned veterans.
Hybrid Longboards
Because hybrids are a cross between traditional longboards and high-performance designs, this is a simple distinction to make.
As the name implies, a hybrid longboard (also known as all-arounder longboards) is a mix of the distinctive traits of normal logs and high-performance longboards (HPLB).
A hybrid log is a mix of noseriding stability and the ability to surf slightly bigger waves with improved performance.
It is made by combining the most popular noses, tails, curves, rails, and rockers from each of the most popular surfboard shapes.
For surfers, hybrid logs are a popular choice since they are the most versatile longboard surfboard design available.
With the 2+1 fin design, you can tailor your setup to the conditions and surfing style on any given day.
Do you want to concentrate just on noseriding? Decide between a large single fin and a little single fin for your next adventure.
Do you need a little additional oomph? Include the bytes on the side of the screen!
Funboards
When it comes to picking a surfboard form, compromise is critical, and the funboard is the perfect example.
Consider the funboard to be a “middle” board, sitting between the longboard and the fish.
They should be the “next step” for an unskilled surfer who has spent sufficient time practicing on a longboard but is not yet ready to go out on a fish or a shortboard.
These surfboards range in length from 6.5 to 8.5 feet and have a broad, spherical design.
This board combines the speed and comfort of paddling a longboard with the maneuverability of a shorter board.
They operate in a variety of contexts, from poverty to wealth, from little to vast.
This is an excellent board for practicing turns since it offers more control and a faster reaction time than a longboard.
They are, however, slower than longboards and less maneuverable than shortboards or fishes.
In other words, by swapping your longboard for a funboard, you make it more difficult to paddle into waves and maintain your balance as your stability decreases.
This is the cost of greater maneuverability and control.
Beginner Longboards
Several factors should be taken into consideration while launching logs for the first time.
In spite of the fact that a conventional log will assist newcomers in easily catching waves and riding whitewash, they will be difficult to handle.
An unskilled surfer, on the other hand, may find a performance longboard to be a little too loose and strange.
In many ways, hybrid longboards are the best of both worlds.
They are ideal for exposing a beginning surfer to the fundamentals of surfing while also teaching them how to ride down the face, start turns, and even do cross-step action.
Having said that, rookie surfers may find these longboards intimidating, since they are frequently afraid of getting bonked in the head by their board, and they are not the safest choice for other surfers in the water, as they are not the most stable alternative.
Some beginners like a fun shape and something like the Kooks Pinto Soft Top can have them up and ride in no time.
Final Thoughts
If you’re trying to figure out which longboard surfboards are the greatest, bear in mind that no two people will have the same view on the subject.
Concentrate more on the kind of waves you like riding and the techniques you want to use to ride them!
You should consider using a nose rider if you’re looking for a traditional, smooth, and graceful surfing technique that lets you concentrate only on your riding time on the nose.
Maintaining a performance log is recommended if you want to be as precise as possible while shortboarding on smaller waves.
People who seek the best of both worlds now know that a hybrid vehicle will keep them comfortable throughout the year.
Check out some movies, test out some of your friends’ longboard surfboards, educate yourself on the different longboard shapes, and make a selection based on your riding style and the holes that other types of surfing cannot cover.
As a consequence, you’re likely to conclude that a longboard surfboard deserves more than just a spot in your quiver; it needs to be something different.
