Surfing
Surfing
Shortboard vs longboard surfing: The differences
If you’re ready to try out a longboard or shortboard, make sure you learn the basics before you head out to the water.
When she started, Red Bull surfer Izzi Gomez had a tough time with the sport. Starting with shortboard competitions as a kid, Gomez’s early growth spurt put her at a disadvantage compared to her shorter competitors.
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Izzi Gomez
1/23/2023
By age 13, she quit competitive short boarding and picked up paddleboard surfing instead. Then, the success started to come in big waves! The longer paddleboard maneuvered better under Izzi, making it more comfortable. By the time she was 19, Gomez had won five world titles in stand-up paddleboarding, giving her the confidence to get back into big waves. While the switch seems simple, Gomez says that it was anything but.
“People think they can just go out and get an inflation vest and paddle out,” she said in an interview with Red Bull back in 2021. “It was almost two years of work before I went out to Jaws for the first time.’”
Shortboards and longboards are the two main types of surfboards that surfers use. Even though they have similarities, the different builds and designs equate to different techniques needed to ride them.
Lets dive into the main differences between shortboard and longboard surfing, from their history to the different advantages that come with each board.
01
Longboards
Kai Lenny surfs big waves in Pe'ahi, HI
© Erik Aeder / Red Bull Content Pool
As the name suggests, longboards are the longer and larger of the two board types. They are also the original surfboard type, with roots tracing back to the origin of surfing in ancient Polynesian culture.
The most popular materials used to make longboards have changed over time; older boards are heavier and were typically made of wood, while newer boards are lighter and made using synthetic materials like polyurethane or the more environmentally-friendly EPS (expanded polystyrene). However, the design of longboards hasn’t changed all that much since they were first developed for widespread use.
Longboards are eight feet or longer in length, with most boards measuring at about nine feet, and are about two feet wide. The paddleboards that Izzi Gomez found success on are a type of longboard; most paddleboards are at least 10 feet long.
Advantages of a Longboard:
- Longboards typically measure around two feet in width. This larger body allows for more stability when cutting through the water.
- With a larger surface area on the water, longboards are propelled through water more easily than shortboards, making them a great option for smaller and/or less intense waves.
- The larger body allows more room for you to sit or lay on board while on the water.
- The increased stability that longboards offer makes the ride smoother and more relaxed than riding a shortboard.
- The larger body and smoother ride that come with longboards make them the better option for beginner surfers.
02
Shortboards
Women's shortboard surfer Bethany Zelasko
© Bryanna Bradley / Red Bull Content Pool
The shorter of the two board types, shortboards are also the newer type of surfboard. They came into the surfing picture during the 1960s, offering a faster and more mobile surfing style. They almost rendered longboards obsolete until longboards made a resurgence in the 1990s. Shortboards are almost always made of some sort of synthetic material, such as EPS.
Shortboards typically measure around six to seven feet long and 21 inches in width. Surfboards can have an upward curve at the nose and/or the tail of the board called a rocker. While any type of surfboard can have this, its effects are more prevalent on shortboards. Below we explain why the rocker is an advantage and get into some other benefits of shortboards.
Advantages of a Shortboard:
- The rocker sacrifices the top speed that a shortboard can reach for more maneuverability and better handling, which can make a huge difference when tackling larger and more powerful waves
- Shortboards are more customizable than longboards, and you can form them to perfectly suit most wave conditions.
- With a larger capacity for maneuverability and mobility on the water, shortboards are best for stronger waves as you can generate the speed and power needed to get through them.
- The smaller size and lower weight of shortboards make them more portable to and from water.
03
The Difference
Simply put, longboards are better suited for leisure and casual riding. You can compete using a longboard, and several of the top pros do, but if you have no aspirations of going beyond the basics of surfing, use a longboard. The best waves for longboard surfers are no taller than chest height and have a long and slow break. Even waves that barely go past your ankles can propel you a great distance on a longboard.
Shortboards, on the other hand, are great for building up speed and doing tricks. They are best under the feet of experienced surfers who know when, where, and how to ride a wave using their momentum. The best waves for shortboard surfers are larger and more powerful. However, while the agility that shortboards offer to surfers is a major plus, they can also be very unforgiving. The responsiveness of the board means that the board will respond to everything you tell it to do: the good and the bad. Shift your weight to the wrong side of the board and you’ll be off the wave quicker than you got on it!
Conclusion
Most surfing enthusiasts will recommend beginners stay away from shortboards until they tackle the basics on a longboard first. If you’re ready to try out a longboard or shortboard, make sure you learn the basics before you head out to the water.
