How to Surf on a Shortboard - Sand Surf Lifestyle

Shortboards have the highest maneuverability making them exhilarating performers on a range of waves. Their shorter length allows for snap fast turning and quick change in direction. Shortboards are recommended for more experienced riders who have mastered the balance and movements of a traditional longer surfboard.

Learning how to surf on a shortboard will provide you with more opportunities to surf a wider range of waves. Surfers on a shortboard are able to surf low-level waves only waist high to towering waves that rise high overhead,

Table of Contents

6 Steps to Popping Up on a Shortboard

Step 1: Paddle into the wave

Surfing on a shortboard will require that you paddle an extra stroke or two as you enter the wave. This will give you the added boost needed to match the speed of the wave. The great thing about shortboards is the reduced friction from less surface area allowing them to travel faster and further than other boards.

Step 2: Palms at Your Pectorals

The next step involves the placement of your hands as you prepare to push off the board to raise your upper body. Press the palms of your hands to the surfboard at the pectoral muscles of your chest. Push to raise your shoulders and chest off the surfboard keeping your hips and legs flat to the board.

Step 3: Positioning Your Back Foot

Using a smooth sliding motion, bring your back foot into position on the tail pad of the shortboard. Here is where balance and upper body strength will be key as you keep the board steady and move the back foot into position. The knee of your back leg should now be pointing out toward the surfboard rail.

Step 4: Make Way for Leg #2

In this step, you are making the room you will need to bring your front foot into position on the surfboard. Now you can push down on the shortboard and hold all of your body weight up with your two hands and back foot. Be sure your arms are fully extended for the maximum room available but not locked to maintain balance and stability.

Step 5: Propel Knee and Plant Foot

Your next move involves quickly bringing the knee of your front leg up to your chest and planting your foot firmly between your hands. Your front foot should be roughly two inches down from your fingertips. Your back foot should remain in its position with your back knee continuing to point outward.

Step 6: Poised and Compressed

Once both of your feet are in position and you have steadied your balance, raise up into a compressed stance. Keep your hips and knees low to give you a better response to the rise and fall of the wave. Your eyes should always be focused on where you are heading to avoid unnecessary collisions or falls.

Noticeable Differences of a Shortboard

The most obvious difference between a shortboard and other surfboards is the length and often the width of the surfboard. This reduced amount of surfboard surface area impacts several aspects of surfing. The first thing it affects is how well it can support the weight of the surfer.

A smaller-sized surfboard has less volume and thus has less buoyancy than traditional length surfboards. As a result, the shortboard is not going to float as well as a longboard. This can make it more difficult to paddle and keep stable.

The next significant difference you will notice when riding a shortboard is your ability to maintain balance and poise. This is again due to the smaller surface area of the board in both aspects of contact with the water and the amount of space you have in which to move around. Shortboard surfers will find that they experience more frequent loss of balance issues than when riding a longboard.

Having a shorter surfboard does have its benefits as well. They are lighter weight than longboards making them easier to carry. The weight of the shortboard also allows for easier duck diving waves as you paddle out. However, the lightweight of a shortboard has a negative impact on how well it propels forward making it more work to paddle and keep steady.

The overall design of a shortboard gives it greater maneuverability than a longer board. Surfers are more easily able to cut and turn in the waves on a board with less surface area. In addition, less surface area touching the water means less friction which results in faster speeds on the water.

Even with less surface area, your surfboard’s stringer is your guide to stay centered on your board. This is important to maintaining balance as you are paddling out into the wave. This center line on your surfboard is especially helpful for ensuring you plant your feet properly when popping up on your shortboard.

Does nose shape affect a surfboard? Find out here.

When to Go Short

If you can answer yes to any of the following five questions, you may be ready to progress from a longboard to a shortboard.

Can you catch an unbroken wave with your longboard?
Are you able to enter the wave at a 45-degree angle?
Have you successfully surfed a wave down the line as opposed to surfing towards the beach?
Have you tried riding a shortboard to experience the difference firsthand?
Do you have the self-confidence and patience it will take to relearn how to surf on a shortboard?

Tips for Transitioning to a Shortboard

Master Your Longboard

Before you learn to walk, you must first learn to crawl. When it comes to surfing on a shortboard, you must first become a master of proper surfing style. The smaller your surfboard is, the more important the following factors become:

● smooth drop

● turns that flow

● correct body positioning

● placement of feet on the board

● location of arms and hands

● eyes looking in direction of travel

Know Thy Wave

Shortboards need a confident surfer who can brave steep take-offs. Riding on a shortboard requires a take-off in the most critical part of the surf able wave. The power of a wave is found at its break. Shortboard surfers must get as close to this power source for the best possible ride.

Pace Your Progression

Gradually decrease the length of board you use when transitioning from a longboard to a shortboard. Making too drastic of a change in surfboard size can lead to extreme frustration, difficulties, and the desire to quit. Surfing should be fun so don’t push yourself so hard that you’re no longer enjoying it.

Get Comfortable in Rougher Waters

Balance and stability on a shortboard decrease greatly in small wave conditions. Shortboards are designed and engineered for intense conditions with maximum thrill factor. Bigger swells and long tunnels were created for the speed and agility of a shortboard.

Perfect Your Duck Dive

Being able to duck underneath the approaching waves as you paddle out will get you to the line-up faster. Duck diving the oncoming waves reduces the loss of your forward momentum and energy. Without a duck dive maneuver, the wave energy has greater momentum that pushes you back toward shore when the wave breaks.

Stay within Your Limits

Always make sure your surfboard and skill level are a proper match to the conditions of the waves. The saying may be “go big or go home” but when you make too big of a change too quickly, chances are high that things will go terribly wrong. It’s better to work your way up to riding rougher waters on a shortboard slowly to avoid serious injury or death.

Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Please consult a legal expert or medical professional to address your specific needs.