Short Board Surfboard
You will see short board surfboards in professional surf contests. You know, the custom surfboards all the Pro Surfers ride. Seen ripping pointbreak surf in all the movies. Short, generally under 7-feet with a pointy nose and narrow, 19 inches or even less in width. These are known as the performance surfing boards. Shortboard surfboard dimensions are narrow through the entire length which makes them easy to turn and rip. The shorter length makes them faster than older style traditional longboards and perfect for tackling the larger and more powerful waves. Before you tackle bigger and stronger waves on a high-performance shortboard surfboard you will want to gain lots of surfing experience.
Short Surfboard Basic Features
Their maneuverability comes at the expense of stability, making shortboards more difficult for most beginner surfers. The short length and narrow shape are perfect for quick, snap turns and off the lip airs. Due to their difficulty to master shortboard surfboards are normally ridden by expert surfers or intermediate level surfers who have had surfing experience. Shortboards are available in different materials and with different fin setups. You may see single fin setups or twin fins on a shortboard surfboard. But, the most common fin configuration is the Truster or Tri-Fin. A larger more powerful wave is required to push a short surfing board up to planing speed for the rider to stand and surf. Some beginner surfboards are shortboard shapes but these are normally thicker to provide some more flotation.
Things to Consider in Short Surfboards
When considering these for your first surfboard, remember shortboards are going to be more of a challenge to master. But their being smaller in size makes it easier to store, transport in your vehicle, and a lot less weight to haul around. But, never choose a board for those characteristics, it’s the “fit” to your skill level and the conditions in which you are surfing that determine the proper surfboard size for you.
Because they have less foam for floatation, shortboards harder to paddle and not at all stable. Your weight should be well below the suggested rider weight and you need exceptional athletic skills and balance to learn to surf on a short board surfboard. As a general rule, short surfboards are not the best choice for a beginner. A Short Board Surfboard will likely be more frustrating and lengthen your learning curve.
If you have the skills and want to have some foam surfboard soft, surfboards fun, check out the EZ Slider 6ft Ray-Zor Foam Shortboard surfboards
For more information regarding surfboards, see our Beginner Surfboard Buyers Guide
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More resources at: Surfboard Sizes