Longboarding Tips

there is usually a perfect spot to be in just in front of the breaking wave

By Soul Surfer · October 26, 2008

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For something so seemingly simple in concept, longboarding and surfing in general continues to show me that the devil’s in the details. There are so many little tips, reminders, etc. that have been really helpful to me so I want to share them with you in hopes that they will help you as well. I’ll continue to add to this in segments. I should note that I’m writing these with the assumption that you have a general idea of surfing, but these can help beginners as well. Without further adieu, and in no particular order:

When paddling for a wave on a longboard, it’s better to paddle sooner than later. You want to be going the speed of the wave by the time it even gets to you.
To give a burst of speed catching a wave, kick your legs up behind your back-it really helps right before you are about to pop up onto your board.
To save energy when paddling back into the lineup, don’t cup your hands, just paddle with your fingers free. It provides less resistance, and still gets you back out there, so you will have that extra energy when it really counts.

More to come…

Discussion

2 comments for “Longboarding Tips”

What do you think about knee paddling?

Sometimes it’s harder to get into position to catch the wave but then it’s easier and quicker to stand up…

Posted by Surfer Girl | October 26, 2008, 9:48 am
To be honest, I can’t comment on it since I haven’t tried it. My knees are messed up from soccer injuries, so I have to stick to regular paddling…that being said, I’m definitely jealous of being able to do that, since it works different muscles so you aren’t as tired, you’re able to lean your weight forward more which helps, and like you said, easier to stand up. I’m all for it, and wish I could do it!

Posted by Soul Surfer | November 7, 2008, 4:51 pm