Everything You Need to Know About Buying a Longboard
The longboard. A necessary addition to every surfer's quiver. Photo: Chris Grundy
If yous're considering getting a longboard, hither is what you need to know.Maybe it'southward a fad, possibly you retrieve information technology is only for hipster revivalists, or maybe information technology is the fact that a custom longboard can requite you lot that unique "trim" feeling that your other boards don't have.
Any it is, yous accept no excuse to omit a longboard of some sort from your quiver. Everyone should have one, even if you lot don't take it seriously… it is surfing after all, and information technology is supposed to be fun. Hopping on a log is exactly that…fun!
So the question is, what should you exist looking for in a longboard? Well, that volition depend on what yous want out of a longboard. There are three main types nosotros can discuss hither, the high operation long board, the more traditional way of log, and the soft top longboard. There are variations of each of these within their own categories, then we will only accept a await at the full general characteristics of each and let you lot go from in that location.
The High Performance Long Board:
The HPLB is exactly what is sounds similar: a longboard designed to surf similar a shortboard. This mode of longboard usually has a little more rocker, more than advanced track and bottom contours, usually a 2+ane fin set (single fin centre with side bites), and is glassed lighter than a traditional log.
These boards are meant to be surfed aggressively. The combination of the rocker, rail, lesser, fin set up, and weight allow you lot to become more vertical on a wave and perform more critical turns on critical sections of the wave. Although you can still perch up on the olfactory organ for some tip time, yous ofttimes see these boards being surfed in a like way to a loftier performance short board. Difficult gouging turns, floaters, and even airs tin be done on this fashion of board, as they are by and large glassed lighter, which results in a snappier flex pattern and overall lighter weight for their size.
Much like shortboards, the high performance longboard is besides commonly found in both PU and epoxy versions. The PU gives you the traditional flex patterns we all know and love, while the epoxy is a much lighter board all around. When it comes to surfing i of these boards like a shortboard, the weight will be a big factor in its functioning, so going epoxy is a great idea.
The fins used in this style of board is usually geared more towards functioning style. The center fin volition have a good rest of bulldoze and release (much like a shortboards fin) only evidently, information technology will exist much bigger than what you would discover on a shortboard. The side bite fins will often be like in size and shape to that of what you would find on a shortboard, and help give the surfer more than command over the board when trying to surf it hard through turns as well as providing more hold on a steeper faced moving ridge.
This is an extremely fun type of board to surf if you lot are into getting loftier performance, but still want a longboard. If you are looking for a completely different ride and desire to relieve your high performance surfing for your shortboards, you will want to have a look at a more traditional style of log.
Traditional Longboards:
Your traditional mode of longboard, or log, is usually made in PU with heavier weight fiberglass and more than traditional rails and bottom contours.
There are a variety of fin choices depending on the style of log or how you lot want your board to human action. If you're interested in the basics of fins for longboards from the Flex Fin to the D-fin, give this a read. While one finish of the fin spectrum allows for more than progressive traditional surfing, the other end is geared more towards a classic log olfactory organ riding trim.
These traditional style of boards have more weight, so they deport their ain momentum through apartment sections, too as giving y'all a picayune more stability when surfing the board from the nose.
Normally consisting of full rails, and a rolled abdomen like bottom with vee out the tail, logs give you stability and brand information technology a little easier to transition from runway to rail–perfect for when you want to walk around the board a little. Some of these boards fifty-fifty contain some concave up in the nose surface area which helps create lift and add control when surfing from the nose.
The traditional log is perfect for long mellow signal breaks, or softer days. The more lined up the wave, the more fun yous can have on i of these boards. This is definitely a fashion of board that every surfer should take or at least try out at some bespeak in their lives.
Fun is fun is fun, right? Don't accept surfing so seriously.
The soft top longboard:
The loftier operation longboard and the traditional log can be a ton of fun, but if yous are less experienced, they may non be the right selection. The high performance longboard may not have the stability y'all need, while the traditional heavy log might be a lilliputian also intimidating. It is a lot of board to motility around, and if you struggle paddling, they can be a claiming just to brand it out through the white water and into the line upward.
Even for the experienced surfer, you might be heading out to an extremely crowded break and worry about having that heavy torpedo becoming a run a risk to everyone around you. The perfect solution to all of these problems is the soft superlative longboard!
Easy to paddle, super stable, sew together to the nose, go tandem with your bros, and get bonked on the nose…it doesn't really matter, these soft tops can practice it all, and without the possibility of doing serious damage to yourself or others.
These boards are usually pretty resilient, too. No wax needed, y'all can leave them out in the sun, let your kids leap all over them on land, and certainly no dings when you run into other on a party moving ridge. And present, many of them tin can actually surf fairly well. You can have off late and they will concur a line. And if yous feel inclined to have information technology to that closeout section, go for information technology. That is definitely something y'all would otherwise avoid when surfing a traditional log… countless fun and perfect for everybody's quiver from the beginner to the advanced surfer.
As with any type of surfboard, there are many variations of longboards that I oasis't even touched on. The purpose here was but to requite you a full general idea of what to start looking for and what to consider if you are going to be in the market for a longboard soon.
Whatever the choice is, a longboard of some sort is essential in whatsoever quiver. Even the aristocracy level surfers making their living surfing shortboards on the globe tour have a few stashed abroad in their garages.
This start appeared on Boardcave.com. Check them out on Instagram and Facebook.
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