Guide to Longboards

What is considered a longboard? 

A longboard is any board that is about 3 feet taller than your height. They generally feature a round nose with a good amount of width and thickness for the best stability. Apart from these features, types of longboards can range depending on the type of surfer they are built for. Variations in thickness, fin, tail and rail design create a completely different ride feels, so even if you are someone who isn't disposed toward longboard surfing, there are more than likely options that will suit your style. 

Types of Longboards:

Classic

Classic longboards dominated the surfboard landscape between the 40's to 60's. These boards are built for incredible stability and they revolve around a large single fin. When Tom Blake first invented the single fin in 1935, his primary goal was stability and not so much performance with regard to quick turning ability. The boards with these early single fins were also built around the same mindset. As opposed to higher performance alternatives, Classic longboards are wider, thicker, and heavier. The rail design is called a 50/50 rail, which makes the board slower. To some, the slowness is not ideal, but it actually serves a good purpose: to "stay in the curl." If you've every watched old surf movies like The Endless Summer, this is why there is much talk about the "curl." If the board were too fast, it would be easy to outrun the pace of the wave which makes it difficult to trim and noseride. In addition, outrunning the wave and having a big board that doesn't turn quickly makes it difficult to carve back into the power section as you would on a high performance board. Consequently, design elements that create a slower board increase the riders experience when riding a classic.

Noserider

Noseriders are similar to Classic longboards in terms of width, rail design, and ride feel, however, there are added elements which set apart a noserider from the classic. First off, noseriders will have a wider nose for added stability when walking to the nose of the board. Furthermore, on some boards, like our Classic Noserider, concave under the nose is added to create lift. Lift is what keeps the nose above the water without pearling on a noseride. As the board moves forward on a steeper section, air is trapped by the concave and the board elevates upward. Along with nose concave, you may also see added tail rocker. If a noserider has more tail rocker than nose rocker, the tail of the board will be able to sink into the water more and move the nose upward. Noserider, similar to Classics, are exclusive single fin boards. The "pivot" motion of turning a single fin helps you maneuver smoothly, set your line, and run up to the nose with stability.

High Performance 

High performance longboards are thinner, more rockered, and have a bit less volume than the previous boards mentioned. This makes the board much easier to turn and handle. Also, the board may be surfed in bigger or steeper waves because of the outline. As for the fin design, high performance longboards are exclusively two plus one. The two plus one is the best of the best when it comes to turning longboards. The center fin offers hold and control, while the side bites allow you to grip the wave, carve, and drive through turns with power. Last, the rail design is often very different. Unlike a classic, these boards are built for speed. Even though these boards have a high bar of performance that can be done on them, they are often easier to ride than a big classic or noserider. Newer surfers will be able to appreciate their maneuverability, and they are less prone to pearl. Concerning noseride ability, these boards can still be nose ridden, although they will be a bit less stable when cross stepping and you will not be able to stay on the nose for as long.

An example of a user-friendly high performance longboard is our Ultimate longboard. Hence the name, this board able to do it all.

Classic-Performance Blends

While Classic and Performance boards are very different than each other, there are ways in which a shaper can blend their best elements into one board. A board of this sort would be out Ultimate Plus. Like a high performance board, the fin option is two plus one, and the rails are beveled for good turn ability. The difference lies in the thickness and rocker. There is a bit less entry rocker and the board is a little thicker especially in the nose. This allows for more volume to give a classic feel. Furthermore, the rider may surf it as a two plus one or single fin to change up the ride feel on this type of board. These elements create a board that is better in noserides than a high performance board, but easier to turn than a classic.  

Fish Longboards 

Beyond the boards mentioned above, there are a lot of niche shapes that fit in their own categories. The first to mention is a longfish, such as our 8'2 Easy Rider. By retaining a fishy outline, the board is very fast and loose, but the length creates more glide and control than a standard fish. The fins can also be changed from either a quad or a two plus one or single fin option. As a quad, fishy elements are drawn out, as a two plus one, the board will have more performance, and as a single, the board will offer the most trim. Another type of board worth mentioning is a glider. Gliders are very long, sometimes up to 12 ft long. Like the name, the entire goal is to move down the line in one direction with incredible glide and speed. Unlike a classic, the nose is pointed and multiple fin types are added. These are very difficult to ride because of the length, so they are suited for a more advanced longboard surfer looking to add a different type of board to their quiver. 

How is riding a longboard different than riding other boards?

Riding a longboard slows everything down. Many agree that they can enjoy the ride and take in their surroundings better on a longboard than any other type of board. Additionally, these board require much less effort for having fun on. You can stroke into tiny, summertime waves with two or three paddles, pop up with ease, then ride all the way to the beach if you want to. Because of this, there is something about riding a longboard that brings you back to the golden-days of surfing - back before competitions, fights for waves, and the modern desire to demolish waves rather than flow with them. There are not many other boards that give you this effect, which makes the longboard special and forever relevant in terms of surf history.   

What types of waves or breaks are best for longboards  

Longboards are well suited for any wave between 1ft to about 5 ft. Above that, you will want either a high performance longboard, or a shorter board. Furthermore, longboards usually require waves that are soft. Unless you are a very advanced surfer, avoid steep waves on your longboard or else you will nosedive.

Why should everyone own a longboard? 

One of the most frustrating experiences a surfer can experience is not having enough board in tiny waves. On the flip side, one of the most enjoyable experiences in surfing is having the ability to ride waves that are unridable on any other kind of board. For this reason, everyone should own a longboard! We cannot emphasize enough how much longboard surfing improves every aspect of your surfing. Many of the surfers out there who know how to read waves the best, turn with proper technique, and control their surfboards find their base on a longboard. So even if you are apprehensive about it, we suggest that you give it another shot! Grab a board that seems appealing to you from the types of boards listed above. 

If you would like assistance in finding the best board for you, give us a call at (800) 920-2363 or email us at surf@degree33.com, we'd be happy to help!