Surfing

How does your height determine what size surfboard to get?

Surfboard Sizing: Height Determines Stability and Maneuverability

So your hi, Tiffany, determines your surfboard to a degree. But basically starting off. You want a board that's nine for the longer. A longboard, a long wide, thick board. With lots of volume that super stable, very easy to catch waves on. So whether you're very tall, very short, starting off. You always want to board. That's way too big for you. So that it's table where it becomes a little bit more. Fine-tuned is when you go into short board, It's so for me, I'm 6 foot 4. So my short board Jay, the general rule is that your short board should be about the same height as you are but for me I'm 64. So for me to write a six foot four as, my short board would be too long, like I don't have the power to wield that and the way that I wanted to go. But the general rule for shortboards, I would say is to have a board. That's pretty much the same height as you and then as you want to surf slightly more critical bigger waves, you get a step up so that Can you add like two or three inches onto your short board? I think that's a pretty good rule of thumb to go by.

To determine the size of your surfboard, you should start off with a longboard that is too big for you. Once you become more comfortable, you can switch to a shortboard that is the same height as you. As you progress, you can add two or three inches onto your shortboard.

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Your height does play a role in determining the size of the surfboard you should get, but it's not the only factor. When starting off, it's recommended to choose a longer board, such as a longboard, that is wide, thick, and has a lot of volume. This type of board provides stability and makes it easier to catch waves, regardless of your height.

As you progress and consider shortboards, a general rule is to select a board that is about the same height as you. However, there can be exceptions based on personal preferences and surfing style. For example, if you are 6 foot 4 inches like me, using a shortboard that is exactly your height might feel too long and difficult to maneuver. In such cases, adjustments can be made to find the right fit.

For shortboards, it's generally recommended to have a board that is approximately the same height as you. As you gain more experience and want to surf slightly larger or more critical waves, you can consider a step-up board, which is typically two to three inches longer than your regular shortboard. This rule of thumb can help guide you in selecting the appropriate size surfboard based on your height and surfing goals.

The Best Surfboard: A Memorable Journey of Firsts

The best board I've ever owned a have to say, it's my very first surfboard. I grew up riding my dad's big board. I think it was like a seven foot six songs way too big for me but it's good for learning on and one Christmas. I remember walking down the stairs and my dad always told me that a spider Safari was the best surfboard in the world. And it's a guy who shapes from Durban and one Christmas. I went down and standing next to the Christmas tree was a Fresh blade, a brand new spider Safari surfboard and I saw it. And I just wanted to cry with happiness and I straight away, put it on the couch standing on it, rode it on the couch. Remember like I had black feet marks all over the deck because I was standing on it and and then I remember like taking into the water for the first time and being on my very own first board. Oh my gosh it was just the best feeling ever. So I'll never forget that board was a five foot eight. And yeah that was kind of yeah, the start of my myself career right there.

I will never forget my first surfboard, a five foot eight Spider Safari. It was the best feeling ever and I remember standing on it in excitement before taking it into the water for the first time.

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The best board I've ever owned is my very first surfboard. Growing up, I rode my dad's big board, which was a seven foot six. It was too big for me, but it was great for learning. One Christmas, I walked down the stairs and saw a brand new spider Safari surfboard next to the Christmas tree. My dad always told me that it was the best surfboard in the world. I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I wanted to cry. I immediately put it on the couch and stood on it, pretending to ride it. I left black foot marks all over the deck from standing on it. Then, I took it into the water for the first time, and it was an incredible feeling to be on my very own board. It was a five foot eight, and that marked the beginning of my surfing journey.

What kinds of animal encounters have you experienced while surfing?

Surfing in South Africa: Incredible Animal Encounters!

What kinds of animal encounters have I experienced while surfing? Well, I live in Cape Town, South Africa. So I've had so many incredible Beautiful Moments with dolphins. Seals utters birds and then I have had about five in concert with great white sharks. When I was young surfing up in Jeffrey's Bay will getting ready for competition and one of the guys who was competing, good breached out of the water by a great white it snapped. As board in three pieces, he landed back in the water, unscathed, and then had to swim ashore with others board. Kind of expecting the sink to come back and get them better. Fortunately it didn't, and then all the other incidences I've had in the water. I've seen them cruise by me, like almost in Touching distance of them. I've never felt threatened once by the actual shocks. They've been besides the, my friend getting breached out the water. The one time it will been pretty dose are moving past me. And I haven't felt And but it's been a pretty surreal. Experiencing big, great whites from past

I have had many beautiful encounters with dolphins, seals and birds while surfing. I have also had 5 close encounters with great white sharks when I was young surfing in Jeffrey's Bay. I have never felt threatened by the sharks but they were close enough to almost touch them.

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While surfing, I've had various animal encounters. Living in Cape Town, South Africa, I've had many beautiful moments with dolphins, seals, and birds. Additionally, I've had about five encounters with great white sharks.

One memorable incident occurred when I was preparing for a competition in Jeffrey's Bay. A fellow surfer who was competing had a close encounter with a great white shark. The shark breached out of the water, snapping his board into three pieces. Miraculously, he landed back in the water unharmed and had to swim ashore with the remains of his board, half-expecting the shark to return. Thankfully, it didn't.

In other instances, I've seen great white sharks cruising by me, sometimes coming incredibly close. Surprisingly, I've never felt threatened by these encounters, except for the incident with my friend. It has been a surreal experience witnessing these majestic creatures up close while surfing.

Any tips on transitioning from a soft top long board to a hard top short board?


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How do surfboard fins help stabilize boards?

Surfboard fins: Stabilize, accelerate, and control direction

So surfboard fins they do help to stabilize a board but they're kind of serve two functions. So the one is to stabilize the board. So the back fin, if you have three fins in your board, the back fin is kind of the stabilizing. Finn, it keeps the board kind of going in the direction where you want it to. And then you have the side fins, which are, as you li put the board on the rail and lean the board. Those give you the square root of speed the acceleration. So the side fins give you the acceleration, the middle. Often kind of gives you the stability and hold to like a keel to help you to go in the direction that you want to go.

Surfboard fins help to stabilize and control the board, allowing for more accurate steering. The back fin is for stability and the side fins give you acceleration.

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Surfboard fins serve two functions in stabilizing the board. The back fin, if there are three fins, acts as the stabilizer, keeping the board on the desired path. The side fins, on the other hand, provide acceleration and speed when the board is leaned onto its rail. They give the board the necessary stability and hold, similar to a keel, to help maintain the desired direction of movement.

How has your surfing style changed over the years?

Surfing Style Evolution: From Bad Habits to Crouching and Looking Ahead

My surfing style over the years, I was very lucky when I was young to get coaching from a really great coach. I was in the competition scene growing up so I was groomed early with the right technique. I'm not saying I have the perfect technique by any means but the basics what to do. And I'm more than kind of changing my style over the years. I feel like bad habits keep creeping in. Kind of two things that I have focused on in my surfing has been because I'm very tall to be more crouched and lower on my board. This makes a huge difference. When I'm surfing my best, I'm much more crouched on my board. Lower center of gravity. That also allows me to have more spring when I bottom turn. So I wind up the spring and I get more crouched and then I have more extension when I come up the face which generates more speed. So crouching has been a thing I've really worked on. And then also looking where I'm going. So especially when I'm coming off the top, doing an off the lip on my forehand, I'm a regular foot when I come off the top. Really trying to focus on looking back down the wave coming off the top and opening my left shoulder. That's been a major thing for me. And also one more thing, I've tried to widen my starts a touch, especially for big waves which has helped with stability.

I focus on crouching low on my board to generate more speed, looking where I'm going when coming off the lip, and widening my starts a bit when riding bigger waves.

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Over the years, my surfing style has undergone some changes. When I was young, I had the opportunity to receive coaching from a great coach, which helped me develop the right technique early on, especially since I was involved in competitions. While I don't claim to have perfect technique, I have focused on refining my style over time. One aspect I've worked on is adjusting my posture due to my tall stature. I strive to be more crouched and lower on my board, as this significantly impacts my performance. Being more crouched provides a lower center of gravity and allows for greater spring during bottom turns. By winding up the spring and then extending when coming up the face of the wave, it generates more speed. So crouching has been a key focus for me. Additionally, I've emphasized the importance of looking where I'm going, particularly when executing an off-the-lip maneuver on my forehand as a regular-footer. I make a conscious effort to look back down the wave and open my left shoulder. This adjustment has had a significant impact on my style. Lastly, for bigger waves, I have widened my starts slightly to improve stability. These changes in technique have helped enhance my surfing style over time.

Matt Bromley answers your Surfing questions. See all the advice Matt Bromley has and get answers to your own Surfing questions.

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Matt started surfing when he was 6 years old, in Cape Town, South Africa. He grew to become one of the best big-wave surfers in the world. He watches the globe for large storms, and when all the elements come together, books a ticket and chases the energy across the world. He documents the big waves these storms create and produces high-quality content that is distributed through various global media platforms. Matt's other passion is sharing his experiences to inspire and empower people to ride their "big waves".