Surfboards. They are not all created equal. Long, short, fun, fish, mini…choosing and riding the right board can get quite completed. Let’s start with the basics.

1. A Longboard ranges from 9′-10’+. Mini-longboards are in the 8′ range and “Fun” boards in the 7′ range. Shortboards are in the 6’s to as short of a “stick” that you can ride.
   

   Courtesy of National Geographic

2. When you just start surfing, a longer board is better. Like 9 + feet. We know, this may seem contrary to what you thought, “Isn’t a longboard harder to control?” Technically yes, but a longboard offers more stability and it’s easier to catch more waves, two keys for beginner surfers.  AND if you decide to stick with using longboards, you can start to do some fancy footwork called cross-stepping (or as I like to call it, twinkle-toeing)!
   

   Photo by Avellanas Surf Photos

3. As you progress in surfing, you can start “stepping down” and playing around with board length.  Smaller boards are easier to carry, you can duck dive with them, and you have the ability to do stronger turns.  But with a shorter board, you have to work harder to paddle and catch waves, and your wave take-off point is closer to the peak – which takes an adjustment.  Don’t sacrifice wave catching ability only so you can say you surf a shorter board!  Sure, the smaller board may be easier to carry down the beach and travel with, but if you are catching fewer waves in the water because your board is too short, then you are missing out on the fun!
4. Wave size and conditions help dictate what board in your “quiver” you should use. For example, Tamarindo is a great longboard wave vs. Playa Grande, a couple miles down the beach, is a better short board spot.  This is because Tamarindo tends to have more of a rideable shoulder, is not as a fast breaking wave as Playa Grande, and smaller wave size.
5. Sound confusing? I like to say, “keep it simple.” Chose one board and ride that board until you get comfortable on that board. Each board has a “sweet spot”, and switching out boards every day just gets too confusing!
   

   Photo by Secondhand Surfer

The post The Long and Short of It appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

First, since the wind is howling offshore today in Tamarindo, let’s chat about wind conditions:  The wind can either make or break your surf session.  An easy way to know what direction the wind is blowing is to check the direction that a flag is waving in relation to the ocean and land.

Offshore Wind comes from the land and heads in the direction to the ocean. (Think that that the wind is come off the shore onto the water.)  Offshore wind is the best for surfing.  It ensures that the waves rolling in are well formed and break cleanly.  A quick way to know if is blowing offshore is if you see the “plume” spray from a crashing wave, like in the picture below.

See that plume?

BUT, just like anything in life, too much offshore wind is no bueno. Too strong of an offshore wind makes the wave close faster and the paddle into the wave super difficult. Picture the strong wind pushing you back off of the wave and the spray from the water blowing into your eyes!

Strong offshore wind. Hold onto your hat!

Onshore Wind comes from the ocean and onto land.  That refreshing breeze from the ocean on a hot summer day?   It’s bad for surf conditions.  There could be a really nice swell, but a heavy onshore wind can make all the waves crumble and have no shape, making the waves un-surfable. No fun!

Slightly onshore at Ollie’s Point, but still surfable.

Cross shore wind is not desirable either, not giving shape to the waves.

Glassy is when there is little-to-no wind at all, and the ocean looks like a pane of glass. Glassy conditions usually happen early in the morning here in Tamarindo. Glassy conditions are pretty awesome for surfers!

I told you glassy conditions are fun!

Glass-sea!

Lefts and Rights:

Next you have to know which way a wave is breaking, because riding straight is not as fun and carving up the face of a wave.

A wave can be either a left or a right, depending on which direction the wave breaks from the point of view of the surfer catching the wave.  When a surfer is paddling to catch a wave and the surfer will have to turn left to ride the wave, then this wave is a left.  The peak of the wave is on the surfer’s right shoulder as she catches the wave. (From the beach the wave will be seen to breaking to the right, but the surfer’s point of view counts here!)  Vice versa for a right.

Going right in my playground, Tamarindo Rivermouth.

Backside bottom turns…AKA going left.

If you are a regular foot surfer (you surf with your right foot back), going right is your frontside and going left is your backside (because your back is to the wave). For goofy footers it is just the opposite; going left is your frontside and going right is your backside.

Lucas learning to go straight.

Don’t worry if you are just starting out surfing about going left or right; You have to learn how to get up and go straight first before you start doing the fancy stuff…like perfecting the art of wiping out!

A beach break wave can either break left and right at the peak or in just one direction. If it’s breaking both directions, you can often have surfers riding the wave on both sides!  Point breaks are either a left or right.  Never both. Or, depending on the conditions, the wave could be a closeout and break all at once. Surfers don’t like closeouts because they have no face of the wave to ride.

Ollie’s Point: A right point break.

The post Glass-sea appeared first on Samba to the Sea.