Longboard Cheat Sheet

The key takeaways for beginners – choosing the right board size, cross-stepping to the nose, and the turtle roll as your answer to too much volume.

Finding the right board

Item	Priority	Tip
Length	High	9'0" to 9'6" and at least 22–23 inches wide – the proven starting range.
Volume	High	Rule of thumb: about 100% of your body weight in litres – 80 kg means roughly 80 litres.
Fin setup	Medium	2+1 is more stable to start with; single fin comes later for flow and drop-knee turns.
Construction	Low	Softtop forgives more while learning – switch to a hardboard once cross-stepping clicks.

What makes the longboard different

More lift, more waves: Extra length and volume bring more paddle speed – you catch more waves, even weaker ones, than on a shortboard.
Look for different waves: Small, slow, gently breaking waves are ideal – exactly the ones that are often too weak for a shortboard.
A realistic learning curve: Your first waves often come in session one or two – cross-stepping and noseriding then take months.

The 3 golden technique rules

Factor 1: Cross-stepping, not shuffling

Concept: Only a longboard is long enough that walking the deck really shapes your line – shuffling or hopping won't get you cleanly to the nose. Tip: Hips lead, shoulders stay parallel to the board: cross your back foot deliberately over the front one, knees soft, chest low.

Factor 2: Trim with your weight, not your arms

Concept: Trimming means steering direction through subtle weight shifts on the rails – actively paddling with arms or legs only slows you down. Tip: After standing up, find the spot just below the lip where the board glides most smoothly, then steer using rail pressure alone.

Factor 3: Hang five before hang ten

Concept: Noseriding is a see-saw: the fin brakes the tail, the wave pushes from behind and lifts the nose – only in the critical, just-breaking section. Tip: Nail hang five first – front foot's toes over the nose, back foot close to the fin – before you move both feet forward into hang ten.

What counts in competition

Criterion	In short
Style, flow, grace	Controlled, flowing manoeuvres in the critical section count – not the sheer number of them.
Using the full board	Switching between tail turns and nose rides counts for more than doing only one.
Critical section	Deep noserides only count where the wave breaks steepest – not on the flat run-out.
Classic manoeuvres	Cheater five, drop-knee turn and coffin demonstrate control beyond simply standing.

Safe in the line-up & through the waves

Turtle roll instead of duck dive: A longboard has too much volume to push under – instead roll board and body around the long axis and let the wave pass over you.
Priority despite the big board: Closer to the peak has priority, regardless of board type – a longboard gives you no special status.
Calf leash for cross-stepping: Worn at the calf, it prevents tangling far better than a classic ankle leash while you're cross-stepping.
Respect the weight: At 3.6 to 6.8 kg, it's nearly double a shortboard's weight – keep your distance from others when falling or paddling.

Pro tip: Style beats speed: longboard rides are judged on flow and grace, not tricks. Film your sessions and watch for just one thing – are you moving between tail and nose, or just standing there?