Longboard SUP versus Short SUP

[Califoilia]

So who wins in this informal "competition"....



....and/or in general on what you see at your everyday lineup?

EDIT: Skip forward to the 0:30 mark to get past some useless, but harmless nonsense.

[goodfornothin]

I prefer cross stepping into bombs than sitting on a tail🤙

[abmatt]

Everybody wins! But I think in this video it's clearly Jackson Close on the longboard. He is silky smooth and powerful.

Short SUPs can be a blast. I have one I really enjoy, and something like that should be in everyone's quiver. But I think the right longboard -- thinned out (say no to bulky rails) and relatively narrow -- really takes advantage of what stand-up has to offer, on most days. Plus cross-stepping cannot be beat.

Trying to ride a short SUP, even by the best guys, is never going to be as radical or as stylish as a traditional, good shortboarder. But hey, if you're having fun, you win.

[supthecreek]

Both awesome, I told Doggy (cuz he asked for it straight up)...that I had to give that exchange to Jackson.... super styling!
The Dog was having an off day from his usual amazing sessions..... and  Jackson was really ripping it up!

[Califoilia]

Yep, I agree with all of you....Jackson gets this round, but I've also seen "Dogman" have better days on a "short" SUP.

Before the SUP foil craze hit SanO, I was noticing that the length of boards were increasing in length again.

It seemed that we all started on those "big" SUPs, and then the size kept dropping, and dropping, to the point that sub-9' was pretty much a given, and more and more were going to the sub-8' lengths (although many/most in some "mini-simmons" shape).

This past year, a lot of those SUP "shortboarders" are now back to longboard shapes nearer 9' again, and some longer...although the widths seemed to have narrowed.

Fun times to watch the ebb and flow of board choices as they continually seem to change...and they pretty much stay the same.

[Rider]

Kings. 9’6” Knight.  28” wide, 110 liters. Five years old and still light and tight.

[southwesterly]

I don't think it's a matter of board length, the guy on the longboard is just a better surfer.

[Night Wing]

I'm biased in this one. I like longbords. I always have and always will.

[Tom]

I think one of the reasons some SUPers are going to longer/bigger boards is that they are now making performance boards in larger sizes. It use to be that if you bought a board over 9'6", it had extra volume & width. Seems like they thought that whoever wanted a bigger board was just not advanced enough to ride a smaller one. About 5 years ago I asked my shaper  to make me a 9'8" board the same volume as the 9' he made for me. Turned out to be a really fun board. I remember him telling me that this was the first board he made like that.

[Califoilia]

I think one of the reasons some SUPers are going to longer/bigger boards is that they are now making performance boards in larger sizes. It use to be that if you bought a board over 9'6", it had extra volume & width. Seems like they thought that whoever wanted a bigger board was just not advanced enough to ride a smaller one. About 5 years ago I asked my shaper  to make me a 9'8" board the same volume as the 9' he made for me. Turned out to be a really fun board. I remember him telling me that this was the first board he made like that.

I agree with this...

I now have two 9'6" boards, one I bought seven or eight years ago that's a 9'6"x32"x4.5"x 160 liter pop-out chunky all around that I now keep for learners (pretty much where I was at the time transitioning from regular surfing), and my other is a Laird/Pearson Arrow that's 9'6"x28.75"x4"x 120 liters nicely foiled, and thin through tail and nose.

The only real thing they have in common is their lengths...beyond that, they're really two completely different boards.

[surfercook]

Equal 1st! Those guys are next level! And those Deeps are looking sweet. Local sup shop here where I live just got a few in. Maybe time to Craig's List my Assassin and switch up! Although a new 8'0' Sunova Creek model would be nice too!

[805StandUp]

I now have two 9'6" boards, one I bought seven or eight years ago that's a 9'6"x32"x4.5"x 160 liter pop-out chunky all around that I now keep for learners (pretty much where I was at the time transitioning from regular surfing), and my other is a Laird/Pearson Arrow that's 9'6"x28.75"x4"x 120 liters nicely foiled, and thin through tail and nose.

The only real thing they have in common is their lengths...beyond that, they're really two completely different boards.

That 9'6 Pearson is a sweet board with its potato chip thin nose!  I still have the 10'6 which was my first true Surf SUP still but mainly surf the 9'0x29.5x113L post-Pearson Laird Surfer as my longboard-style SUP which I also love.

[mrbig]

Last summer immediately after my encounter with Whitey I took delivery of my Infinity New Deal from Kayadog who is da Man for all things Infinity here in balmy New England.

I got the 9'6" x31" x 139 liters from their production line. Wicked strong and CRAZY light. Have been feeding myself on bets won on guess the weight and buy B-I-G a pizza. 16.25 pounds on a postal scale and completely impervious to ugly shorebreak here on CC, and the rocky minefields of RI.

My first session, looking for waist high summer rollers, was in RI with PDLSFR was, how shall we say, very interesting.

OH to head and a half thanks to the mystery TD (16 I think, but wtf) that pushed the buoys to 16 feet. Modified kung foo fighter boy stance behind the handle and SWOOSH.

Awesome performance as a modern longboard. The polar opposite of the new board flatspell. We had the absolute best period of rideable OH to DOH waves I can remember.

I also received a beautiful King's Shark Board 8'2" x 30 5/8" x 4".

My confession is 6 5 4 winter 🎿 stuff is New Deal Time!

I have owned two Hobie Performance Longboards and a King's Crocodile 🐊 and this is superior in every way!

The dedicated noserider crew would prefer a different sled, but I don't see those folks taking off a hundred yards outside of the red can buoy when it's HUGE!

Long boarding is soo much fun!

And Jackson Close is ridiculously skilled!

[kayadogg]

I have seen Biggie rip on his New Deal and I've also had many texts/voicemails post-surf sessions where he has had glowing things to say... and this is coming from a buddy of Dave Daum & Kings! Glad you're diggin the New Deal, Biggie. It has been my go-to board all winter despite my initial thoughts that it would only see water time when it was small. I have the 10x27 model which is 122L but really doesn't feel anywhere close to that size. It's the highest volume board I have (besides raceboards) by a good 20L but it really feels like I'm on a 105-110L board due to the thinned out nose and tail.

Infinity's production line is super solid and complements their custom offerings well. Let's put it this way, they received a container this past month and it was already sold out when it hit the dock in LA (nothing left even for their showroom). Next container arriving this month. Almost sold out already. To Infinity and beyond. PM me for any questions.

[Billekrub]

DM's bottom turns are overly sluggish.  As if the board does not want to turn.  Whereas the JC board (and rider) responds radically.  Both do well on the top turn and cutbacks and in all other respects.

DM bottom turning, could also be that adding more drive would slow it down too much for want of more appropriate fins?  Other possible reasons ..., maybe the waves are too soft for the board shape?