Surfing Etiquette & Rules
Safety Tips
Longboard Design
The Long and Short of it
Flotation and Paddling
A Cruisy Way Of Surfing
The 10 best breaks in Australia

Surfing tends to be pretty free form but there are certain accepted rules, mostly based on safety and common sense, that you should adhere to.

These rules are well established throughout the world and bring order to what would otherwise be a nightmarish and chaotic sport, with everyone running over each other resulting in dinged boards and lots of waves going un ridden due to confusion.

These rules apply to body boarders, short and long boarders, surf skiers and kayakers.

1. Always look inside - before you commit yourself to the wave ALWAYS look inside (toward the apex of the wave) to see if someone is already on or about to take off on the wave. If you don't you could be putting yourself and another rider in serious danger because you may cause a collision.

Both you and your board will get hurt and so too will the other surfer. You could be asked to pay for any damage you cause to the other surfer's board as well as receiving a real dressing down.

2. Wave ownership - The person closest to the breaking part of the wave has the right of way. Caveat: If someone is up and riding, paddling into the wave behind them does not give you the wave. Also note: In many low-key breaks, the first person paddling for the wave owns it. Do not expect this to apply in crowded conditions.

A surfer taking off on one side of a peak does not have right of way over a surfer who has already caught or is riding the other shoulder. This means a surfer cannot cross under the peak to the opposite shoulder and expect right of way if it is already occupied.

A wave rider must try to avoid all other swimmers or surfers.

3. Dropping in - 'Dropping in' is when you take off on a wave in front of someone else who is about to or is already up and riding and obstruct or interfere with their right of way. Don't do this. Ever. No exceptions.

For example, you see this nice wave coming and you either don't see or don't care about the guy on your inside already paddling or already on the wave. You get up and spoil his ride while your plans on riding the white water to shore go as planned. Please respect other people's right of way.

Remember: If you 'Drop In' on someone unintentionally then make sure you apologise to them for your error and let them know that no harm was intended. Generally they will accept your apology.

4. Paddling out - When paddling out, if you must get over a wave that someone is riding, paddle behind them (on the white water side). This allows them to continue riding the wave without having to dodge you. It generally means getting knocked around by the wave for the sake of someone else's ride. Take comfort in the hope that they would do the same for you.

Also when you get out the back remember that others were waiting for a wave well before you so don't paddle round them and park yourself on their inside in order to take the next wave. This is a selfish and un sportsman like act and not the way to have a friendly surf.

Remember: Do not paddle in front of someone unless you are so sure that you will be 20 feet in front of them that you are willing to bet the well-being of your board, your car and your nose on it.

5. Attitude - If you are having a bad day then take your 'bad attitude' somewhere else. No one wins an argument, especially in the surf. Your and their day's surfing will be ruined. Surfing is supposed to be FUN and exhilarating not an unpleasant experience.

Hey, don't be rude to anyone in the parking lot or wherever you are, it just isn't cool. You'll wind up having a bad day. Also, please watch out for other people, their gear and other cars when leaving the parking lot.

Remember: You are entitled to make your point and voice your opinion. The hard thing to do is to leave it at that. Keep in mind that fellow surfers will respect you more if you do.

6. Accidents - Always apologise if you make a mistake. If you are involved in or near a collision then stop what you're doing and make sure that everyone is okay. Above all, keep a good attitude.

Remember: You are out there to enjoy yourself while participating in an exhilarating sport. Say "Geday" to your fellow surfers and you will all have a better day.

7. Tow-In Surfers - The general rule is that if there are paddlers around then you should go somewhere else. This is just plain courtesy and will save you becoming VERY unpopular with your fellow surfers.

People

The major annoyances when it comes to surfing are other people. Now that surfing is so popular (it has its down sides), everyone is in the water. This of course leads to many people being in each other's way. Please respect other people and their right of way or you can, and sometimes will, get hurt.

Beginners - We all started off here at one time so please be patient with those learning to surf and give them some room. Maybe if you give them a hint or two on how to surf it would not go astray as the more we teach them the sooner they will learn and make everyone's surfing a lot less stressful. Say, Geday today!

The Ocean

Ah, the ocean. How calm, soothing, and deadly it can be for those who panic when they do not know what to do. You really do not have much to worry about if you just follow some simple rules.

Rips - We always hear how dangerous they are, but are they really? They are usually a good way to get outside when first paddling out. If you get caught in one, you can either try paddling PARALLEL to the shore to get out of it, or just let it take you more outside (you won't be going out to the mid-ocean, OK) and then paddle out of it.

Currents - Have you ever noticed that while you are surfing, you tend to drift south or north... well this is a current. They can be strong, bad or very weak. The only way around a strong current is to paddle to keep yourself in position, if you want arms of steel and a sore back. Or just catch a few waves, go in to shore, walk back along the beach (further than you would normally) and paddle back out.

Advice - If you are not a good swimmer ask a life guard or life saver for the best spots to swim and where the rips and currents are.

The Weather

Here are some of the weather related issues you must pay particular attention to.

Direct Sun - Please, if you are going out surfing when it is sunny wear sun block! You will thank yourself when you are older and do not have to go the doctors because of skin cancer. Even on cloudy days wear sun block. We recommend you use a water resistant brand and is at least SPF 30. Make sure you cover your nose, ears and back of the neck. This way you will not look like a freak because you forgot to wear block and are peeling all over your body.

Cold Water - We hate it and therefore so must you! If you are a working person then the mornings and evenings are the only time you usually get to go out. At these times it gets cold, especially in the winter when a nice little breeze decides to pick up. Solution: wear your steamer and booties, if necessary, gloves. If it is really cold maybe wear some head gear. This way you can stay in the water longer and catch more waves.

Why is there always some person wearing just board shorts on a cold day? Who cares! As long as you are comfortable. Remember different people have different tolerances to cold, for a while.

Enjoy your surf and surf safely - that is all that matters!

(Our thanks to Greg Bennett from Bennett Surfboards for this article)

As compiled in collaboration with our Bennett shapers Mark Rabbidge, Sean Wilde, Sam Egan, Gordon Jackson, Billy Tolhurst, Ian Goodacre, Russell Head, Mick Dooley and last but certainly not least the boss, Barry Bennett.

This Information Package is designed to give our customers a general guide to longboard designs – it does not give prejudice to any particular boards or models. We find the information package actually assists the customer in deciphering what is best for them – to be read at their leisure away from babbling surfboard salesman quite often found in some stores. From my personal experience in buying cars, sound systems, fridges etc. the more salesmen you talk to, the more confused we (the buyer) get. The aim of this guide is to take away the stress and confusion of purchasing a longboard.

Our company can wherever possible arrange a “demo” board for customers to use at their leisure, this in partnership with our guide assists in taking the hassle out of their surfboard purchase. I believe there is no better way in buying a board than to “test drive” prior to purchase.

Share the waves with your fellow man and have fun!

Greg Bennett
Factory Manager

P. S. If a customer wishes to surf at a competitive level (i.e. contests) he must look for a longboard with the following specifications:

Minimum 9’0” length x total of 53” which in simple terms is combined measurement of wide point, nose width and tail width taken 12” from nose across board and 12” from tail across board.

E.g. 9’1” x 22 ½” x 18” (nose) x 14” (tail) = 541/2”.
Single fin and tri fins are both permitted.

Single Fin Longboards

The modern day single fin has retained all the good points of the 1960’s shapes and culled the bad points, making way for a board with added turning / trimming ability and less weight for further increases in performance. Wider nose templates permit more stable nose riding while in most cases the fin box has permitted the surfer to change fin shapes, lengths and profiles to best suit conditions, also an added bonus when traveling on planes etc. fin can be totally removed.

The single fin design is the easiest to surf and with less fin resistance than the more progressive 3 fin designs is actually quicker in trimming, also assisted by a usually flatter rocker or bottom curve than the three-fin setup. If turned hard enough from the tail it may spin out.

The modern day single fin with it’s softer rails is directed towards surfers who want the most traditional characteristics out of a modern day board – typical lengths range from 9’1” through to 11’0” or so.

Triple Fin Longboards or 2 plus 1

This fin set-up accounts for the majority of our sales, having a 10” centre fin box with medium depth cent er fin and those lovely black or white plastic fin system side stabilizers or “side biters”.

This model gives the best of both worlds in the one board. The “2 plus 1” configuration combine to produce excellent turning characteristics with the added bonus of holding in to the wave face. Problems such as sideslip whilst nose riding very minimal. The concept of the “side biters” is to give added performance without the degree of drag sometimes experienced with the thruster set-up – typical lengths 8’6” to 10’0”.

Thruster Type (3 fins all virtually same size)

This set-up is best suited for deep, hard yet controllable turns, being great for cutbacks and running on the rail of the board. Usually made with three lovely detachable plastic fin system fins – ideal for the traveling surfer.

This model will take all sizes of waves with rider (at most times) in total control with exception to nose riding whereby fins may tend to sideslip due to lack of depth.

For the surfer who wants to surf hard and fast (with minimal nose riding) this is the model for you - typical lengths up to 9’1” but not such a big seller these days.

The Modern Mini Malibu

This model typically built from 6’8” to 7’6” – emphasis being placed on a fun board for the surfer making the transition between short surfboard and longboard. Can also be termed “fun board”. Usually thruster set-up (using fin system) it has a scaled down nose area which other than failure to nose ride gives exceptional performance in all aspects of surfing. Very popular summertime surfboard.

The Mid Range Longboard

Small volume seller from 7’8” to 8’8” inclusive – can be either thruster or 2 plus 1.

Associated alternatives in all board designs include:

1. Concave Nose

Once popular back in the 80’s twin fin mid length designs (early modern longboards) concaves are now virtually common features in various degrees dependent on board length.

The art of riding the nose of the board is most exhilarating – the concave under nose of board providing a cushion of water and air to maintain higher trim position in wave face while surfing on the nose. Concaves also provide added strength to nose area of board due to their curved nature.

2. Round Square Tails

Most popular tail shape, increased surface area leaving more tail area to pivot off – suited best for small to medium sized waves in standard width format / for larger waves decrease tail width. Likewise for the older surfer or the heavier surfer, we can tailor board dimensions all round to provide the surfer with the correct amount of stability for their surfing needs.

3. Area Pintails / Round Pintails

More suited for larger wave conditions, these boards are very quick in cutbacks, having reduced surface area as compared to round square tails. They tend to feel as if they are turning themselves and suffer from less drag than the round square tails.

4. Stringers: Multiple or Single

Three ply 3/16” suggested for up to 8’6”. From 8’8” to 9’6” suggest double 1/8” 3 ply butted (5 ply). From 9’7” to 10’0” double 3/16” butted. Over 10’0” triple or cedar best option.

We strongly advise the double butted 5 ply look stringer for boards approaching 9’0” and above. Single 3 ply stringers on boards around nine feet and over are nothing but a high risk.

Stringers are most effective still possessing some “spring” but at the same time too much “spring” could mean a snapped board. The slightly wider 5 ply set-up does add a little more weight to board obviously increasing the rigidity of the board but giving the owner added security in prolonging the life of his or her board. However, no guarantee against creasing, snapping or stressing of underside of your longboard can be implied due to the often rugged and unforgiving nature of the ocean.

5. Other features

Volan glassing, nose blocks, tail blocks, wooden fins, tints, opaque or marble effect laminates are still all available. We still can reproduce the style and soul of the 60’s if so desired by the customer.

Hoping I have assisted with making things a little clearer to our potential customer – should you have any further questions please don’t hesitate in asking, we’ll be happy to assist.

Yours in surfing,
Greg Bennett, Factory Manager
15th of November 2002

(Our thanks to Greg Bennett from Bennett Surfboards for this article) - Summary of article by Peter Lalor – The Daily Telegraph Sat, Oct 16th 1999

Remember when a surfboard was as long as a summer’s day? When the old Holden groaned under its incredible weight? Well, the longboard is back, carrying the dreams of old surfies and even the kids reckon they’re pretty cool.

For most of the baby boomers the surfing dream went to pot a long time ago. Those sandy haired boys and bikini clad girls had come of age on a beach and thought life could never change. They had danced to surf movies, sworn oaths to surf philosophy and lived a summer that never looked like ending. These bright-eyed “beach bums” had straddled elongated Malibu boards and squinted back towards the shore, never imagining life would call them beyond the car park.

Then it all began to go horribly wrong. Their surf dreams were wiped by the evil conspiracies of age offspring – often conceived in the dunes at a beach party or in the back of a rocking panel van – arrived and started to demand attention and time. Homes were bought and mortgages mounted. Lawns needed mowing on the weekend and that beloved big board began to take up too much space in the shed. And if over the years they did manage to get out among the new cold-eyed generation of surfers, the boomers found their pot bellies strained with fabric of the old wettie and made it almost impossible to stand up on the ridiculously small boards the kids had taken to.

The old 30 kg, long as a Cadillac Malibu had been replaced by a toothpick-sized thing that made surfing akin to having a threesome in a hammock. Bummer!! but you can’t keep a good baby boomer down for too long. After all, the world was created and saved just for this lot.

About 15 years ago, when the mortgages were paid off and the panel van progeny had moved, the children of the revolution began to plot their return.

And the only way they could do it was by bringing aback a board capable of holding their generously accumulated frames. For Mark Rabbidge, 50, one of the pioneering world-class Australian surfers, the longboard began to call again when his son took up the sport.

Rabbidge had begun surfing back in the summer of 1969, and he appreciated the value of a longboard “in my case my son started to surf and I didn’t want to surf a 6ft 2in twin fin in choppy, shitty waves, but I wanted to be in the water with him” he said “I thought, ‘gee a longboard would be good’, but you couldn’t buy one – even though I was in the business I couldn’t even buy a blank (the raw board which has not been shaped or finished)” Rabbidge like a few others, started to manufacture his own – and over the years the demand just grew and grew.

The return is nothing short of a miracle. For many years those monstrosities from the past had been about as popular on beaches an outflow sewage pipe and as common as a surfer with a job. The boomers have made sure that the boards are now a booming business. Some of the classic older models are fetching around $US20,000 and a good Australian balsa board can demand $6000. Man, you might even have to cash in a few shares to strap one of these on top of the BMW. Longboards are hip all over again and are doing huge business. World wide they now account for 60% of surfboard sales, less than 10 years ago it was just 5% and it’s just not the grey haired getting back onto them.

The world champion longboard surfer Joel Tudor. An ultra cool sports star for the new millennium, he travels the world in one set of clothes and rides a board with a classic style and modern dexterity that amazes all who see him.

Watch the kid hanging five or throwing a 360-degree turn and you may be forgiven for pulling out that old Little Pattie record. Number two in the world is Beau Young – son of Australian legend Nat. The old man is proud of his son’s achievements and just pleased that people are again accepting the longboard. He says that he will never give up the big ones; they certainly out of vogue for a long time and it didn’t make sense.

“In this one aspect surfing is similar to golf in that you don’t use a putter for hitting your long shots, just as you wouldn’t use a wood around the greens” said Nat “Essentially longboards are not made for quality tubing surf but are great for the smaller choppier stuff”

The near extinction of the longboard was caused by the excesses of fashion “In 1967 we realized that the Malibu was just too long and too bulky to fit inside the tube, so we cut the boards down and we took those to incredible extremes. By 1969 I was surfing a board that was 5ft 9in long, so it was almost half of what I started on. The thing about them was that they were really good for surfing the tube but they were absolutely useless for getting a bit of momentum and gliding across the flat parts of the wave, and that’s where a longboard is incredible.

A longboard is perfect on a small surf day, perfect for people who are heavier than those callow youths who have hogged our beaches for so long, and brilliant to learn on.

Rabbidge who owns Retro Longboards deals with the newcomers and those making a re-entry “The longboard craze means people who’ve only ever been on a body board can now stand up easily on a surfboard. And then there’s the other lot who are coming back into the water. I get hits on my email address and these are from people who say they haven’t surfed for 25 years. They have all the old stories and a head full of dreams and they want you to make these things for them and I say ‘look, I’m only a surfboard shaper, not a dream weaver, I can make you a board but I can’t take you back there’”

Ron Rudder, 53, of Newcastle surf company Pacific Dreams says he and his mates have been reliving their youth for the past ten years thanks to longboards “On them I can get out and pick up a wave, whereas if I had a short board I wouldn’t last long. They’re harder to paddle and to catch waves” Rudder says he knows of one old longboard rider who is 75 and making the most of the “new” fad. The boomers returned to the longboards out of necessity and nostalgia, but the conversation of youth took everybody by surprise Matt Kay, 17-year-old Newcastle local, was always intrigued by the monstrous boards his father kept in the garage. Him and his mates would take them out for a laugh and then it just stuck.

Rabbidge has a keen eye for the social history of surfing and has watched the kids pick up on the old ways with some satisfaction “The rebirth has happened more from the older guys who’ve got the mortgage and the wife and kids all in order and now can go back to it and grab his Malibu, but that sort of syndrome is now being taken over by the youth. “The longboard thing has only recently become more trendy because they are associated with California and a lot of youth are looking for more fun in surfing than just the straight battling board under conditions that aren’t always available”

Of course the new boards are not exactly like the old ones The Mexican Government recently sponsored a tube riding competition for long boards. Nat Young was amused by the concept “It’s almost a contradiction in terms by my standards, but these kids have got so much talent they can make a longboard surf inside a tube. A lot of the new longboards are hybrids – they have a lot of short board elements, the rail lines, fin configuration and weight are about the same as a short board “I ride traditional longboards and that’s different from what Beau rides”

Bennett Surfboards of Brookvale have been making boards since 1956. Barry Bennett started the company and now sons Greg and John are helping to run the show. It wasn’t that long ago they weren’t making any longboards at all, but these days they are the bulk of their output. Greg says that some of their customers are more than 60 years old, but the boards they are buying are not the same as the ones ridden 30 years ago “They’re fully polished and they have all the traditional spray designs and full length stripes, and so they have a bottom curve of a modern-day surfboard and usually have three fins for manoeuvrability. They have the best of everything these days they’re not as strong, but they’re lighter just like modern cars. If they were too heavy and built like they were 30 years ago, no one would buy them” Greg says longboards are part of a cycle like the yo yo, but this one has brought so many more people back into sport they thought was gone forever. “We have customers who have come here weighing 17 stone and they’re puffing from the stairs, but some of these boards could handle a sumo wrestler. They are a real good business now because these people are flushed with cash, unlike the kids who traditionally surf and have little to spend”

With the boomers has come the big buck. Sponsors such as European clothing company Oxbow are flinging around huge amounts of money to be associated with longboard competitions. Mark Rabbidge is happy to see the business booming. “The difference now and even ten years ago is that companies are automatically making and selling longboards as part of their range. Clothing companies also want to be associated with the longboards, whereas before they would shy away so they didn’t lose their image – it was considered a bad look”

The boomers are keen to get their hands on some of the old equipment. Like other areas of sports memorabilia, the historical surfing gear is demanding big bucks. “ If the boards have a history and are associated with a well known shaper or brand they are worth money” Rabbidge says “ That area is getting huge. I’ve got a heap that are worth a lot of money and my daughter is going to get them one day. I’ve got one in a museum in Victoria and I’m lending some more to another. All the paraphernalia is starting to attract attention and value because it’s a real cult, it’s recognizable with the baby boomer image or baby boomer time”.

However, while the big board is back Rabbidge says a lot of longboarders are asking for shorter boards for days when the swell’s up “I don’t think the future of surfing is long or short boarding, But I think people are just determined to make sure it is fun. I am finding now that more people who like longboards find they need another board for boisterous days when the longs are a pain in the arse, so they come back to a seven-footer, which is the size a board should be”.

(Our thanks to Greg Bennett from Bennett Surfboards for this article) - Compiled by American shaper / designer Rich Harbour

As a shaper and surfboard designer, I’m frequently asked questions regarding flotation. The best package for you as many elements, and ultimately you will assemble all of the variables and make the appropriate choice. There are, in addition to flotation, several other closely related subjects that need to be covered. These relate to the damage done to the body and to the surfboard with different kinds of paddling, as well as the difference between a good paddling board and a high performance surfboard.

The first rule of flotation is: the mass of a surfboard is directly related to its manoeuvrability. Mass is described as the resistance to inertia. Plain and simple: the bigger it is, the more mass a surfboard possesses, the more flotation is has.

Most surfers want the most manoeuvrability. Make it shorter and it turns better. There are some variables here, and different shapers will give you their own arguments. One school of thought says make a board thicker or wider to compensate for reduction in length. Those who argue against this says that thicker boards have less sensitivity and wider boards have less rail and action, making turning sluggish. As long as you don’t go overboard, going wider or thicker will help a shorter board float. However, you will always give up something in order to get more float.

A board designed specifically for paddling has unique characteristics. It will have less rocker than the more manoeuvrable board made for surfing, less curve in the bottom, and a fin several feet from the tail. Studies have shown that paddling at 3.5 knots the amount of wetted surface accounts for approximately 85% of the drag. However, at about 5 knots, the curves of the outline and rocker now account for about half of the resistance, and friction on the wetted surface accounts for the other half. We also know that a full-arc shaped bottom will displace water much more efficiently than a flat bottom. A very pointed, long, narrow shape glides rather easily through the water. But at 12’ long and 20” wide, this almost rocker less, efficient paddling machine is not going to do many roundhouse cutbacks. The point I am making is that you should make the decision about how much manoeuvrability you are willing to sacrifice in order to paddle well. In general, go for size increase for better paddling instead of design changes that many detract from surfability.

Catching waves easily seems to be one of the more frequent design requests. I never have thought that the nose has any great influence on wave catching. A narrow nose will certainly be more efficient in off-shore winds, and excessive rocker will push water. The bigger the board the easier it catches. Yet one board will catch waves better than another of the same length. Why? Without getting into a bunch of technical possibilities, look to the obvious. A wider tail will capture more of the wave’s energy than a narrow one. A 15” square tail (always measure tails and noses 12” from the ends) will certainly capture more wave energy than an 11” pin tail. But remember that turning is tipping the board on one rail to create a resistance. This resistance pulls the board in the direction of the tipped rail. Of course rocker, rail curve, and tall thickness will also have a bearing on the turn ability. Too wide and it won’t turn well, and too narrow and there will be no curve for it to relate on.

I have a theory about the popularity of knee-paddling surfboards. At age 15, and 150 pounds, I started on a 9’8”. To surf on a 6’2” in the middle of the winter before full suits were invented would have taken a tougher guy than I was. With no wetsuit you had to kneel, completely dry, on top of the board while waiting for the next set. You would see a few guys with their feet dangling in water, but most of us paddled out and sat in the lineup in the kneeling position while waiting for that perfect wave. With the advent of comfortable full wetsuits and the down sizing of surfboard length happening almost simultaneously, one begins to wonder.

So you want a knee patch on your boards? I think there’s a better idea. The foam boards of the 60’s were made of much denser foam, about 3.9lbs per cubic foot and glassed with at least two layers of 8 oz. cloth top and bottom. Today’s typical surfboard foam is 2.44 pounds peer cubic foot (or less) and probably no more than double 6 oz top and single 6 oz bottom. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure that this new high tech, ultimate turning surfboard you want to buy has sacrificed something to make it so mobile. It’s lighter because it’s weaker. But that’s what makes it work so good. The old foam is available on special order. It can take, at certain times, several months to get.

Ordering the old-style foam will solve the denting problem, but you just went 30 years backward in time, designing a board that could weigh as much as 30 lbs. I have a better solution. If you must knee-paddle, go for a couple of sessions. Now strip the wax off where you kneel and you should find 4 dents where your knees and insteps have pressed the glass and foam. The glass is now being stretched and is trying to cling to the foam. Take your board to a qualified repair centre and ask them to put several layers of 4 oz glass in the curvature of the dent and hold the old glass down. You have just added strength to the exact balance points with very little weight to your board. The cost was probably less than the cost of an oil change for your car.

Prone paddling, stroking arm over arm, always puts one arm in water. Now many time surfers are suffering from back and neck problems due to the constant arching of the back that prone paddling requires. Knee-paddling also has its drawbacks. You put both arms in the water when you take a stroke. Therefore, you must rely on the board’s coasting ability to keep up the momentum before the next stroke. Thus, anything less than a “full nose and tail out of the water” board is not an effective knee-paddler. Clearly a board of these proportions will restrict the handling characteristics. Not only will the performance of your board suffer, but so will your insteps and knees. Those unsightly cartilage buildups, also known as surf knots, are not as cool to have today as when you were 15.

That 9’6” that floated just fine when you were 18 may not support you today. No, the displacement of a 1962 surfboard is not significantly different from today’s 9’6”. But your personal displacement may have increased enough to make a major adjustment to achieve similar flotation.

As one gets older and spends less time in the water the need for flotation increases. At some point in one’s surfing career, the ability to do floaters, off-the lips, and radical cut-backs begin to diminish. Paddling starts to become more important. Your primary thing is to have fun. If hassling paddling is not fun, or you have medical problems, tell your sales-person. Any qualified longboard shop deals with these questions on almost a daily basis. If you are dealing with a shop that has a “too cool” salesman for longboard flotation problems, find yourself some place else to spend your money. For the most part, those jerks were all fired in the late 80’s.

(Our thanks to Greg Bennett from Bennett Surfboards for this article) - Courtesy of Ansett Airlines Magazine 1996.

The revival of longboarding is not just another nostalgia led trend. To its fans, longboarding is a more graceful, aesthetically pleasing and easier style of surfing.

Longboards are back, proving that if you wait long enough, everything comes back into fashion, longboarding has taken off again in surfing. Longboards currently account for 60% of surfing sales worldwide. Seven years ago, just 5% of all the surfboards made in Australia were longboards, today longboards account for 50% of production, with local surfboard manufacturers churning out 60,000 longboards a year.

Another baby boomer-led trend, the surfing equivalent of the revival of Motown music? No it’s not just the old fellas who are longboarding, but also young kids keen to take surfing back to it’s roots. Longboarders range in age from 8 to 80 and cover all walks of life – business owners, executives, artists, designers, professional athletes, scientists and entrepreneurs – everyone is embracing the return of longboard surfing.

What’s the appeal? older people are drawn to the longboard as a way to keep fit once they pass 10 and to satisfy a desire to return to the roots of surfing younger people are flocking to the sport because of the aesthetic appeal of wave riding in a more graceful style than short boarding can offer.

For many people, longboarding triggers memories of a special time in the history of surfing: beach luaus, camping, 70 pound surfboards and a sense of health and vibrancy centred around the ocean. One longboard maker recently told a newspaper reporter: “ We’ve had people into retro cars, retro fashion and retro music, so why not revise the idyllic time in surfing, when there was no pollution, no crowds and no violence”.

But the revival of longboarding is not driven solely by nostalgia the sons and daughters of former surfing greats, such as Nat Young’s son Beau and Midget Farrelly’s daughter Johanna are now some of the young guns of the sport. The youngsters are attracted by the sport’s heritage and the individuality or working their boards through various timeless manoeuvres walking the board, hang five, hang ten and deep knee turns.

The popularity of longboard surfing waned during the late 1960’s and early 1070’s, as the short board revolution took hold. The longboarding resurgence started in the early 1980’s more specifically, in 1981, when the Dewy Weber Longboard Classic competition started in California. The current trend back to longboarding is mainly the result of technological advances in surfboard design, which have made longboards almost as manoeuvrable as short boards, but much easier to paddle.

Capitalizing on longboarding’s new-found popularity the fast food chain Hog’s Breath Cafe has set up a Longboarding Legends tour, with events to be staged along Australia’s eastern seaboard over the next six months. Longboard surfing tours are now also springing up, including a new Indonesian surfing safari spectacular for well-heeled longboarders, who want a surfing and fishing trip in style and comfort.

Professional longboarding has recently witnessed a split. In one camp are the traditionalists, who are attracted to the aesthetics and traditions of longboarding: walking back and forth on the board, hanging ten and turning helicopters (standing on one end of the board ad rotating it 360 degrees while on a wave). In the other corner are the progressive longboarders, who ride lighter versions of the traditional longboards in much the same way that the short boarders use their boards, executing floaters, sharp-turn re-entries and cutbacks.

Having surfed more than 25 years, I have been around for the development stages of short board design right through the rebirth of the longboard. For many years, my time was spent racing malibu boards and longboards and I was fortunate enough to be part of the “speed” development, that is, the growth of the short boards. But I have to say that the comeback of the longboard is the best development I have seen, because it has opened up this great sport to so many people.

Many short board surfers will disagree, because the waves are now more crowded than ever, but I think it’s great to see people of all ages out on the ocean and really enjoying themselves. I like to ride both short boards and longboards, but the appeal of the longboard is obvious, they are easy to paddle. On a longboard, it is easy to stand up and easy to catch waves.

Longboarding is a really cruisy way of surfing. For older guys who want to get back into surfing, but have let their fitness deteriorate over the years and have put on a few unnecessary kilograms, longboards are the only way to get back into stand–up surfing.

Longboard clubs are being established all over Australia if you are just starting out, I suggest you borrow or buy a second-hand board, as a new longboard will set you back between $600 and $1000, depending on the length, graphic design and quality.

The best way to begin surfing on a longboard is to find an uncovered spot, with relatively deep water, in such a location, the waves will break softly, rather than dump, and it will be easier to control the board. You do not need nicely – shaped waves, that is, waves breaking to the left or right, to begin with – just small, soft waves that you can practice paddling on to, then standing up, then maybe making some little turns in the whitewash.

Once you have mastered those basic manoeuvres, you can progress to cutting across the face of waves. The world of longboarding will then start to open up. Before too long, you will be turning, carving, hanging five, hanging ten. You will be a longboarder!!!

1. Bells Beach, Victoria

2. Kirra Point, Queensland

3. Lennox Head Point, New South Wales

4. Burleigh Heads Point, Queensland

5. Margaret River, Western Australia

6. South Stradbroke, Queensland

7. North Narrabeen, New South Wales

8. Express Point, Phillip Island, Victoria

9. Angourie Point, New South Wales

10. Noosa Heads Point, Queensland

Source: “Tracks” Magazine

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