Fact.”
“Both Tom Curren and Kelly Slater learnt to surf on twin fins, any footage of them surfing will show you clearly how much they use their rails. Better than anyone else.
Taking advice from anyone can be tough, let alone your Grandmother. So as a child when my Gran repeatedly said to me “you should try to learn something new every day” I didn’t appreciate what she meant. However, after a lifetime spent surfing and shaping I can tell you she was onto something. We all have to learn to surf to be able to call ourselves ‘surfers’ of course. However, once you are past the basics, it is just as important (perhaps more so) to maintain the pace of learning. Why? Because by continuing to learn you will realise that you are getting better all of the time and that will encourage you to surf more often. For experienced surfers one of the best ways to achieve more growth in your surfing is to ride different boards. So one way a shortboarder, for example, can benefit from riding a by jools mathews fish is that a fish has no middle fin. By removing your trailing fin a fish will teach you to use your rails much more effectively. Both Tom Curren and Kelly Slater learnt to surf on twin fins, any footage of them surfing will show you clearly how much they use their rails. Better than anyone else. Fact. But it’s not just experienced surfers can learn from riding a fish/ retro board. By adjusting the dimensions to suit your own ability everyone can enjoy the benefits of extra speed and easy paddling (particularly in weaker, summer surf) provided by the wider planning surface, increased volume and flatter rocker. The general rule is that you ride them at least four to six inches smaller than your standard board. However, if you don’t drop the length quite as much the extra volume can be a huge help for intermediate surfers or even older guys who want an easier life paddling without having to give up on shortboarding completely by riding a longboard. There are a huge variety of boards in this ‘fun’ category so if you find yourself confused make sure you check the board guides, then find a good reputable surf shop with a knowledgeable salesman who will give you good advice, or even better consult a reputable shaper. (Go to carvemag.com and have look through the board guides to find retailers and shapers near you) Given the opportunity I have always said all surfers should learn to longboard as well. Longboarding and more especially noseriding is an art unto itself and very much part of the ‘complete’ surfing experience that absolutely every level of surfer can enjoy. Learning to nose ride on a longboard will teach you balance, timing and style that no amount of flapping on a shortboard could ever do. In the broadest of terms there are two types of longboard. Firstly there is the traditional single fin log. Thick, wide and flat they can make even six inches of surf seem like fun and provide the perfect cruising platform for endless hang tens. Secondly there is the HP (high performance) longboard. Made to be a lot more manoeuvrable with more rocker, less volume and generally with a three fin set up. You won’t get such long nose rides or the ‘glide’ of the traditional log but only a quick glance at pro surfers like Dudley and Ben Skinner and you will see them do turns on a longboard that will make your average shortboarder blush. Of course the best knock on effect of owning a quiver is that you will have equipment that can perform in a huge range of surf. The truth is, whether you live inland or by the coast, surfing time is limited. Swells come and go, the tide and the wind change and therefore so should your boards if you want to make the most of the time you have. Try not to think of yourself exclusively as a ‘shortboarder’ or a ‘longboarder’ and just be a ‘surfer’. As it goes when my Gran said to me about learning something new every day I’m pretty sure she wasn’t talking about surfing, I think she meant learning a new Latin verb everyday! But I’m also sure that she would be very happy to know that I am still learning about surfing, learning keeps me keen to surf as often as I can and that keeps me fit. And by staying fit I hope to surf and live for a long time. Thanks Gran.