I started longboarding about this time 2012. Just before summer & I surfed right through summer on the longboard. Just loving the easy paddle in, early takeoff & ability to surf waves even below knee high. Surfed it right up till the next swells started around the end of March (no cyclones here unfortunately).
I remember the decent sucky ok banked day at the local beachy about waist to shoulder that I took out my 6' Fire wire Hellfire I'd loved the previous winter. First thing I noticed was how deep in the water I was as I paddled. Felt like I was sinking & hated the feeling. Kids were paddling into the waves no probs & I was struggling. When I got one I felt super unko with my weight distribution (forward/back)...sold the Firewire a few weeks later lol...& got a wide 6'4 to recuperate which I surfed through winter, jumping on the LB probably 1/2 the time throughout 2013.
I now have have 8 boards, but only really need 4, gonna sell 2 soon. Usually take at least 2 boards, SB & LB, but sometimes 2 SB's & a LB. Then ducking home for the 666 if its really grovelly. Loving it coz I'm pretty much covered for anything over ankle high.
But coz I'm spending a lot more equal time on the SB & not just on the LB all the time. I find the transition between boards no problem. If anything its actually been very beneficial coz I'm out way more than when I only rode a SB. Way more paddle fit now and have a far more positive attitude to wave conditions. Unless its totally flat I don't really give a fark, coz I can have fun in any size waves and if its off shore I really appreciate the it heaps. Should really take up kite surfing and then I'd be fully covered

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Best thing I every did was widen my horizons".....absafarkinglutely with ya there