Almond's Guide to: Mid-Lengths

If you’ve never spent significant time on a mid-length, but are curious about them, my advice is very simple: get a mid-length and surf it a bunch.  The worst feeling is when you show up to the beach and within moments realize that you’ve brought the wrong board for the conditions at hand—and that feeling doesn’t happen very often when you bring a mid-length, which is exactly what is so appealing about them—their versatility.

In order to understand what makes mid-sized boards so versatile, we have to recall a section from way back in Part 1: Almond’s Introduction to Surfboards.  “Everything in surfboard design is give and take.” The key element to designing and building a purposeful surfboard is to find the right combination of elements that will result in the happiest end product for the rider. 

A well-made mid-length fits nicely between the freedom of movement of a small board and the reliable glide and stability of a longboard.

You get to experience a little bit of the best of both worlds, packed into a board that’s typically fairly easy to manage and can provide a little extra glide when the waves are a little too small, or get into waves a little earlier and hang with you when the waves get a little bigger.  

The complete Guide to Mid-Lengths is available for download, for free.