Because the thruster has been most surfers’ “go to” board for quite some time, it isn’t uncommon to see hot-dogging shortboarders riding their 5’10 potato chip in all types of wave conditions including 2 foot slop. I always see these shortboarders struggling to catch waves on days like this and when they get lucky enough to catch one, the lack of foam causes their board to bog and after a weak turn their wave is over.

The retro revival has shown many of us how functional and exceptionally fun old throw back boards can be. The twin fin fish is arguably the most popular retro board out in the line-ups and if you watch good surfers on these things, the first thing you’ll notice is how insanely fast they can go in weak and pathetic waves.

While the hot dogging younger crowd is obsessed with riding their Kelly Slater shortie, the smarter surfers are riding twin fins, quad fin fishes, single fins, eggs, and longboards. These surfers are not only catching more waves than surfers riding potato chips, but they’re also learning about lines and curves and different positioning and feel required to surf each type of board.

Take it from Rasta and Rob Machado who both believe that expanding your quiver and riding a variety of different shapes will improve your surfing tremendously. Longboarders will find that learning how to ride shortboards drastically improves their ability to pump and turn those huge planks around and shortboarders will find that riding a longboard for a few sessions will smooth out their surfing and help them draw better lines.

Check out TORE Surfboards if you need help or advice with expanding your quiver.