How to Improve Your Surfing Style on Any Board: Longboards, Midlengths, and Shortboards

Style is what separates a surfer who merely rides waves from one who tells a story with every movement. While technique gets you on the wave, style is what keeps people watching. It’s the invisible signature that makes your surfing personal, fluid, and unforgettable.

Whether you're cross-stepping on a longboard, trimming a clean line on a midlength, or throwing a stylish carve on a shortboard, refining your style elevates your entire experience in the water. This guide breaks down how to improve your surfing style based on the board you're riding—longboards, midlengths, and shortboards—with practical, surfable insights you can bring into your next session. Along the way, we’ll spotlight some of Degree 33 Surfboards’ most style-friendly shapes to help you pick the right board for the type of style you want to express.

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Why Style Matters in Surfing

Style in surfing isn’t just about looking good—it’s about control, rhythm, flow, and personal expression. A surfer with style matches the pace of the wave, uses clean body movement, and draws deliberate lines. Great style is about doing more with less. It means surfing efficiently and naturally, letting the wave do the work while you add just enough movement to create beauty and function.

No matter what board you ride, great style follows a few consistent traits:

• Calm, intentional body movement

• Rhythm that matches the wave

• Clean transitions between maneuvers

• Confidence without exaggeration

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1. Longboards: Grace, Footwork, and Flow

The longboard is the original canvas for style. With lengths usually over 9 feet, longboards reward glide, posture, and timeless moves like noseriding and drop-knee turns. But without proper technique, they can expose every flaw in your form.

Common Style Killers

• Shuffling feet instead of cross-stepping

• Rushed or awkward turns

• Forcing the board instead of flowing with the wave

Style Tips for Longboarding

Cross-Step with Control
Avoid shuffling. Cross-stepping is not just more stylish, it's more functional. It keeps your weight centered and your momentum balanced. Take small, deliberate steps and stay over the stringer.

Use Drop-Knee Turns for Elegant Direction Changes
Rather than pivoting abruptly, try drop-knee turns—where your back knee drops near the deck while your front leg guides the arc. It’s a move rooted in classic style, and it helps you turn with grace.

Pick the Right Longboard for Your Approach
For smooth cruising and long noserides, the Degree 33 Classic Noserider is a traditional log with wide hips, soft rails, and a big single fin. It’s stable, forgiving, and perfect for classic footwork.
If your style leans toward turns and responsiveness, the Degree 33 Ultimate Longboard offers a modernized template that still allows for stylish flow while handling more aggressive direction changes.

Let the Wave Lead
Longboarding is about patience and reading the wave. Don’t force maneuvers. Instead, wait for the right moment to move, walk, or trim. Good style on a longboard feels like a dance—smooth, connected, and grounded.

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2. Midlengths: Trim, Rail Engagement, and Timing

Midlength surfboards—ranging from around 6'8" to 8'6"—sit in the sweet spot between longboards and shortboards. They offer glide and paddle ease, with the ability to turn and pivot more than a log. Their true potential, however, comes alive when surfed with purpose and clean lines.

Common Style Killers

• Trying to surf it like tiny shortboard (i.e. trying to go for flicky snaps rather than smooth, arching maneuvers) 

• Neglecting the rail

• Staying too far back on the board

Style Tips for Midlength Surfing

Trim with Intention
One of the greatest joys of a midlength is its ability to trim high and fast. Focus on angling your takeoffs and staying centered over the board as it runs down the line. Feel the glide and let it carry you.

Use the Full Rail
Unlike shortboards, midlengths excel when you lean into longer, drawn-out arcs. Slow down your turns and use your whole rail. Avoid pumping or flicky movements. Let your body flow with the board from rail to rail.

Stay Forward
Too many surfers camp over the tail and stall their ride. Instead, position yourself just ahead of center—enough to engage the board’s trim line without pearling. This unlocks speed and flow.

Choose a Board That Supports Clean Surfing
The Degree 33 Easy Rider is one of the best midlengths for developing a relaxed, stylish approach. It’s incredibly stable and forgiving, which helps you refine your lines and footwork.
The Poacher is more refined and suited for surfers looking to explore powerful, rail-based turns in shoulder-high waves and above.
The Speed Egg offers speed and responsiveness for midlength surfers who want to keep their style crisp at higher tempos.
For ease and comfort, the Over Easy is a fun board that rewards smooth entries and flowing transitions.

Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Stylish
You don’t need to be fast to look good on a midlength. Let the board work. Shift your weight subtly, engage the wave face early, and take pride in how little effort it takes to go fast and look good doing it.

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3. Shortboards: Precision, Power, and Flow

Shortboards are built for critical, high-performance surfing. But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. In fact, the best shortboarders are defined by how clean and purposeful their movements are—not how many tricks they can cram into a wave.

Common Style Killers

• Unnecessary upper-body motion

• Over-pumping or jerky speed generation

• Disconnected or rushed transitions

Style Tips for Shortboarding

Control Your Upper Body
Many shortboarders flail with their arms or over-rotate their shoulders. Instead, keep your upper body stable and let your legs and hips guide your turns. Calm movement up top translates into more stylish execution.

Generate Speed with Positioning, Not Panic
Don’t over-pump. Instead, use clean bottom turns, weight shifts, and high lines to generate speed. The wave has energy—use it wisely.

Flow Between Maneuvers
Good shortboarding isn’t just a series of tricks—it’s a connected performance. Make your cutbacks, snaps, and floaters part of a single continuous line. Avoid stopping and restarting.

Pick a Board That Supports Your Development
The Degree 33 ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) is designed to help intermediate to advanced surfers learn to surf more confidently and cleanly in a wide range of conditions. Its generous outline makes it easy to catch waves while still offering solid responsiveness.
If you’re looking for a fish that’s fast and maneuverable but rewards flow, the Degree 33 Rocket Fish is a favorite for stylish speed surfers who want tight arcs and clean releases.

Use Compression and Extension
Style on a shortboard often comes from how you compress through your bottom turn and extend through your top turn. This vertical movement creates projection and visual rhythm, making your surfing look dynamic yet smooth.

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Style Training Off the Wave

Refining your surf style isn’t limited to the water. Here are some practical ways to improve:

Film Yourself
Watching video of your surfing is the most eye-opening way to identify awkward movements, stiff posture, or unintentional habits. Study your footage and make small corrections each session.

Work on Balance and Mobility
Training on balance boards, Carver skateboards, or practicing yoga can sharpen your coordination, posture, and body awareness. Surfing is a full-body activity, and good style comes from knowing how to control your movement.

Watch Stylish Surfers
Study surfers known for their smooth approach—whether it’s Joel Tudor on a longboard, Devon Howard on a midlength, or Stephanie Gilmore on a shortboard. Watch how they move their arms, shift their weight, and read the wave.

Surf Slower Waves
If you're always trying to keep up with fast waves, it's hard to slow down your movements. Practice style in small or soft surf to force yourself to flow rather than react.

 

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Final Thoughts: Style Is Personal, But Trainable

Improving your style is not about mimicking someone else—it’s about refining your natural movement to be more fluid, functional, and expressive. Every surfboard offers a different pathway to explore your unique rhythm on the wave.

Longboarders should focus on grace and footwork.
Midlength surfers should prioritize flow and clean rail work.
Shortboarders should aim for control, power, and seamless transitions.

No matter the craft, surfing with style is about connection—with your board, with the wave, and with yourself.

Let your surfing speak clearly, confidently, and beautifully—no matter what you ride.

Finally, if you have any questions about this guide, or if you'd like help finding the right board for you, give us a call at 800-920-2363 or an email at Surf@degree33.com