Mid-length or longboard? What the length numbers actually show

Updated 2026-09-19

A mid-length gives you most of a longboard's paddle power and glide in a board that still turns like a shorter board. A true longboard, 9 feet and up, gives you more of both at the cost of a board that is harder to duck dive, harder to turn quickly, and harder to travel with. Most surfers asking this question are better served by a mid-length.

What the log actually shows

Out of the 29 boards currently in the rack (as at May 2026), only three sit at 9 feet or longer: a 9'0 modern retro single fin, a 9'1 step-up gun, and a 9'4 log built for gliding rather than turning. Everything else in the current quiver, twenty-six boards, sits between 6'1 and 8'2. That is not an accident. It is where most of the actual surfing gets done.

The mid-length cluster in the log runs from around 42 liters up to 61 liters in volume, at lengths from about 6'8 up to 8'8. Inside that range there is still a lot of variety: a 7'2 modern mid at 52 liters turns and paddles very differently to an 8'8 at 61 liters, even though both would get called a mid-length by most people.

What a longboard actually buys you

The three longer boards in the rack earn their spot for specific reasons, not general ones. The 9'4 log is for gliding and noseriding on to the point wave. The 9'1 gun is for the rare days it gets genuinely big, and I do not ride it often, it is a specific tool for a specific swell. The 9'0 single fin sits in between, useful when the waves are small and weak and paddle power matters more than maneuverability.

None of the three get ridden as an everyday board. If your goal is one board that covers most of your sessions, a longboard at that length is usually the wrong pick unless you specifically surf point breaks or very small, soft waves most of the time.

What a mid-length actually buys you

A mid-length in the 6'8 to 8'2 range paddles noticeably easier than a shortboard, catches more of the average wave, and still turns well enough to be fun rather than just functional. That combination is why most of the current rack sits in that band. A mid-length is also a lot easier to travel with and store than anything over 9 feet.

If you are trying to decide between a mid-length and a fish, which sit in a similar length range but ride very differently, that comparison is worth reading separately. This page sits inside the choosing a board section alongside the rest of these questions.

What the speed and wave-length numbers add

Top speed and longest wave data across the current rack back up the case for a mid-length over a full longboard for most sessions. A 7'6 mid-length in the rack has clocked 38.9 km/h (24 mph) and ridden a wave 375 meters long. An 8'8 mid-length has clocked 38.7 km/h (24 mph) and covered 416 meters on its longest ride. The 9'0 single fin longboard tops that distance at 430 meters, but only by a margin that a good mid-length in the right point wave can nearly match, while surfing a shorter, easier-to-turn board to get there.

That is the real case for a mid-length: you give up very little top-end glide or speed against a true longboard, while gaining a board that turns, travels and stores far more easily.

The honest answer

If you already surf a longboard regularly at a point break and love it, keep doing that, this page is not telling you to change. But if you are choosing your next board from scratch and are not sure, start with a mid-length in the 6'8 to 7'6 range before jumping to anything 9 feet or over. It is the more useful board for more sessions, and the log backs that up: twenty-six of twenty-nine current boards prove it.

Questions people ask

What length actually counts as a longboard?

In this log, 9 feet and up. Below that, even a wide, high-volume board rides closer to a mid-length than a true longboard.

Can a mid-length replace a longboard completely?

For most everyday small to average surf, yes. A true longboard still wins for noseriding and for very small, soft point waves where nothing else paddles as well.

Is a longboard harder to learn on than a mid-length?

Not necessarily to catch waves on, since the extra length and volume make paddling easier. It gets harder once you try to turn it or duck dive it in anything with power.

Why do you only have three boards over 9 feet if longboards paddle so well?

Because paddle power is only one factor. The three I keep each do a specific job I cannot get from a mid-length: gliding, noseriding, or coping with genuinely big surf. For everyday sessions, a mid-length does more of what I actually need.

Do I need a longboard to catch more waves in weak surf?

Not necessarily. A higher-volume mid-length in the upper part of its range can catch nearly as many marginal waves as a true longboard while remaining far easier to turn, carry and store. Reserve a true longboard for when you specifically want the glide and noseriding it offers.

What is the best length to start with if I am moving up from a shortboard?

Somewhere around 6'10 to 7'6 with reasonable volume for your weight. See surfboard volume explained for how to work out a starting number, and what is a mid-length for the fuller definition.