The conditions along the Oregon Coast vary drastically from season to season, day to day, and sometimes even hour to hour. It can go from small and clean to huge and messy very quickly. One of the most versatile pieces of equipment to accommodate these types of conditions is a longboard. There are so many situations where a longboard might be a person's best choice.
First of all, longboarding is a great way to learn how to surf. A longboard is more stable and buoyant than a shortboard, so it makes sense to catch your first waves and learn to balance on a board that is more forgiving.
The ideal days for learning are when it is small. But, as long as it's not huge, it is possible to stay on the inside and learn the basics in the whitewater. It's important to always be aware of currents and to know your limits, even if you're not paddling all the way out to the main peak.
Longboarding isn't only for beginners, though. Here in Oregon, longboards are also a great option for bigger days. Paddling out may be a little tougher since you can't really duck dive them, but the increased paddling speed makes it possible to drop into bigger waves earlier. A lot of fun can be had flying down the line and making some nice drawn out turns on bigger waves. You can catch waves you may have otherwise missed, and as long as you're not trying to get air or do snaps, you'll have lots of fun cruising.
Finally, select days here offer conditions that are best for my personal favorite style of longboarding--the classic 1960's style of cross stepping, noseriding, and trimming on knee to shoulder high glassy waves. We don't get these conditions as often as some areas of the world, but when we do, it makes for a wonderful time in a truly beautiful environment. Yeah, you'll get better nose riding waves in Malibu on almost any day of the year, but you won't get them with this few people out, massive trees along the shoreline, and maybe even a waterfall or bald eagle to admire between waves.
