The Good: Well made, you get to practice on your surfboard, does improve balance, not as difficult as an Indo board
The Bad: You need a spare board lying around, taking fins off anytime you want to use it
Bottom line: There’s been a variety of surf trainer balance objects to hit the market the last few years and this is the only one that I know of that uses a real surfboard. Something to be said for that. The NOHO surf trainer does improve balance especially if you’re working on cross stepping a longboard, but it’s kind of a pain if you don’t have an extra board lying around.
Full Review: I used the NOHO surf trainer for about two months practicing about 30 minutes, 4-5 days a week on my longboard. I’m more of a shortboarder than longboarder, but really wanted to improve my skills on cross stepping and nose riding. I have to say that after my two month stretch of working out on the NOHO surf trainer, my technique and balance definitely improved in the water. I have to give it the product thumbs up for that. I didn’t have a spare longboard, so anytime I used it I had to take my longboard out of it’s bag, take the fin off, and finally strap the contraction on. Now, if you surf daily, like I do, this can get old real quick. After two months of doing this I was over it. It would be much better with a spare longboard in the basement where the contraption stays on or if you surf every once in a while this may work for you.
It is a quite odd looking contraption, but very well made. I tested the NOHO surf trainer on both concrete floor and grassy surfaces. I preferred the concrete floor as the surf trainer was more responsive and fast.
I used the NOHO surf trainer on my 6 ft Al Merrick short board and found it boring. Unlike the longboard, your pretty much just standing in one place on the short board. I would practice my barrel ride stance like dropping a knee, grabbing a rail, pig dog but after about 15 minutes I would get bored.
I’m positive it would help me barrel ride better if I stuck with it daily. For example, I would do 10 pig dogs stances in a row from the standing position. The first time doing it, felt absolutely weird, like I was going to blow my knee out. By the 10th time, it was feeling more natural. Combine this with the added response of the NOHO surf trainer and a daily routine, I can see myself being able to really get tight in the barrel. Which is a big problem of mine.
In conclusion- I really like the NOHO surf trainer for longboards. It’s even better if you have a spare longboard that you can keep it attached to. It does improve balance and can help your technique. For $159 and free shipping why not give it a shot. They even offer 30 day money back guarantee, but you have to pay to ship it back…
Hi, there!
Being a newbie to surfing, I struggled to find the right way to balance myself on the board… Then one day my boyfriend bought one of these training devices to improve his riding/walking skills. He had NOHO attached to a long board, sitting on a concrete floor of the basement. The first time I tried it, I couldn’t even make more than two steps. It was hard to learn to balance my body on unstable surface that resembled movement of the water under your board. Step by step, I got myself situated. It definitely improved my balance (I am clumsy) and gave me better understanding of where and how I need to be on the board.
It’s a great training device that is good for all levels – those that are advanced like my boyfriend can work on improving their technique, and those that are still learning like I am, can practice on this board while away from water. It does work your legs, so it’s a good work out, as well.
I agree with the post above – it is easier to have a spare board, but it doesn’t take too long to get it on or off. Also, I think the water effect is much stronger if you have it on hard floor such as concrete. Overall I think it’s a fun device to have: you can use it when you can’t get to the beach; it definitely improves your skills and technique; and it is a good work up for the lower body.
I’ve got one of those and they’ve helped out my longboarding.