The shortlong is as the name suggests, a short longboard, reminiscent of a longboard but with much more maneuverability and performance built in much like a shortboard. The trade off is being able to enjoy your surfing more without the length and weight of a normal longboard, making it easy to catch more waves while keeping your balance and stability along with actually being able to surf more.
For anyone downsizing the benefits are definitely increased control and better manoeuvrability. This is a great board if you’re not yet ready to compete with all the frothing wannabees riding surfboards.
Ultimately, the shortlong is a great stepping stone along the way to riding a shortboard.