Take off tips

[dream2live]

Hi guys,

Ive been having trouble at my local spot(seems wierd), but the past few sessions havent been too good.. i recently went bali and philippines whee the waves were nice and peely.. and probably got spoiled a bit..

anyways, to the point.. as im paddling for the wave, and about to pop up, the nose pearls or i just go right over the falls... now its normally a fast break and steep drop, so the idea is to paddle hard and angle the board.. but even if i do this, i seem to go under... whilest everyone around me is having a ball and taking off with ease.

i surf as i would in other breaks but my tricks arent working... so i guess my question is any tips on steep take offs? im sure getting on my feet sooner and all that would help, but i know this in my head but my body doesnt respond..

so in a nutshell whats the best advise for taking off, in different conditions and breaks..

im surfing a 6`0x20 rocket and im 5'7..
thanks!!

[tony g]

When the waves are steep and hollow. Try to take off on the peak and get in the wave early before the wave jacks up to much. Another tip is to sink the tail right before you paddle for the wave to give you an extra boost to help you get down the face earlier.

[eXplosive]

You need to avoid hallow surf. You need to avoid Beach break. You need to avoid fast surf.
Find a local reef break that is mellow. Find a slow reef break that is inhabited by longboarders.
Don't sit at the peak. Most long slow reefbreaks breaking left and right also have a kiddie bowl. A spot in the inside where the wave reforms and slides across the reef again. This spot will be the most forgiving. Avoid surfers by paddling to there inside. This is edicate you must learn or you will not learn to surf. The inside of a surfer on a wave is not the face. It is the white water. You can not paddle over the inviting face of the wave because you will get caught in a race that you will lose. If you lose and ubstruct the right of way. You will get a uninvited feeling. Now. Avoid pearling more by finding the sweetspot on your board. The sweet spot is where you place your chest. To far back on your 6'0" and you wont cover ground paddling. To far farward on your board you will pearl, wave or no wave. Once you have found your sweet spot. Look down at the board. Line your chin directly over the board and mark that spot. The spot you have lined up could be a sticker or a ding or some wax just find that spot and remember it. It is your go to comfertzone. Slower reef breaks are forgiving and give you enough time to catch the wave and get up. With practice you get better at taking off. It takes a lot of practice. As you get better you can graduate from your slow reefbreak kiddiebowl inside spot and try a wave a little more challenging and faster.
Thats how its done. Learn your spot. Low tide and high. Learn where the wave concintrates. Sit where the wave conintrates. Line your self up with something on the shoreline like a powerline powl a palm tree etc. Hold that spot. Sitting up on your board grab the nose and push the board down into the water and take advantage of its boyancy to bounce back up out of the water to give your self an extra push. have healthy rested arms and body to dig. and paddle. learn to cover ground on your 6'0" learn to cut threw the water fast while paddling. Be confident. Commit. With practice one day you too can bounce the nose of a 4'11" and do no paddle drop-ins standing on your tail stalled in the pit. Good luck have fun

[dream2live]

When the waves are steep and hollow. Try to take off on the peak and get in the wave early before the wave jacks up to much. Another tip is to sink the tail right before you paddle for the wave to give you an extra boost to help you get down the face earlier.

sinking the tail meaning putting weight off the nose? some people say to put more weight so you drop down faster? i guess it depends on what wave your surfing yeah?

[dream2live]

To far back on your 6'0" and you wont cover ground paddling. To far farward on your board you will pearl, wave or no wave.

Line your self up with something on the shoreline like a powerline powl a palm tree etc. Hold that spot. Sitting up on your board grab the nose and push the board down into the water and take advantage of its boyancy to bounce back up out of the water to give your self an extra push. have healthy rested arms and body to dig. and paddle.

Be confident. Commit. With practice one day you too can bounce the nose of a 4'11" and do no paddle drop-ins standing on your tail stalled in the pit. Good luck have fun

hey thanks for the lengthy advice buddy. sadly where im surfing theres no reef breaks. just beach ones. Im from hong kong, and the beach breaks arent the best ones I've been to, but at least theres surf and its real accessable, so i cant complain.

I've surfed a reef break in bali, was able to catch a few but to be honest, its a little out of my comfort zone, but at least now i know i am able to surf reef.. just wanna build my confidence up a bit before hitting reef breaks.

thanks again!

[eXplosive]

I could have told you to (LAY ON YOUR BOARD AND PUT YOUR ARMS OUT LIKE YOUR GONNA PADDLE WITH YOUR ELBOWS POINTED IN THE AIR! ROCK ONE LEG BACK AND FORTH FAST SO YOUR HEEL WHACKS YOUR BUTT AND COCK YOUR HEAD LIKE A ROOSTER to get into waves faster but I didn't. That advice might be found on the longboarders only page.

All sand huh? Ok. Look for waves that break off of points, rock jetties and in front of river mouths. These waves concentrate on one spot. When a wave is concentrating on one spot a beginner can find the most forgiving spot to take off at. The forgiving spot will be on the shoulder of the wave. the shoulder will be less steep and allow the beginner more time to paddle in, get up and adjust. Beginners should not paddle all the way out to the peak of spots breaking off of points, rock jetties or spots in front of river mouths. 8/10 times the outside peaks of these spots will be where the wave is fastest and steepest. I will be out at the peak taking off DEEP.

Remember not all Reef Breaks are sharp coral. sea floors of Reef Breaks can be smooth like cement rocky like a river and yes sharp like coral. Look for waves in your area that concentrate in one spot and break slow, forgiving to allow you time.
good luck, have fun

[jaffa1949]

Explosive's advice is good I'll just add the sink the tail thing is not something you do while paddling, it is ome thing you do just before paddling pull your board backwards and down into the water as far as you can,at the Moment you want to begin paddling let the board cork upwards and forward, this will give you a quick little burst of extra speed for that initial paddle onto the wave, when you get it really working you an catch a wave with a pull back bounce up.

Find your sweet spot on the board, find consistent spot on the wave to practice, the more you surf the easier it gets

Explosive sees some pretty weird longboarders wherever he surfs, the only people I see paddling like that are surf club rescue board trained!

So I ask where are you explosive Explosive? You've made a good start here, welcome!

[eXsplosive]

Nice to meet you. Currently on the mainland. I have been in ten different states in the last thirty days. I do not nor will say where I surf, most of the time. I just, I can't say. Dear to me that's why. It's nice to be here though around other surfers. Thank you for having me.

jaffa1949 is right dream2live. While sitting up on your board. Dunk the board by grabbing the nose and take advantage of its buoyancy. Pop out of the water as you go to paddle in prone stance.

[jaffa1949]

Good answer eXplosive, I'm on the east coast of Australia, and dear and select breaks should be kept that way, quiet!
Everybody makes me happy, some people when they arrive, and others when they go.

[lorcar]

but what's the tip to take off on hollow fast waves??

[dream2live]

thanks for all the replies.. as u said time and practise goes a long way.. been surfing the past week everyday.. well almost.. ands its getting easier.. and fun again!

[elaineB]

Thanks for the tips.

[IB_Surfer]

but what's the tip to take off on hollow fast waves??

get a little farther outside and try to paddle with speed into the wave, not get dropped in by the wave. Work on paddling your board faster.