Surfing Waves

I've been surfing for about 4 years now and i'm getting pretty good (im 17). In bigger surf (chest high and bigger) I do pretty solid carves and snaps and such, but in smaller surf, I can't get those quick, little snaps. I cant get enough speed/ turn fast enough on my frontside to snap is so quick. My backside is good, but it's my forntside that needs help with the little widgets! Any tips?

In smaller surf do you tend to just pump up and down the face of the wave? I used to do that until I got my latest board and stiffer fins which force me to only bottom turn and go up real quick. I mean bottom turn right after taking off without going across the face first, and I usually find myself coming off as vertical as I want on the steep face (sweet spot ).

Time to buy another board. I have a board for tiny waves, a retro fish, when you can't do much more than just ride and glide, but also have a disc that I use when the waves are small but good form for just that, doing snaps and such.

You might have heard of the new board revolution, started with the Pod and has grown wiht a bunch of variations. My favorite would be a mini simons, but cause I'm old school, but anything with slightly more width and thickness and shorter than your current board will give you fun glide with great responce. Go test drive one or borrow someone's board.

jaktequila wrote:In smaller surf do you tend to just pump up and down the face of the wave? I used to do that until I got my latest board and stiffer fins which force me to only bottom turn and go up real quick. I mean bottom turn right after taking off without going across the face first, and I usually find myself coming off as vertical as I want on the steep face (sweet spot ).

I know what you mean. I can get way more radical in big surf cause I kind of pause in the beginning to get set up to hit the pocket more critically, but yeah in the smaller stuff i need to work on just going into a turn right in the beginning. Sometimes though i feel like I'm not dropped down low enough on the face and i have to take a first little pump to get going, which is what is think is messing me up most. FYI I'm, riding a 5'9" Fred Rubble rounded pin with the CM2 clay marzo fins (the new red ones). They let me turn amazingly, when i do. Thanks

themathteacher wrote:Time to buy another board. I have a board for tiny waves, a retro fish, when you can't do much more than just ride and glide, but also have a disc that I use when the waves are small but good form for just that, doing snaps and such.

You might have heard of the new board revolution, started with the Pod and has grown wiht a bunch of variations. My favorite would be a mini simons, but cause I'm old school, but anything with slightly more width and thickness and shorter than your current board will give you fun glide with great responce. Go test drive one or borrow someone's board.

I really want to get a twin keel or quad retro fish, but its no in the budget right now, or else i would. They are so absolutely fun to ride.

Go used, go cheap, get one.

I wouldn't buy a twin keep for snaps, go with a quad, or even a thruster, just a wider template.