Surfing Waves

I tried searching for some info but I couldn't find much for this specific case, so.... Let me start by saying I am 5'9" 150 lbs, I picked up surfing this summer. After a month or two I transitioned from a foamy down to what I am currently riding, a 5'11" x 21" x 2.5" fish. I've got the bottom turn down and can ride it down the line both frontside and backside. I'm happy with my progression and I am confident catching and riding waves, my issue is duck diving. It may be technique, but I don't feel like that is the issue. I struggle to get the board deep, as soon as I get the board submerged and raise my leg the board wants to flip over.

So the question is, does the short fat dimensions make the board too buoyant for my weight, causing the problem. Is it poor technique, or a combo of both? I tend to think it is mainly because of the buoyancy of the board, although I'm sure my technique can improve a little. I have been thinking hard about getting a used shortboard with less volume that will be easier to duck dive, but I don't know what size I should be looking for. I understand that I will be sacrificing some paddle power and speed, and my wave count may go down a bit. I am okay with that knowing that I will be able to save sooo much energy getting out. What do you guys recommend?

If the board wants to flip over when you're duckdiving, then you have a technique problem.

Although you're pretty light, a board of that size is already small for someone of your limited experience. Going down to a shortboard purely to make paddling out easier is a bad decision. People can get longboards out in solid surf. You should improve your skills rather than looking to avoid the problem by buying an unsuitable board. Not only would your wavecount go down on a shortboard, but so would your length and quality of ride too, as a shortboard needs to be worked and kept in the power zone of a wave, and will just stall and feel lifeless on gutless parts of the wave.

CAsurfer wrote:I am 5'9" 150 lbs,.. 5'11" x 21" x 2.5" fish.. my issue is duck diving

Technique. That should be pretty simple to duckdive.
A narrower nosed board is easier to duckdive than a wide front fish, but if you can't duckdive that, you can't duckdive.

You need to find one of those boards that duck dive for you. Sometimes if you pay top dollar you can get boards that paddle, duckdive, and surf for you! Fire wires are generally renown for this.

What do you mean by 'the board wants to flip over'? This might just require a simple technique tweak

Duckdiving is a hard skill to learn, because as a beginner/less advanced surfer you are surfing higher volume boards, which are by definition harder to duck dive ie require a better technique, which you don't have because you are just starting out... but I agree with the others, a board that size should be duck diveable

If you can push the nose of the board so its, say, 2-3ft under water, then any problems after that is technique. Unless you are surfing a McCoy nugget, I can get the nose of that thing 2ft underwater but the tail is so big and fat that its hard to get the tail to follow! (lack of skill as well)

CAsurfer wrote:What do you guys recommend?

100% it is NOT the board. But to figure out what YOU are doing wrong or not doing, and since there's no video of you to watch, could you please describe in detail the steps you take to duck dive. I know it's hard to explain, but something might come to light what needs to be corrected.

Look at a youtube video on how to duck dive (any of them will do)....then ATTACK when you're doing it. You can get super technical with the whole process or after becoming familiar with the fundamentals just think that you're going to go under the wave when it comes like you did when you were a kid playing without a board in the shore break. Wave comes, aggressively go under it....simple right?


I have no idea what you are or aren't doing, but I will say that duck diving got a whole lot easier when I learned to move my hands forward of where I would have them to pop up.....I first tried to duck dive with the same hand position (same area anyway) as pop ups and it was hard....move hands forward towards the nose and became much easier to sink the nose deep quickly, and easier to control the board, and easier to dive down after & with it.

Go watch a video and practice.

waikikikichan wrote:

CAsurfer wrote:What do you guys recommend?

100% it is NOT the board. But to figure out what YOU are doing wrong or not doing, and since there's no video of you to watch, could you please describe in detail the steps you take to duck dive. I know it's hard to explain, but something might come to light what needs to be corrected.

From my normal position on the board: I push down and extend my arms, I get the nose of the board a solid 2-3 ft under water. From there I (attempt to) plant my right foot on the tail of the board by simply pulling my knee up towards my chest, about as soon as i get the right foot planted the left leg goes up in an effort to get a little deeper.......If my the back foot does not land perfectly centered, if i miss by even an inch to either side, the board shoots up the other way, kinda like a turtle roll motion but I catch myself without actually rolling over.

My thought (may or may not be accurate) is that your hands/arms should be able to stop the board tilting. You push down and then 'pack' your shoulders ie clench your shoulders and arms so they are stiff and holding onto the board tightly. Your body weight should be up and over your arms to assist. Then push with your foot as you are doing. If you are a bit off then your arms should be able to control any board movement.

As the back of the board goes under, you move your weight back. Not up and back, just vertically back

So maybe either not holding onto the board hard enough, or your weight is too far back after the initial nose push down?

CAsurfer wrote:From my normal position on the board:

Problem #1 your "normal" ( laying down ) position is for catching waves and avoid pearling. For a duck dive, you actually get in a position to pearl. Scoot your chest up and get you head more over the front

What happens After your back foot does land perfectly ? After you get the nose down and pushing the tail down ?