Surfing Waves

how can i kep the board from moving around underneath me when im paddling? i tried to be still and realign myself but the board keeps moving from left to right. and it's making it harder to paddle. ive been surfing only 5 times in my life...and it is my first time actually shortboarding and before i went from 10ft to 9,..(used a friends) now I use a`6'2" and its only 18 inches wiide had a needle nose and boy i never thought it would be hard keeping the board underneath me. it was totally different than a longboard cuz longboards stay still...help i am going back out on Monday,..and I really want to catch at least one wave...

2 thing, first thing you should try to do is not shift your weight from side to side when paddling. When one arm is infront, your other arm should be counter-balancing you; it takes some practice, but if you work on it, within 5-10 minutes you should be able to not shift your weight too much from side to side when paddling (Try not to move your chest). Another thing is try to keep your body flush with the board, you can arch your back a little and keep your head up, but the lower your center of gravity, the easier it is to keep your balance. Make sure your weight is centered as well, otherwise if you're too far forward, or too far back it will be harder to keep your balance and keep the board from moving under you.

Weebl wrote:2 thing, first thing you should try to do is not shift your weight from side to side when paddling. When one arm is infront, your other arm should be counter-balancing you; it takes some practice, but if you work on it, within 5-10 minutes you should be able to not shift your weight too much from side to side when paddling (Try not to move your chest). Another thing is try to keep your body flush with the board, you can arch your back a little and keep your head up, but the lower your center of gravity, the easier it is to keep your balance. Make sure your weight is centered as well, otherwise if you're too far forward, or too far back it will be harder to keep your balance and keep the board from moving under you.

couldn't have said it any better

ok,..so i did what you guys suggested and the board doesn't move around too much..but I sure move at the speed of a snail..it's funny that going horizontaly I can move faster in the water than vertically...didn't stand up..think i caught one wave,.. tried to stand up and the board moved around and then the tail sunk in the water and the wave passed on by me. i feel silly with all those longboarders zooming on past me. i cupped my hands made sure i was centered and that the nose was only an inch above the water,..do shortboarders usually get out a little slower than longboarders? also,..whats the best place to sit? i can't get my balance while sitting..i moved all over the board looking like a retard..

Cheshire wrote:i feel silly with all those longboarders zooming on past me. ...do shortboarders usually get out a little slower than longboarders? also,.. looking like a retard..

Dont compare yourself to the longboarders! Paddling a log is so much easier (up to a point) than a shortboard. They float on the water while you're in it

Then they'll catch the wave while its still a small unbroken lump in the ocean, while as a shortboarder you wont catch it until its breaking

And as for being a retarded surfer...? Everyone starts that way, and some days Im still that way

If you're used to riding a longboard, you may be too far out - as drowning says, you can't really catch a wave until it's breaking on a shortboard.

I'm really feeling your pain - I bought a board that was too small for me and whilst I did get the hang of it eventually it can be a real pain.

If the break you surf is mostly full of longboarders, it may be that the wave is less steep and not ideal for your type of board.

Saunton Sands - N.Devon, UK - I used to paddle out with my 2 friends on their longboards. They would come back in 2 hours later raving about their sessions, I would have been paddling like an idiot for the whole time and possibly caught 2 waves, had the shortest rides ever - 6 sec max and be thoroughly hacked off!

We'd go somewhere else and I'd be having a great time!

It's worth understanding a bit about board dynamics too -

The tail of your board acts as a brake - if you push down on the tail you will slow down and stop - the wave will pass under you, like you described. If you put the weight forward, you will lift the tail out and get the smooth planing surface of the board in the water. Of course on a shortboard, too much weight forward and the nose'll go down and we all know what happens then!.

If you are popping up too slowly then chances are you are already putting weight on the tail and slowing down. Try to keep your weight equally on your hands as you pop. Too much weight on one hand will make the board try to turn that way, putting you off balance as you get up.

It takes a lot longer to get the hang of any board, but stick with it- the rewards are worth it!!

It may be worth looking at a middle ground type of board though to help you transition.

Cheers

Sinista

Sitting on your board:
You want to try and be in center of the board. This is not necessarily the the mid point of the board. To find the center: when out of the water hold the rail of your board out in front of you with one hand, so that neither the nose nor the tail dips down on either end.
Sitting a touch farther back so that the nose is slightly out of the water may help.

Paddling your board:
Don't cup you hand, that will just tense up your arm & shoulder and tire yourself out faster. Relax your hand and arm as much as possible. When you start paddling start off slower and work up the speed as you gain more momentum. Make each stoke deliberate and powerful full strokes taking your hand all the way to your hip/thigh. Don't short change your stroke, you'll gain a lot with that final push out the back.

I hope that helps...sometimes I have trouble being clear when typing my explanations.

If someone disagrees with this, please post it. I'm always up for learning ways to improve.

huh, never thought about not cupping my hands....ill give that a shot next time. so are your arms kinda like noodles when you paddle? i just sprint and get the paddle out over as soon as possible....

tomcat360 wrote: so are your arms kinda like noodles when you paddle?

Well, they aren't just flopping around...
relaxed, but with form