Surfing Waves

Hi guys -

I've only just joined this site, but it looks like people are very willing to help, even on the most basic of queries, which is good because I've got another one or two for you here!

I've been surfing for around 6months now and am riding a 9'2" epoxy longboard - I'm not the smallest of guys, so it seems to give me the level of balance and buoyancy that I need for my body type and also for my basic level of skill. I can get to my feet quite often, but am aware that I'm using my knee a bit, rather than popping up, so I'm working on getting rid of the bad habit. I have 'gone across the wave' once or twice, by angling the board slightly as I paddle towards the shore, but this is still a rare treat for me.

I generally surf at Llangennith near Swansea, Wales and about once a week. Its early winter and so there are (far) less people in the water now (only the fanatics and the lunatics left) so I'm getting the space that I need to practice and learn, but I just can't quite seem to crack the next step somehow. I'm watching others as they appear to effortlessly pop to their feet, then go floating off across the wave. They also seem to be popping up quite late into the wave, rather than as soon as the wave has taken them, then off they glide to whichever side they choose. Whilst I always enjoy my surf sessions, I can't help but feel green with envy.

So, here are my questions guys - I hope that you can work out what I'm trying to describe. Firstly, should I continue to crack the 'pop' before anything else - is it THAT fundamental to getting to the next stage? Secondly, should I be paddling straight towards the beach and then (before or just after?) I start to drop down the face, try to physically turn towards the direction that I wish to go, or should I stick with angling and then trying to stand up in that same initial direction, rather than concentrating on trying to turn in?

I hope you can work out what I'm trying to say and I'd really appreciate any tips that you can give me.

Thanks!!!

There's probably people more qualified to answer this than me, but here goes.

Try taking off at a bit of an angle. You'll have to figure out how much of an angle through trial and error. If you're angled too much you'll either miss the wave (if it's a bit soft) or get rolled (if it's steep). The amount of angle is going to be a bit different for every wave, but you'll get a feel for what you need.

Ideally you want to pop up as soon as you feel that you've caught the wave, but getting your pop ups to that point takes some time. Until then, feel free to belly ride into the wave. Take off at an angle, keep turning after you've caught the wave while belly riding, and then pop up while you're going along the wave. This isn't something you want to do forever, but it's gonna help you catch more green waves while you're learning. And catching those green waves is what it's all about.

What you're trying to do when you've got it all together is: take off at a bit of an angle, as soon as you feel you've caught the wave pop up and land on your feet ready to make your bottom turn.

Hope that helps.

Another few points I have learned over the years when teaching others: When you feel THAT momentum (The falling downward feeling) and it definitely has enough power and momentum to carry your weight downward as you drop in rather than getting hung up in the lip, PUSH DOWN and FORWARD on the board as you are popping up.This is critical to ensure that you don't ride upward and get stuck in the lip with the board and then the wave passes you by. Most good surfers do this without even realizing it. It is instinctive to them. Another thing I've realized that I've been doing is either a clockwise or counterclockwise swivel when sitting on the board and a right or left comes. I swivel sitting a bit aft on the board clutching the rails and using my moving (flipping like a duck) feet and body weight to quickly swivel around for either an unexpected sudden wave or a drawn out easily spotted wave. If it is a left I swivel counterclockwise so that I never have to take my eye off the wave and lip as I paddle into it. I am simultaneously making subtle,instinctual shifts in my body wight and for/aft positioning as I paddle for the wave.I can quickly grap a rail with one hand while still paddling into the wave and push or pull myself forward or aft depending on the steepness of the wave. Sometimes no adjustment is necessary at all, other times if I didn't I'd get air launched down the trough if I didn't push myself backwards toward the tail an inch or two. Push down on the board as you are grabbing your rails during the pop up. This fools the board into thinking that the same weight that was there when you are lying prone is still there between the time you transfer your weight onto the soles of your feet. If you don't push down during this 1/2 second gap period the board will take advantage of you by rising up to the lip and the wave passing you by. Ditch the knee entirely as it takes up valuable seconds of time and doesn't allow you to keep the same balanced weight left to right and fore to aft (downward pressure) on the board as you are transitioning from prone to standing. I shove the board forward while pushing down at times also. I lift my body off the board like doing a pushup only 1/2 an inch or so but I never release the downward pressure from my hands on the rails. The board still thinks I'm prone with all my bodyweight pushing it down.Shoving the board forward and down can get you into mushy waves at times that you wouldn't be able to get otherwise. A 3rd trick that I do is to paddle with about 200-300% effort of the normal paddle when just about to get in the wave. It is like a nitro burst of speed.Paddle that last second or two as if a great white was 2 feet from your tail. This will get you into countless extra waves and your breathing will already be back to normal as soon as you are standing.It would be the equivalent to a short full throttle sprint when running on foot. You wouldn't be able to do it for long as you would be out of breath,but for 2 or 3 strokes you could! If a right is coming swivel clockwise. Never take your eye off the cresting wave. Study it as it is breaking and capitalize on this by microadjusting at the last few seconds that you catch the wave. I've seen people blindly paddle into waves by doing the wrong swivel direction. It is giving up a huge advantage and then the surfer is either bashed by the lip or didn't paddle hard enough that last few seconds because he wasn't sizing up the wave all the way from first sight through standing. If the wave seems that it will close out at that last second I bail out and upward through the lip so as not to waste energy getting pounded by a full closeout and thn having to paddle out again. Only take off if you think that you have a 75% chance of the face holding.You can always grab the next wave of the set . Be a bit choosy.

You can either angle into the direction you want to go or angle when you have reached the bottom( bottom turn). Each way has it's place depending on the wave and your wants ( backdoor the wave a bit to get a cover up or to ride a longer wall in front of you).

Many thanks Curtistaxi - and you too Forage.

There's loads of great detail in those posts, so I'll be trying out your tips shortly and hopefully, will finally get it cracked. I will certainly write another post on here to let you know if I do.

Much appreciated!!!

You will be successful with these tips and some time. I'm glad you asked for advice.

Turn in the direction you want to go before, during or after you drop down the face. Doesn't matter which one you do until a couple of stages ahead of where you are. Do it as soon as you can. Do it on your belly if you like, but this can be difficult on a longboard. They are much easier to control while on your feet and IMO you should be able to get in to a wave early enough on a longboard that getting to your feet first should be your primary concern. Work hard on your paddling. Never walk your board. Paddle and paddle hard a lot. This will increase your "paddle fitness" which is a lot different to other types of fitness. More paddle fitness means getting into the wave earlier which means an easier take off with precious extra milliseconds to get down the line.

Practice your pop up every day even when you can't get into the water. Concentrate on doing it in a fluid motion, rather than quickly. Speed will come naturally with time. Efficiency of movement is your primary concern, and getting your foot placement right first time. You only get a short time from take-off to turn and the less time you spend shuffling and correcting the better. Especially in steeper more critical waves.

Hope this helps.