Surfing Waves

Wingnut makes it look easy but I have never been able to do this! Do you have a suggestion?

Keep paddling
Too many on here are doing lots of paddle no takeoff!

I'm not that great at it either. My suggestion is that you try it on waves with a pretty steep incline. Find waves like the one in the video and position yourself in the area just before the waves start pitching over. Probably helpful to shift your weight forward rather than putting a lot of pressure on the tail of your board.

When the wave gets to you cork the board and scissors kick, that would be the shortboard version. What he does probably involves shifting his weight forward on the board as he lays down (and having the right board)

Walk before you can Run, Crawl before you can Walk. If you can't do ONE Paddle take off, then NO paddle take off is out of the question. Getting the timing and positioning down to do ONE paddle takeoff first.

waikikikichan wrote: If you can't do ONE Paddle take off, then NO paddle take off is out of the question. Getting the timing and positioning down to do ONE paddle takeoff first.

Makes sense. I usually make at least 10 paddles and get into waves early, so this is a paradym shift for me. At this point, my "no paddle takeoff" is getting whacked in the butt by a wall of whitewater.

I will have to practice starting under the peak, corking the board, pushing the nose down, and popping up in a hurry to make the drop. Anything else?

BoMan wrote:I will have to practice starting under the peak, corking the board, pushing the nose down, and popping up in a hurry to make the drop. Anything else?

I think starting under the peak, you can't match the speed of the wave. You need to choose a half breaking wave, something that lets you glide down, then peaks and picks you up. You can see in the video, Wingnut is to the right of the peak, fade in glides to the left, then pops up. Full throwing over lip will just slam you down.

You know those waves you don't want to catch, so you sit up and lean waaaaaaaay back, try lean forward ( feather the clutch a bit ) at the last moment and feel the waves momentum try to take you. ( But don't catch it, try to get the feel and timing of where and when you need to be )

I do no-paddle take-offs with my beater, but only in shallow water, from a standing position and I'm throwing myself down the wave, so it's not exactly push free....

pmcaero wrote:I do no-paddle take-offs with my beater, but only in shallow water, from a standing position and I'm throwing myself down the wave, so it's not exactly push free....

That might not involve paddling , but its true name is the jump on board technique, by Lerner and Low tide songsters.

Funny...I thought that technique was authored by Newbie and the no look pit blocking crew...

waikikikichan wrote:You need to choose a half breaking wave, something that lets you glide down, then peaks and picks you up. You can see in the video, Wingnut is to the right of the peak, fade in glides to the left, then pops up.... You know those waves you don't want to catch, so you sit up and lean waaaaaaaay back, try lean forward ( feather the clutch a bit ) at the last moment and feel the waves momentum try to take you. ( But don't catch it, try to get the feel and timing of where and when you need to be )

Great advice. I'll get on it!
True confession. The no paddle takeoff will be AWESOME when I'm out of gas at the end of a sesh.

BoMan wrote:True confession. The no paddle takeoff will be AWESOME when I'm out of gas at the end of a sesh.

I can do them when I'm full of energy and brain power. At the end of the sesh, It's too hard to focus and put yourself in position to do them. In other words, you'll need that full tank.

Big H wrote:Funny...I thought that technique was authored by Newbie and the no look pit blocking crew...

laugh all you want, sometimes it's the only way to get a ride on summer slop.

pmcaero wrote:

Big H wrote:Funny...I thought that technique was authored by Newbie and the no look pit blocking crew...

laugh all you want, sometimes it's the only way to get a ride on summer slop.

100% disagree....if you can throw yourself into a wave, you can paddle into it....at least lay down while waiting on the wave and make yourself paddle a little to hold position then catch the wave.....the board jump technique should be the domain of the rawest of the raw, the greenest of the green, and if surfing were an organised sport, a flag should be thrown, a yellow card given or a technical issued with 10min in the penalty box each time anyone who dares to call themselves a surfer lowers themselves to catching waves like a pre-teen body boarder.....