Surfing Waves

Hi everyone,

there is a question I´ve been asking myself lately. I still struggling with the timing so sometimes I try to catch a wave, I look back, I start to paddle, I look back aggain and I realize, the wave is much faster, no chance to catch it, the wave is going to break right over my head. That´s the situation. I can´t get over the shoulder, not enough room to turn and turtle through that wave, and people around me (so ditching the board is no option). So now comes my question: What is the best thing to do in this situation? What would you do? Sometimes I sit back so that wave hits the front of my board - sometimes it works fine but then, I have always a bad feeling, I mean the lip pondering onto the noose of my board - the board could break? And, yes, I know, I shouldn´t be in this position at all, but I can´t always avoid it. I´m still learning and won´t become pro in this lifetime. So I have to find a way to deal with it. The only real alternative would be to go much smaller, shortboard, duck dive - but Mhm I just like longboarding. But in these situations, I struggle with that 9.2-foot foam under my belly

Thanks and Cheers
David

nervusblue wrote: struggling with the timing so sometimes I try to catch a wave, I look back, I start to paddle, I look back aggain and I realize, the wave is much faster, no chance to catch it, the wave is going to break right over my head. ... I shouldn´t be in this position at all, but I can´t always avoid it. So I have to find a way to deal with it. The only real alternative would be to go much smaller, shortboard, duck dive -

Is the nose of your board facing the beach or facing the horizon ?

If the wave is < 4 feet, as soon as you decide not to go sit up, slide to the back and grip the rails. This creates a sea anchor which you can usually control on a rough ride through the white water. On bigger waves, I try to slide off and bear hug the board.

You may find this helpful.
https://www.surfer.com/how-to/taking-off-step-by-step-instruction-tutorial

waikikikichan wrote:

nervusblue wrote: struggling with the timing so sometimes I try to catch a wave, I look back, I start to paddle, I look back aggain and I realize, the wave is much faster, no chance to catch it, the wave is going to break right over my head. ... I shouldn´t be in this position at all, but I can´t always avoid it. So I have to find a way to deal with it. The only real alternative would be to go much smaller, shortboard, duck dive -

Is the nose of your board facing the beach or facing the horizon ?

facing the beach

nervusblue wrote:facing the beach

I ask my question because I wasn't quite sure what the initial topic meant. So I'm guessing you mean there is "not time to turn AROUND" the board and face the wave to bust back through it ?

If you visually realize the lip is about to break on you, it won't matter if you got a short(er) board. Getting a short board at your stage will actually make matters far worse. Your paddle power will need to be much greater and you reaction times even quicker. ( and duck diving takes way more technique than catching a wave does )

I always recommend, "If you are having a problem with something, go back two steps". So if you are having a problem with the lip breaking on your back/head ( and you haven't starting popping up and still prone ), then the problem is with "TIMING" ( which you already said you're struggling with ) and the other is ........................

POWER. I don't mean you are too weak and need more power, I think you have too much. On long(er) boards, you can get on AS the wave is breaking ( and for most longboarders, not at a beach break, even BEFORE it breaks ). Without seeing you surf, I can only guess you are shooting out of the gate way too fast and too early. You're getting out IN FRONT of the wave and then the wave breaks on you.

There may be other things like paddling too straight ahead or slowing down when you check back twice. But let me ask you some questions
#1 are your teeth clenched ?
#2 are your fingers together or spread out during the paddle stroke ?
#3 have you played baseball before ?

Thanks for your answers, much appreciated! Yes I know it´s all about timing and yes "power", which is just another aspect of timing (positioning too). And yes I know also that going short is no easy option, duck diving is no piece of cake (I´m terrible at it) and as I pointed out - I like longboarding. But longboarding comes with its downsides too- especially when it´s getting a little bigger. Sometimes you make mistakes, you can´t always avoid mistakes can you? And being trapped with a 9.2 Epoxy longboard in the impact zone, surfing a very crowded spot, surfing steeper faster waves would be much less frightening with a smaller board. With a smaller board I don´t mean a high-performance toothpick I mean something like a 6.2. to 6.8 mid, fish or fun board. Something that isn´t as scary too you and especially to others, something which you can swing around much more easily. I´m a good paddler - so that isn´t really the limiting factor for me. But anyhow. I like longboarding, I like the glide, the walk - and above all, I get more waves with my longboard. And I know my limits - no barrels in this lifetime ;=) But I wouldn´t say that longboard surfing is easier in all aspects.
But to get back to the topic - most of the time I can avoid this kind of situation, I turn and go over the shoulder or do a turtle roll - but if I miscalculate my position or my speed it sometimes happens that the lip is going to break over my head. On this occasion I just don´t know what to do, I feel kind of helpless - and that is the worst feeling you can have in the ocean - to quote a famous movie "fear causes hesitation and hesitation makes your worst fears come true" - that's why I was asking the question. I know how to avoid this situation - the question was, what should I do if it happens?
Cheers and thank for your input!

If you have no time to do anything what do you do? Eat it? I would sit on the board and lean back saying the wave isn't more than head high. I think you just need more practice. The situation you are describing is due to not knowing what the wave is going to do. Pay attention to the waves. What shape are they? Where is the high point (peak) ? How fast is the shape changing? Each day might be different but in the same conditions the waves tend to act similarly. If you are surfing bigger waves in a sand area then how they act might change over 30 minutes or an hour. What is the tide doing? Not so important as you get closer to the equator but still some significance. If you are completely clueless maybe you can watch what others are doing for a while. Sounds like you are paddling too soon for the wave. Maybe you can let a wave go by and watch when and where it breaks so you can have a better idea where to lineup.