Surfing Waves

Hi Guys -- nice forum.

I want to get out through the break more efficiently. There's no way around the break at my beach, I can't duck dive my 9'6" Harbour Banana much, so I'd like to perfect my turtling technique.

Do you hang down below the board, or cling tight to it? Any other tips?

I like to wait and look for a rip or a break in the waves and paddle my but off. I dont find turtleing works very good.

I have no probs turtling the board granted its not as effective as duckdiving but in big surf if you cant excape the paddle out then you have no option but to either duck or turtle. I find grasping the rails of the board close to the nose and pulling the nose under as the whitewater explosion passes does the trick just fine. Someone on here can probably duckdive a 9.6 but i can barely duckdive my 7.4 so trutling it is.

ive never been able to turtle roll my longboard ive tried many times, the problem i find is if its big the board just gets ripped from my hands or i just get pulled up with it and washing machined.

I've never had a problem turning turtle. I try to time the wave so I meet up with it after it breaks. I've paddled out in 7+ foot surf on a 10 footer, and never had too much trouble, and never went over the falls once.

I roll the board over, and hold on for dear life about a foot from the nose. I hold my arms ridgid in case the wave hits with enough power to smash the board into my face. In larger surf I'll hold the rails with my feet near the tail section too.

So far I've never lost my board in a turtle.

a good tip, is go slightly to far foward on your board, and lean back/ arch your back taking the wait off the front, then when you do the turtule roll/ eskimo roll you will grab further forward on the board, so when you roll pull down when your upsidown, this will stop the wave from getting underneath your board and pushing you back, get this right and it will be as efective as a duck dive.

"bluesnowcome2000" has nailed it on the head you need to keep the board to you very close and try and sink as much of the board under when you turtle then even a monster foamie wont cause too much drag. If you find the board tugging when you roll i.e it wants to pull away this means there is too much of a gap for the water to pass through to avoid this make sure the nose in particular is under the water. with the nose firmly under the whitewater will pas over you. If you have done it properly you should feel almos no tug on your arms. Dont muck t up in big surf though mate of mine dislocated his shoulder because the board tugged violently

even if you can just pushup to get over some small white wash, practice your turtle roll, because you would rather much it up in small mushy surf than big angry surf.

nah go for huge angry surf and enjoy getting pummeled always practise on small stuff thats good advice

if its not very big i find the no resistance technique works well, it also works in big surf but much more confortable in small surf.
go full speed towards the foam. Hold on to the top of your board. Put your head agaisnt teh board, hold your breath. And voila, the trick is done

hi all, my first post on this site... just a tip on the roll given to me that worked! (for me anyway)... do as the previous posts have said as to how and where to grab the rails keeping the board close etc, but when you are overturned try thrusting the board forward into the wave. You should feel the pressure of the wave starting to come over you about then is a good time... Try it, I find it works. Luke

Top tips above, I find grabbing the nose further forward makes all the difference and also a thrust or two with your legs. As the wave/foam hits you, the board gets pushed even deeper due to the rocker. Not as stylish as a duckdive, but certainly worked for me & my 7'6" yesterday in waves way bigger than I'm comfortable with.

I've never even seen anyone turtle effectivly, going to have to give it a try sometime & see if I can make it work.

All my co-surfers(that longboard) just take it on the chin, paddle like mad & use rips.

RJD wrote:I've never even seen anyone turtle effectivly, going to have to give it a try sometime & see if I can make it work.

All my co-surfers(that longboard) just take it on the chin, paddle like mad & use rips.

Yep thats what most the guys on longboards do who surf with. The ditch and dive technique Even with y shortboard i get out quicker. They pay me back by nabbing all the waves bloody loggers

I discovered that for the safety of others in the water it is better to have a way of getting under or through a wave rather than the ditch and dive technique!. When faced with a bigger wave that is what I did on occasion and it was pointed out to me by a friend that my board (10ft 3in) and my leg rope equal just over 6m and will hit someone at around the same pace as the wave 6m away or more (not nice).
Not a dig, just a thought... Luke

beaversandducks wrote:I discovered that for the safety of others in the water it is better to have a way of getting under or through a wave rather than the ditch and dive technique!. When faced with a bigger wave that is what I did on occasion and it was pointed out to me by a friend that my board (10ft 3in) and my leg rope equal just over 6m and will hit someone at around the same pace as the wave 6m away or more (not nice).
Not a dig, just a thought... Luke

I alwys give people a going if i see them let tehri board go. But i usully surf with friends and those of em that let go have always made sure no one was near by so its never a problem.

it sucks tho when you mess up the turtle roll, and its riped out of your hands and you just pray that no one was behind you

Yeah it is not a good idea to paddle directly behind someone.

lol, i remember once i was always scared that if i was near someone ans a big wave came i woudl get hurt, so me and my mate were paddleing out practicly next to eachother, then he crossed infront of me and a big wave came, i just yelld his name and then said " were going to get injured", i sound like a right twat, then the wave came and i got kicked in the face, it wasnt funny at the time but it is now.

but i always look around me and try to stay out of peoples way and hope that they stay out of mine. A few times iv been paddleing into a wave an people heave just been paddling head on to me just staring blankly, i shout go left and they just keep on coming at me so i stop paddling and they dont say nuthing, just paddle past

[quote="bluesnowcone"]it sucks tho when you mess up the turtle roll, and its riped out of your hands and you just pray that no one was behind you[/quote]

Yeah I've had that happen, it was last wave I needed to get through to make it out. It was one of those rogue waves, pulled my board clean out of my hands and even better my leg rope decided to give way and my board got taken into the beach... I did meet a mate half way in though who was towing my board back out for me