Surfing Waves

Somehow I keep nose diving. My teenage boys are beating me at learning lol. So if there is anybody out there with some advice for me ? At first I thought it was happening because I was lying too forward on my board, but it doesn't matter how far back I lie I still seem to nose dive every 3 outta 5 waves and it's just as the wave picks me up

Hi and welcome Sue, let us help you with one one ore two issues with your surfing.
Let's start with the easiest to fix, you will never beat your teenage sons in learning to surf unless you break their legs for a number of years
They are teenagers and at the peak of their physical learning skills, it would be the same for a teenage daughter, so forget that misconception of beating your children (at surfing) immediately ! FIXED.
Now about the nose diving : this something all surfers have to overcome and the cause varies from wave to wave for different reasons.
Are you at just catching the white water stage?
Are your riding a long or a short board?
Do you let the wave catch you or do you catch it?
Do you have your legs together or apart Impertinent but pertinent to wave catching!
What is your assessment of the waves where you surf?
In this there is an answer!
We can work on your stuff from there

Nose diving is also called 'perling' and if you search this site there is a lot to help you because it happens to almost all beginners. Generally it's caused by paddling too slow, and going further back on the board makes it worse because it slows your board down even more. So paddle harder and slide forward on the board (counter intuitively). And answer jaffas questions for more precise advice!

dtc is that advice for a longboard? I have never heard that. It sort of makes sense but I skipped that part of learning to surf. Sue we need more information to help you. If you could describe exactly what you are doing prior to when you nose dive then we could say something helpful.

The general beginner train of thinking (and I have done it myself) is
- nose is diving into the water
- this means I am pushing the nose down too far (which is 'logical')
- so to avoid it I will go further back on the board and lift the nose up.

But perling is caused by the wave pushing the back of the board up and forward, not because the nose is too far down.

As I understand the 'physics', as the wave comes along it catches the board and propels it forward. If the board is going slowly, the tail gets propelled faster than the nose and you perl - but because of the action of the tail, not because of the positioning of the nose.

But if you are paddling fast enough, then when the wave catches the tail it propels it forward but not at a speed disproportionate to the nose ie doesnt lift the tail.

Hence you need to ensure your board speed is up - and to do that you (a) paddle and (b) position yourself on the board so its at the most efficient (being a nose that is say 1inch above the water). Going further back on the board just slows it down and makes the situation worse. (and beginners also need to overcome the sensation of going downwards at the start - your mind says 'lean back to level things out' - which slows the board down and ...nose dive)

This is why, from my understanding, you need to be towed into really big waves. Often they are just moving too quickly for a paddler to build up the speed necessary to catch the wave/catch it safely. I've never done (nor have any interest) in tow in surfing, so I might be wrong here.

Of course, you can be too far forward on the board but you will usually notice this paddling when the nose is under water. You can also be on steep waves where going at an angle will assist. And you need to be positioned properly - catching the wave too late and you will be sent noseward no matter what

Obviously the experienced surfers can do no hand or limited paddle takeoffs, but for most beginners to intermediates, the paddle hard and fast technique is the way to go.

Well covered dtc, as I have said "exceed the speed is what you need."
so well covered in fact I need say nothing else

jaffa1949 wrote:Well covered dtc, as I have said "exceed the speed is what you need."
so well covered in fact I need say nothing else

I feel the need. The need to .... exceed the speed

(if you are under 35, you wont get this 'joke' - sorry!).

Interesting......the only problem with pearling I have had is steep waves on the takeoff. On my current board I can keep the nose up whatever speed I am going unless I am nearly freefalling and the board is already vertical to the ocean. On a steep wave I am now turning my board to set the rail on steep waves and it seems to be working. The sensation is like jumping off the wave and landing on the board. A new thing to me too is when I was SUPing on small waves I found the board would stall if I got too forward on it not exactly intuitive also.

oldmansurfer wrote:Interesting......the only problem with pearling I have had is steep waves on the takeoff. .

I dont know what the reason is but after a while (starting as a beginner) I found I rarely perled (and if I did it was because I made a mistake or, more likely, was being lazy and not paddling). And I seem to paddle far less and still have no issues.

I'm of no doubt its due to my positioning on/before the wave, but I havent been able to figure out exactly what the positioning needs to be - that is, I do it but dont have an conscious understanding of why it is correct - it just feels 'right' or 'wrong' (and I adjust or pull out). I also dont understand why you perl as a beginner depsite paddling frantically but dont perl as an intermediate despite only paddling 5 or 6 strokes. Again its positioning but I'm not at a level of being able to look at a wave and say 'that position works' vs 'that position wont work'.

In any case, the reason you dont perl is because you are a good surfer and just do everything right naturally - even if you dont know that you are.

Getting from the 'thinking and then doing' point to the 'doing without thinking' point marks (for all sports) a transition from learning to skilled.

Yeah that is part of what I love about surfing......no thinking needed. I think sometimes you limit yourself by thinking too much.

oldmansurfer wrote: I think sometimes you limit yourself by thinking too much.

So true in much of life!

I think the reason behind more advanced surfers needing less strokes to get up to speed, could be down to the fact that they are fitter in the range of motion/have become more efficient at the movement. I remember when I 1st started surfing my paddling was shocking (even though I have always been a strong/good swimmer). I am much more efficient now and use a lot less energy than i used to.