Surfing Waves

Hi there, fairly new to surfing, very new to forums - recipe for success right! I learnt to surf with a mate in 2010 when living on Gold Coast, Aus for a few months (well stood in shore break getting battered whilst hanging on to 8ft foamie getting over fear of sea ). Since then I've tried to get in every couple weeks in uk (north devon - live in Bath), had a week coaching and try to persuade better friends to come in with me on occasion. I've def progressed, major issues are paddling strength and worry about annoying / getting in the way of others! I generally surf on my own which probably holds me back and doesn't help the confidence, have no shame in being very happy in 2-3ft mellow stuff! Right first ever forum post done, look forward to getting some advice and hopefully adding something of value!

Welcome to the forum. The more often you surf the quicker you will learn. Every two weeks will make progression a little slower. I suggest swimming to build up your arm muscles when you aren't surfing. Maybe getting a longboard will help too. I have never used a foamie but hear they are good for the early stages. I see a lot of guys who keep one in their truck or on their car because they are cheap and no one is likely to steal them and they can use them whenever the mood suits without making a trip home to get a board. However a longboard might be easier once you get over the falling down all the time stage. Paddling skill is gained paddling so swimming if you don't go surf as often as possible. I surf alone too more because I don't have time to compete with others and also I am afraid I will run them over due to not being 100% in control on my board (yet).

Thanks for the reply! I didn't explain my current level very well (the foamie's long gone). I'm now on a 7'2 nineplus magic carpet picked up second hand which I learnt on for 3 yrs which felt good for me, (I'm 5'4" 63kg). I can sit out and catch green waves and angle along the face frontside and backside, just feel that the progression has plateaued and a lack of confidence in crowds as u said before! I can't work out a bottom turn - I lose all speed or just seem to time it badly. Recently got a 6'6 Escape Peanut which I though would be a challenge to catch waves but actually feels similar to the carpet and feels really nice and light under my feet but again I haven't cracked the technique or the timing for a bottom turn so I tend to just stand there or ride on to the flats or the white water catches me out. I do wonder if I just do everything too slow during takeoff and miss the opportunity to turn or I have such bad technique when I try to turn I just stall the board - would love to get some thoughts on how to navigate the step between angling takeoff to nailing a bottom turn - thanks!

Just to add that yes swimming is a good option when I can't get to the coast (sucks on the fun front though) - do people here tend to just swim laps to improve paddling or do you do float drills to emphasise arm strokes and transfer better to surfing?

Thanks again

Ah I remember those foamie days! Clinging to the side, the feeling of helplessness as your feet can't find the bottom lol.. It's great to have progressed eh!

Re: the bottom turn, bend your knees, don't be afraid to fall (it's only water innit) and lean in, head up looking where you wanna go along the wave.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense as I'm not even close to falling so likely not leaning enough! Will try it out this week!

Eddy, this might seem silly and you may feel silly doing it, but it works so trust me (as a random internet know it all...)

when you want to turn, put your front arm out straight sideways from your shoulder (so pointing 90deg from your chest) and then, keeping your arm straight, point to where you want to go. Literally point. Keeping your arm at 90 deg Your shoulder/torso will follow your arm around and that will change your weight and you will turn....also remember 'where you look, there you go'

Its not a quick turn, that comes later; but its a turn.

The other problem with a bottom turn is trying to do a hard turn when you don't have the speed; you bog the rails (they sink into the water) and you lose all speed and fall off. If you do have a lot of speed then you can do a fancy turn, but on a small/average wave, just try to do a series of small turns, nudging the board around. Once you have that mastered, go for bigger nudges etc

also: https://surfing-waves.com/bottom-turns.htm

good luck

If you swim I would alternate sprints and long distances. So one day do sprints and the next time you go swim without stopping. I guess the other board doesn't help you to bottom turn. I think it is a matter of learning on the board you want to use. Crouch down and extend your legs at the bottom while you turn, if you aren't already going really fast. This will allow a hard bottom turn on a weak wave and you kind of jump back up the face of the wave. But perhaps easier to do would just push a little more and turn a little more than you did on the last wave when you reach the bottom. Have a goal in mind like you want to project forward on a fast wave or hit the lip. Often once you get going up and down a wave instead of along it, it's easier to keep it up. Once you loose momentum or speed on a slow wave it tough to get it back. If you had a gopro or someone film you we could probably make more accurate assessments of what you are doing. Maybe also you need to get onto faster waves

Just to belatedly edit my comment, your arm should be 180deg from your chest ie a straight line out to the side. Math was never my strong suit!

I find kinda leaning back a bit towards the wave makes my board slip more down the wave and helps me put my weight on the rear fins..tbh at this point (probably all wrong) I feel like I'm falling a wee bit, my body tries to save itself and works out what to do with feet and board..so try not thinking lol..the board just seems to come round on it's own!

dtc wrote:Just to belatedly edit my comment, your arm should be 180deg from your chest ie a straight line out to the side. Math was never my strong suit!

I reckon you were right the first time!

180º between arms, and 90º from chest to arm?

Bottom Turn 101 -

Go straight down the face. When you get to the bottom, imagine you've dropped your keys* out to one side. Now reach down and behind you with your trailing arm and try and pick them up. Bend your knees and weight your back foot to reach your imaginary keys, and point your leading arm where you're going to end up. As if by magic, you're now going back up the wave

It's even self-correcting - the faster you're going (bigger/steeper wave) the more your keys are behind you and so you have to reach further back to get them.




* This metaphorical technique would make much more sense if I picked something that floated.

Ah the key to a successful bottom turn Also known as the drop wallet (which would make your turn faster

Well with a combination of wallets / floating keys / and pointing I had a bit of a break through today... You are quite right with bent knees and the shoulder girdle movements described above my weight distribution seemed to sort itself out and I made three good turns without feeling like losing speed. Having said that 2 were so uncontrolled I went straight back over the wave and the other one was a close out... Messy Saunton probably not the best conditions to practice in but who cares I'm stoked it made a difference just need another 10yrs practice and it might end up good! Thank you so much for the advice!

Sounds like you are getting it down already. It won't take 10yrs....maybe just 5yrs

You probably have figured this out, but if the turn is too sharp/uncontrolled, you have 2 options

1. don't be so sudden with your body movements, be slower/more subtle (easy way); or

2. immediately upon finishing your first turn start your second (top) turn (harder but 'proper' way). then instead of disappearing over the back of the wave, you top turn and come down again...

have a watch of this video
Because of the type of board he is surfing his upper body isn't doing the full rotation thing, but you can see how he sets up the top turn really as part of the bottom turn. Of course, if we could all just surf like this it would be much easer!

Notice how he crouches before he makes his bottom turn. He actually goes all the way down the wave and then stands up and crouches as he starts the turn. He is using his weight to set the rail.