Surfing Waves

Ciao everyone,

New user here and new surfer. I started surfing mid last summer, at the dawn of my forties.
After a couple of attempts during family vacations, once in Hawaii 4 years ago and once again in Bali 2 years ago, the third one in Mexico (Punta de Mita) sticked and now I get nervous if I don't hit the water at least once a week.

I generally go to Half Moon Bay's Princeton Jetty (surfers beach?) or Dunes and Montara when they are not too big.
Here's a video of myself showing off one of my many failures:


I ride a 8 ft Rusty Yeti, looking to go shorter as I get better.
https://goo.gl/photos/j9MwwT5cd7E5PD4h7

I'm originally from Italy (never surfed there), I lived in Japan for 8 years until 2015 (never surfed there either), until I moved to the Bay Area in California 1.5 years ago.

Anyhow, good to meet everyone.
-- mattia

Welcome

First step - find a better wave! that one on the video is terrible. Or at least on that day.

Hi Mattia, welcome to Surfing Waves!

dtc wrote:First step - find a better wave! that one on the video is terrible. Or at least on that day.

Heh, thanks. Yes, that day was quite terrible. I have had better ones since, but this video is the only one that I have.

surf patrol wrote:Hi Mattia, welcome to Surfing Waves!

Thanks! And thanks for embedding the video in the post.

You need to get into the wave sooner which means paddle harder or more efficiently. Late takeoff airdrop to wipe out sequence is ok but what I want to see is the airdrop to landing it sequence. But on waves like that I would try for a floater, get down and back up the wave before it pitches over. Anyway welcome to the forum and feel free to post more wipeouts or whatever.

Hey Mattia!
Nice meeting a fellow beginner who lived in Japan and live in SF, too! I just moved back from Japan myself and started surfing a few months ago. Actually going back to Tokyo on business next month and thinking about surfing somewhere nearby.

surfdaddy wrote:Hey Mattia!
[...] Actually going back to Tokyo on business next month and thinking about surfing somewhere nearby.

What a coincidence. I'm going to be in Tokyo from the 12th to the 25th next month. Not sure that I'm going to be able to go surfing, but I have definitely been considering the idea. Chiba seems to have some pretty waves.

More videos! I wish I could get someone else to video me

oldmansurfer wrote:More videos! I wish I could get someone else to video me

Yeah, that was an unusual one... In fact that video is from last January and I haven't got any other done.

In fact:

oldmansurfer wrote:You need to get into the wave sooner which means paddle harder or more efficiently.

I think I get more out of my strokes these days. I think I'm also getting better at finding the right spot on the board so that the wave doesn't leave me behind.