Surfing Waves

Hi All- My first post !- Im 42 years old and returning to surfing after a 20 year break !- I bought a 8ft Hawaiian Soul board but really struggling- hoping for general advice on catching waves and paddling out ! also best breaks for board Devon/Cornwall ? - Cheers Andy

You should have your nose of the board floating right above the water

Thank you, being approx 6ft myself, would this possibily mean that my legs would need to be over hanging the tail of the board and bent in the air? currently i feel my feet are level with the tail of the board but even through i feel im getting speed prior to wave im struggling to catch ! (when i surfed years ago- i was attempting to do this on shorter boards)- Thanks i appreciate any advice given !

When you are paddling the board nose should be about an inch above the water and you should be able to paddle and feel it glide a little after each stroke, if you don't have a feeling of glide then you are probably too far back, and playing snow plough if the board stops immediately after a stroke you are too far back. On an 8ft board your feet should be on the board!!!

Now important questions, how much do you weigh? You ain't 22 no more, there is a large section in the forum on older guys and girls returning to surfing, I am also suspecting that if your weigh up near 100kgs then 8ft may be a little short in the flotation stakes.
If you are around 85kgs then the length is great.

Hi Jaffa thanks im 92 kg ( just had to weigh myself !!- shockin!!) When i pop up Im guessing my right foot pretty much level with fins and that positions the rest of me on the board? -will check section out for oldies ta .

i think we have nailed your problem. When you pop up on a long board you do not bring your body back to over your feet, especially if they are over the fins the feet over the fins is a short board technique as there is not much board and when you do you are immediately in the control position. On a longboard this sort of pop up immediate puts on the brakes as a stall and the wave rolls on by or you position yourself for the perfect lip launch.

OK so on longboards bring your feet forward towards where your hands are in the push up position to pop up. (Like a burpee) this will place your feet further forward and if you have matched or slightly exceeded the speed of the wave you will catch it, if the wave is steep you can angle your approach onto the face .

There is heaps of information if you read up and there are some videos too.

Try this thread, viewtopic.php?f=9&t=21071

This one is even better viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18814

Thanks Jaffa, appreciate your help !- I will look at threads etc...