Surfing Waves

Heya!
I'm new here... and pretty new to surfing in general!
I've been surfing for about 5 months now, reasonably regularly (at least once a week usually about 3 times) on a 7'2ft mini mal - 22",3" so quite a big volume - but has been an awesome board to learn/have fun on and I am now reasonably confidently surfing the green waves and can 'trim' left and right

The reason I am asking, is the past two days I went out with my friends who were on shortboards and they were able to easily get past the whitewater whereas I struggled quite a bit. Granted they are a lot more experienced than me and better paddlers (and I know I need to improve on this) however I did feel that my board made it even more difficult for me as when I tried to duckdive I couldn't manage to get the board deep enough that I wasn't taken back with the wave.

I was wondering whether you thought a shortboard (or one with a bit less volume) might be a good option to look into or whether you think I should be able to duck dive my current board and it is more my lack of strength/experience?

I'm female, 5'2, and about 125lb. I'm reasonably cardiovascularly fit (do a lot of road/mountain biking) however perhaps a bit weaker in the arms!

I'm not looking to sell the 7.2ft as I think it's an awesome board to take out on smaller days/when the white water is a bit easier - however if I were to look into a shorter board, what do you think is the next step for me?

Sorry for the very long speal but thank you in advance for your help!!

Definitely.....base your choice of board on what you can duck dive easily. Try different boards and see which you can get the deepest under the wave.


Alternatively, you can learn your break, develop timing and better paddle strength and speed, then choose your spots, finding weak breaks in the waves to aim for, using rips, racing out utilising the bigger board you have so that you can paddle more quickly out back between sets. If I were you I wouldn't change boards until I could get outside easily with my big board and could turn, not trim but turn right and left, bottom and top turns. Don't be in too big a hurry; DTC often recommends 150hours on your first big board before moving on; I think that's a good milestone to aim for before considering changing.

Learn how to duck dip and time your paddle....learn where the waves break.....learn how to kick off a wave over the back and start paddling back out straight away rather than turning in to the beach and letting them break behind you then having to get out from inside all over again.....learn to ride a wave to the shoulder or channel and use that to get back out. Get stronger and more fit. In short (no pun intended), stay big and keep learning.

I am the same as you, 5'2" 125lbs. With around 20 years of experience. I can NOT duckdive my 7'0" funboard. I CAN duck dive my 6'4" molded epoxy retro-Fish. Just learn to Turtle-Roll your 7'2" with proper technique, timing, power and speed.

Big H wrote:Definitely.....base your choice of board on what you can duck dive easily. Try different boards and see which you can get the deepest under the wave.

BTW this was sarcasm.....on second read not very well executed sarcasm but sarcasm all the same.

I'm 5'7" and 180 lbs. I had a 6'6" x 21" x 2-3/4" hybrid fish that I couldn't meaningfully duck dive. It had about 42 liters of volume. I've been surfing about 6-8 times per month for the last two years. To have a board that I can really dive deep under waves with, I would need something around 35-38 liters. Since you are about 66% of my weight you would need a board around 23-25 liters. So a Firewire Dominator 5'6" x 19-3/4" x 2-5/16." That isn't very practical for a beginner and will hold back your progression.

Stick with your current board until you can execute top and bottom turns, cutbacks going both directions on the wave before your move on to something smaller. Getting an mid-sized board may be the worst of both worlds, harder paddling, harder to catch waves, less stable, and you still can't duck dive deep.

Thank you very much for your replies!
Big H - I did get the sarcasm there and do realise how I must sound - sorry! I usually try to avoid being one of those people haha. I do eventually want to get to surfing a shortboard as I feel this type of surfing would suit my personality and enjoyment more than longboarding - but you are definitely right. I need to log a few more hours both surfing and just getting to know the break. I am very aware I am still a beginner but that is why I need to ask these questions!

Waikikikichan - cheers for your reply! It's nice to know it's not just me who can't duckdive a board that size and that I should spend more energy getting the turtle roll down than trying to duckdive! I find it really effective when there is just one wave coming - however struggle when the waves are coming very close together as I can't get myself together to do a turtle roll 4-5 times in a row! (Any advice would be much appreciated!)

Namu- thanks for your reply - 25L sounds very small right now and I think you're right about the mid-size board being the worst of both worlds! Will just stay with my board for a bit longer and keep practicing those turns!!

Nice to see someone listening to good advice, BTW pretty much everyone who is working with longboards gets worn down by multiple close turtle rolls. Finding a sweet spot to paddle out is a vital skill, and saves a lot of loss of energy!
Welcome , keep that stoke!

Honestly I don't see such the big deal of shortboards everybody says I eventually want to be able to surf a shortboard because it's so hard and it's what the pros ride, there is only a slim amount of people that have the attitude of progressing on a longboard until they can do nearly everything (cutbacks etc) and then the guy's who only ride longboards. I just don't get why it's such a big thing to being able to ride a shortboard?!

I used to have some mid-sized boards but I got rid of those because I always wished I was on a longboard when I took those out. You catch so many more waves more easily on a longboard. I have a 9' high performance longboard that is just as quick and agile as my 7'6" hybrid funboard/shortboard, paddles faster, easier to catch waves with. I could duck dip my 7'6" but the paddle power of 9' board means it takes about the same effort to get past the breaking waves.

I recently bought an old beat up big boy shortboard to play around with, 7' x 20" x 2-5/8", to have something for head high / overhead waves. I should be able to duck dive that. Also want to get a retro noserider for knee-waist high days.

I learned to surf on a shortboard but quit surfing for 12 years and then restarted on a 9'6" gun and then switched to a 9'6" longboard. After surfing the longboard for a few years I started to feel the weight of the added length as I tried to whip it into turns. I have heard this described as the baseball bat effect. I got an 8 foot fungun and have never felt the weight of it trying to turn.....so far. I also have a 7'6" fungun and they both turn rings around the longboard.

I learned to navigate through whitewater with those boards. Because they aren't shortboards I find my own way out and don't try to copy the shortboarders. To do so I first watch the ocean at the break I am going to surf. I look for where the waves are breaking that I want to surf and plan a route out there generally looking for the shortest route to get outside of the breaking waves then I paddle over to where I want to surf which may be 50 to 100 yards to the side of where I go out. During the time I look I try to notice where there are currents that may help or hinder me and dangerous obstacles to avoid including shallow reef, rocks and other surfers. I try to create in my mind a map of the ocean that I will refer to the rest of the day. I am not able to duck dive these boards but do a half duck dive. I also know how to turtle roll and a variety of other maneuvers to get through the surf. Because you don't have a shortboard you may have to take a different route out.