Surfing Waves

I noticed that when I'm on a 7'10 minimal or a wavestorm I can make a lot more effective nose-out-of -the-water turns than on my usual 9' longboard. I know it's all about the lack of technique and that I probably need to take a step or two back for turning, then move back up for trimming, which is easier said than done! 9' is a lot of length to cover for my small strides at the height of 5'2". Is it better if I keep working on taking steps on the longboard, or step down to a mid length board?

If you prefer the mid length then go for the mid length. Whichever board gives you more enjoyment - while it's true that not being able to turn a long board is due to skill levels, I dare say there are quite a few 6ft board surfer who can't turn a LB either, but are more than comfortable on their shorter board

Once it clicks, and you learn to put your back foot over the Fin(s), you realize you can turn almost any board. You'd be amazed how easy it is once your in the proper place. I am the same height as you. If I can turn a 12 foot board with my 110lb. wife on the front, you can turn a 9'0". The secret to turning isn't to go down in size, but to go UP. Borrow a 9'6" single for a week. After that you be flinging that 9'0" around.

waikikikichan wrote:Once it clicks, and you learn to put your back foot over the Fin(s), you realize you can turn almost any board. You'd be amazed how easy it is once your in the proper place. I am the same height as you. If I can turn a 12 foot board with my 110lb. wife on the front, you can turn a 9'0". The secret to turning isn't to go down in size, but to go UP. Borrow a 9'6" single for a week. After that you be flinging that 9'0" around.

So true....was on a 9'2" epoxy longboard then got a balsa board the same length and more than twice the weight, made turning the epoxy board feel like cake.....all of a sudden it was a finely tuned hi-perfomance board in comparison.....met the shaper of the balsa longboard in the lineup and he asked me how the board was working out.....I told him that it was smoother, carried a lot of inertia and just cut through waves but was slower to respond than the epoxy board I had.....he said from atop his 11ft+ balsa board "yes; they are limousines!"

FWIW, the second longboard I had (first one I was pretty raw and it was a bit waterlogged I came to find out, but worked well for starting to learn) I put a tail pad on it and would actively work on stepping back until I got my back foot on the pad......after I got that down I then worked on how the board worked when I had the foot on the front edge of the pad vs further back hitting the kick block part....what I found was that I'd never gotten back far enough on my first board to make it come alive the way I did getting my foot on the pad and over the fin.

I'd recommend putting a pad on if you haven't already and practicing stepping back until you can turn easy.

I struggle to turn my 9'2 nsp, I couldn't get my head around moving around the board and turning. It was just too much for me to think about at the same time.

I'm now surfing a 6'9 short board which is still really floaty but I havnt got to walk about just maybe slide my foot back a few inches and this has helped slightly on my nsp.

I'm on this

http://fourthsurfboards.com/portfolio-i ... bean-2016/

Millsy82 wrote:I'm on this

http://fourthsurfboards.com/portfolio-i ... bean-2016/

Nice! What size of waves you surf with that? It seems like a nice rocker line to take off in good waves.

Tudeo wrote:

Millsy82 wrote:I'm on this

http://fourthsurfboards.com/portfolio-i ... bean-2016/

Nice! What size of waves you surf with that? It seems like a nice rocker line to take off in good waves.

It goes ok in smaller waves anything below 2 ft I get the long board out there have been days I haven't had my long board so just used this and it still catches waves but I tend to bog down really quickly. I don't tend to go much higher than 6ft but have caught a few bigger than that on it but don't normally go looking to go higher than 6ft as I lose my bottle fairly quickly above that.

you probably just need some good waves for practice: fairly mellow, giving long rides, but steep enough so your board doesn't stall when you top-turn.

pmcaero wrote:you probably just need some good waves for practice: fairly mellow, giving long rides, but steep enough so your board doesn't stall when you top-turn.

Who doesn't need that!?

Big H wrote:

pmcaero wrote:you probably just need some good waves for practice: fairly mellow, giving long rides, but steep enough so your board doesn't stall when you top-turn.

Who doesn't need that!?

people who are really good
people who can air a 1ft closeout

Thanks for all the input. It's good to know that it's not a crazy idea to practice on a mid length. Meanwhile, with skill one can maneuver pretty much anything, and that having a tail pad is a good guide to help me figure out the position on the board. I'm not keen on that look but if that would help me progress, then so be it. Having an access to better quality waves would help.

Well, I've dinged the nose of my longboard so I'd be on a wave storm for awhile. So see how it goes.

As for the tail pad, should I center it over the center fin box, or the side bites?

Look at the curve on the sides of your pad, hopefully you picked a mid length pad, before taking off the glue paper slide the pad back to the point where the pad curve is close to the rails and roughly parallel, lightly pencil the side points and ensure it is equal on both sides of the stringer.
so centring on the stringer.
For a step back turn to make the nose lift your rear foot should be putting weight in the triangle formed by the side bites and centre fin.
Takes some practice and learning the subtle side weighting on the tail rail to really make it work.

Where is the pad in relation to the fins. ensure that the pad does curve down but sits flat , curving down will make the glue surface weak.
Now check how it sits in relation to the fins, Have a look at where pads are on good boards, looks the same then get ready.
Clean well around and beyond where the pad will go. Ensure it is free of wax or oil residue , use an automotive or specialist degrees liquid. Use that several times you can light fine sand the pad area to give a better adhesion surface. Follow your pad instructions wait the appointed time.
I use a rolling pin or strong glass bottles to pressure out from the centre force out any bubbles, the pads with a grid of hole stop big bubble from forming under the pad.
BTW Please get over being worried about how your board looks if it allow you to improve so bloody what in in any way!

jaffa1949 wrote:BTW Please get over being worried about how your board looks if it allow you to improve so bloody what in in any way!

Jaffa! You know you are getting old when you dont care how you look. or, alternatively, when you know you are cool no matter what

(but a tail pad is never uncool. Unless its positioned 2ft from the end of the tail, of course.)

waikikikichan wrote:Once it clicks, and you learn to put your back foot over the Fin(s), you realize you can turn almost any board. You'd be amazed how easy it is once your in the proper place.

Putting your back foot over the fins is also a great way to keep the board stable in rough water. I do this when a wave closes out in front to avoid wiping out and extend the ride.

Oh yeah, and putting the pad so that you know when you get your back foot on it you are over the fins is important in that you don't want to be looking at your feet when you surf.....bad things happen when you surf and look down - messes up your balance, body and board alignments........having the pad you can search out the spot with your foot by feel and never have to look down which is key.

I got the pad so I'll remove the wax from board for it. Now this board has a medium sided delaminated spot about 3"x4" on the deck right where I press with my right hand. Should I fix this in a meantime?

jaffa1949 wrote:Look at the curve on the sides of your pad, hopefully you picked a mid length pad, before taking off the glue paper slide the pad back to the point where the pad curve is close to the rails and roughly parallel, lightly pencil the side points and ensure it is equal on both sides of the stringer.
so centring on the stringer.
For a step back turn to make the nose lift your rear foot should be putting weight in the triangle formed by the side bites and centre fin.
Takes some practice and learning the subtle side weighting on the tail rail to really make it work.

Where is the pad in relation to the fins. ensure that the pad does curve down but sits flat , curving down will make the glue surface weak.
Now check how it sits in relation to the fins, Have a look at where pads are on good boards, looks the same then get ready.
Clean well around and beyond where the pad will go. Ensure it is free of wax or oil residue , use an automotive or specialist degrees liquid. Use that several times you can light fine sand the pad area to give a better adhesion surface. Follow your pad instructions wait the appointed time.
I use a rolling pin or strong glass bottles to pressure out from the centre force out any bubbles, the pads with a grid of hole stop big bubble from forming under the pad.
BTW Please get over being worried about how your board looks if it allow you to improve so bloody what in in any way!

Thanks, Uncle Jaffa!. I'm not worried about how I look. I look pretty kooky with my bucket hat, whitewashed face, paddle gloves, and booties as is. But I rather like the appearance of a smooth deck from the nose to tail. Hopefully, I can learn to step back enough to make good turns at some point so I can take the pad off.

Get rid of the paddle gloves if you want to paddle better.

waikikikichan wrote:Get rid of the paddle gloves if you want to paddle better.

Yes, Sensei
They are only for keeping the back of my hands out of sun during the summer, not the webbed kind, but I can plaster more sunblock on them instead. So this goes for winter gloves as well?

Since my 9' is getting prepped for a fix, I took out a wavestorm today (whopping knee high for the most part) and focused on bringing my back foot on the tail pad. What a response! Even a little lateral weight shift make the board to wiggle. I can't wait to try that on a bigger day.