Surfing Waves

Hey guys,

I am a beginner and have a 7 foot 4 epoxy mini mal. I have ridden a 9 foot foamie before but am trying to make surfing a more regular thing. I am struggling to get up on the mini mal and I think it might be something to do with my position on the board. I’m 5 foot 8, 65kgs and fairly fit so I wouldn’t think popping up should be too much of a problem. Do you think that my feet should be on the board or off the back on a board of this size? Or any other advice for things I could be doing wrong. The board basically seems to be sinking underneath me when I try to pop up.

Thanks

Make sure you are positioned correctly - follow these rules

https://barefootsurftravel.com/livemore ... -surfboard

Nose of the board to be 1-2 inches above the water

If the board is sinking I suspect you are popping up too far back, which means you are laying down too far back

Chrisf8626 wrote: I am a beginner.

"Beginners" (even FIT beginners) shouldn't be on a 7'4" hard board. Your 9'0" soft has overly thick boxy full rails that gives you a false sense of stability and float. Even going down to a 8'2" hard board would've been difficult enough. You are not ready for that 7'4".

Chrisf8626 wrote: I am struggling to get up on the mini mal and I think it might be something to do with my position on the board. I’m 5 foot 8, 65kgs and fairly fit so I wouldn’t think popping up should be too much of a problem.

So for any problem, I always recommend to look back two steps. So you're sinking, so a step back is your Pop Up ( which you think shouldn't be too much of a problem ) and two steps back is your Paddle.

So since your fit and thus have a strong paddle, then how is your Pop Up ? Are you getting to your feet in one smooth action or crawling up onto one knee then getting up to both feet ( which a lot of beginners tend to do ) ? If the latter, that millisecond delay is enough to loose the wave and momentum to keep the board up on the surface of the water.

Also are you looking down at your feet ? Looking down at the deck to check your feet positioning or see if the nose is going under actually brings the nose UP and stalls out the board.

How were you actually doing on the 9' foamie? It might be that you should still ride the 9 foot foamie for awhile, being 'serious' about surfing doesn't mean you should be surfing a different board- it's still better/faster to get the basics down on a big soft board before moving to a something else.

waikikikichan wrote:So for any problem, I always recommend to look back two steps.

This is really great advice, for much more than just surfing!