Surfing Waves

Old arm injury won't let me catch the wave worthy of a Triple Crown. Like most of us, I can't practice 24/7, but still enjoy it. Each successful take-off feels like a big win for me as an amateur. My average surf session is only 1 hour and every time I'm getting exhausted from paddling. It really keeps me away from catching more waves and making a progress. Warm up/stretching doesn't really help to avoid fatigue the next day. So is there a solution for me? Any life hacks, tips or tools which allow to surf longer/improve endurance (like a pull up assitance band).
"If you can’t paddle, don’t surf". Hardcore! Totally love watching those ripped dudes that paddle for miles and still have lots of energy stored for rad flips. But what about the rest of us? The weak with flabby stomachs? The old with noodle arms? The injured adrenaline junkies?

I’d see an exercise physiologist or a physiotherapist preferable one who surfs, get advise on improving around your arm injury.
Learning corrective techniques and fitness drill,will,overcome those down periods somewhat, and better technique in paddling, getting out will,add a longer surfing fitness to,your time.

How many days a week are you surfing? If you are surfing 3 or 4 days a week it will probably just take time but perhaps you should go out and just paddle on flat water to work on your technique. If you are surfing less than twice a week maybe some exercises to work on shoulder muscles. The one single exercise I like for surfing is using a stretch band with handles on it and a door stopper attachment I place it in the top door frame and shut the door then go back till there is tension on the bands and pull downward to my waist. This one seems to keep my paddling muscles in shape even when I am not surfing at all. however I do several other exercises regularly to strengthen my shoulders because I have a rotator cuff problem

Because I live 2 hours from the coast, I can only surf a couple times a month. To stay in paddling shape I take a swimming class at the community college and do a surf-swimming workout. You can adapt this to suit your needs. Start with a shorter distance and gradually increase.

400 freestyle warm up
8 x 50 sprints on 2 minutes (interval to drop as fitness improves)
400 free (hard)
16 x 25 sprints on 1 minute
400 free cool down
2000 yds

Another thing to try is the "cork takeoff" which will decrease some of the paddling in your sessions.

- make sure you are paddling correctly (look up Rob Case online)

- make sure your body is positioned correctly on the board (paddle efficiently)

- face pulls and band pull aparts, pull ups, rows can help get the surf muscles stronger and less prone to injury, but weightlifting produces force not endurance. So it’s not the total answer but it’s part of it . Don’t forget your core. Kettlebell swings are a good all round quick exercise requiring limited equipment

- swimming (or any general cardio - rowing machine is also good) if you aren’t surfing much

- yoga or other flexibility exercises if needed (tip: you can do these on the floor while watching TV)

You first need to figure out exactly what you need - strength, endurance, technique, flexibility etc. Then create a program with that focus - With a good and regular programme you should see improvements within a few weeks

But as jaffa says, if you have an injury (rather than a weakness), get that sorted as a priority

Yes so in part a bigger board will help your lack of fitness but the other answer is to get fit

boostsurfer wrote:Old arm injury won't let me catch the wave worthy of a Triple Crown. Like most of us, I can't practice 24/7, but still enjoy it. Each successful take-off feels like a big win for me as an amateur. My average surf session is only 1 hour and every time I'm getting exhausted from paddling. It really keeps me away from catching more waves and making a progress. Warm up/stretching doesn't really help to avoid fatigue the next day. So is there a solution for me? Any life hacks, tips or tools which allow to surf longer/improve endurance (like a pull up assitance band).
"If you can’t paddle, don’t surf". Hardcore! Totally love watching those ripped dudes that paddle for miles and still have lots of energy stored for rad flips. But what about the rest of us? The weak with flabby stomachs? The old with noodle arms? The injured adrenaline junkies?

How long have you surfed?
How often do you surf?
Have you noticed your paddling fitness at least slowly improving?

My paddling fitness has gotten a lot better over the 3 years that I've surfed, but it's taken some time to slowly build up. I surf 2x a week, back in the day 1 hour was a nice long session for me but now 2-3 hours if the surf is good and I have time.

If you don't notice your paddle fitness at least gradually improving over time, then you might need adjustments to your stroke, do some non-surfing workouts (in water or on land), or both.