Really big surfer

[Beef]

I have been surfing for around 25 years. I also am currently around 400lbs...im a competitive strongman athlete, and for years the two activities have butted heads. I can remember being around 275lbs 15 years ago contemplating losing weight for surfing. I surprise a lot of people when i surf...growing up i was a shortboarder but that grew into surfing a longboard like a shortboard because of my size. Surfing has just become a hassle, its a pain to get these custom boards, custom wetsuits, I used to love surfing small waves, now its impossible to get into them. Im 36 now and it seems the last quite a few years have been leaving with a more frustrating feeling after a session then a good one. I know its a decision i need to make myself but should I continue being a human Kodiak bear or drop some lbs for surfing? When i was 330sh i was enjoying surfing more, but i will lose a lot of strength. Anyone out there a large surfer as well? Thoughts?

[Big H]

How can 400lbs for a human be healthy? I don't care how much muscle you have.....at 400 you are loaded with fat. Regardless of anything else I would strongly suggest you lose weight......in the US seeing other fat bodies is totally normal.....leave the country and see other parts of the world and you eyes will open as to how fat and unhealthy the US populace is generally speaking. Lose 150 lbs to start .

[edugatyr]

I'd do a pro"s/cons chart and see which is more important to you. Surfing or strongman competition?

[oldmansurfer]

This guy doesn't seem to have any problems although he very likely can't do this anymore because he lost an arm,

[dtc]

The guy who plays Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane in Game of Thrones is 400lb (admittedly 6'8)

Anyway, for OP, are you asking whether surfing is easier if you are lighter? Yes; I've even seen some 5'10 and 150lb surfers say they wont lift because it adds unnecessary weight. Like all sports, being stronger is better up to a point; after that the effects of the muscle outweigh the benefit. And like most sports that require mobility, rather than power, the point at which the benefits of muscle outweigh the disadvantages in surfing is pretty early on.

What board do you surf? There are some pretty big boards around that can help; I imagine at 400lb you arent incredibly mobile (eg speed of pop up); a bigger board might offer more time and so forth.

[jaffa1949]

Three things come to mind for me, with your size is health an issue? Secondly how long do you want to compete as a strong man athlete?
If you could and can surf well, then my usual advice on boards is not valid. Unfortunately your size as it is now costs you in customising everything that you buy for surfing. Difficult...... downsizing yourself, will that come with body and health issues? I certainly would advise a slow diminishing size program if that is what you want to do.

I imagine that you would have a longer sports life surfing than you would being a strong man athlete and it would entirely for you and something you could with your family, certainly your points of focus would be different too.
Yes the now one armed surfer Jim Peregrine could do it
Oh and wow you almost made the weight for my comment about a 190kg surfer , thanks , I've had to cop the lols for that.

[Big H]

Anyone who asks if they should lose weight or pokes around the edges of it I try to aggressively encourage.....it isn't easy but losing weight can be a life changer. It is one of the facets of my job so please excuse me if I am a little overly enthusiastic / tough love straight with this.....I feel strongly about it. Not really clear if you wanted advice on surfing at a lighter weight or boards for you now.......can do either way.

Some shapers who make big boards for big guys:

https://www.facebook.com/Deweykimo/
https://www.facebook.com/delraysurfdesigns/
https://www.facebook.com/Ala-Moana-Surf ... 175775647/


http://indosurflife.com/2016/11/the-best-fat-surfers/

To see James Pellegrine deftly negotiate a barrelling Indonesian left-hander, his 385 lb. cargo floated by a Matt Biolos “Big Boy” model 24″ wide and 3 3/4″ thick.....



Delray 10.6 x 25.0 x 3.95 'Superboard Glider'

[Beef]

Thanks for all replies. Jimbo is actually a friend. You have to realize even though i could lose weight, i could never get to a light weight, . I have 10 inch wrists so I am very big boned. Ricky Carroll custom made my last board, 10ft and nearly 5 inches thick. Works very,well in certain conditions. I am still quick and mobile, but the problem i have is getting into the smaller waves....fat high tide waves don't work as well as an inside shorebreak

[Big H]

Thanks for all replies. Jimbo is actually a friend. You have to realize even though i could lose weight, i could never get to a light weight, . I have 10 inch wrists so I am very big boned. Ricky Carroll custom made my last board, 10ft and nearly 5 inches thick. Works very,well in certain conditions. I am still quick and mobile, but the problem i have is getting into the smaller waves....fat high tide waves don't work as well as an inside shorebreak

Fat high tide waves don't work as well........ period.

[oldmansurfer]

Things that can help to get into small weak waves are better positioning for the waves, better paddling, better board. In the better paddling part there is better positioning on the board. On any board there is an optimal positioning and if you are a little forward or a little back it won't work as well. Again as far as paddling you could lineup further out and paddle sooner for the wave to get up speed then paddle extra hard on the takeoff. Building paddle strength and flexibility may be an issue for you so that even though you are strong maybe it isn't the right muscles. It may just take more time paddling. The extra weight makes for greater strength required. The positioning for the wave is just something you have to experiment with. I surf pretty crappy waves quite often and I find each day is different. I have to just try a bunch of stuff and see what works. A bigger board helps but I can usually manage ok on smaller boards.

[Beef]

Old man sur i see you are in Hawaii. Do you guys have as many big surfers as people say you guys do?

[oldmansurfer]

I am 210 and Jimbo lived here as well but most of the guys I see are smaller. I think the older big guys SUP. One of the good surfer guys from here has gotten big and SUPs. I am not sure how good he is at that but I have seen photos of him in some pretty good sized surf. At one point he was one of the best surfers on the island (when he was much smaller). I haven't seen him surf in 40 years. However I pretty much don't surf the breaks that most surfers go to so I don't see the crowds at the good breaks. Where I surf there aren't many surfers bigger than me (or older than me)

[oldmansurfer]

Most of the time when I take off on small mushy waves I try to be exactly at the peak when it is breaking. The mushy peak will assist you taking off if you are there when it is breaking. Once it has broken it has expended energy and there is not much left to assist you in taking off. I usually try to do that or look for waves that aren't so mushy and figure out how to lineup for them