Surfing Waves

im kinda new to surfing.. so... when ever i go to the beach there is kind of a big group and then there are the empty places.., so im guessing that the empty places are the places that suck.. but the way my friend and i see it is.., a wave is still a wave .. and we dont want to endanger others or steal someone's wave.. so does where you are matter that much?
and the best place is where the wave is breaking the fastest right?

It does matter.... a lot...

BUT... if there is a crowd, then it sounds like you're doing the sensible thing and avoiding the line-up. You'll only get in the way, and be in danger of getting run down. And more to the point, you wont get any waves because someone else will already be up and riding on them.

So take the junkier ones - just make sure that the line-up isnt avoiding a spot because its full of rocks bla bla bla.

Wave selection is a critical thing - but at first its probably the number of waves rather than the quality of them, so it sounds like you're doing it about right.


sometimes, however, the line-up is there out of habit - 'thats where it always breaks' - and you can pick an equally good spot elsewhere.

normally there are a couple of peaks on a beach, some people just have preferences and go to where the crowd is etc, although there are equally good waves a little walk down the beach. although this isnt always true. and you don't really need huge waves to learn on so you may as well catch more waves safely and more enjoyable than go in a crowd and get less waves and watch others

Yup, until you can tell the difference between a left and a right, what a clean wave looks like and where you need to be on a wave, practice where there are fewer people.

If your av is your normal ride, then you probably are looking for the fastest portion of the wave. However, sometimes in order to get in the tube, you'll have to "pet the cat." You've probably seen pics of guys putting their hands into the face of the wave? That's so they slow down enough to get into the tube.

drowningbitbybit wrote: you can pick an equally good spot elsewhere.

I found that with my local beachbreak, Diaz beach, it is much better at one point but nobody ever goes there, and nobody ever catches many waves, and there I am I I am catching tons of waves, fast ones, so it is obvios that esp at a beachbreak you shouldn't nessseraly follow the crowd, but at a pointbreak the waves break about the same so you can go to where everybody else is.

in a point break, if you got a bunch of people around, you can either get in front of everyone, meaning farther in to catch the bigger sets but you'd let the other sets go by 'cuz you'll be to far in, or you could get behind everyone, meaning closer to the shore to catch the smaller sets that the other ones will not get 'cuz they're too far in for them, the smaller sets come more often than the bigger ones but then once these big and better sets come, you'll have to duck dive pretty big waves, so, you got to see which you like best. what i do is place myself where i think the wave is about to break, sometimes with people around or not, i really don't care if the wave comes towards me i start paddeling as hard as i can and if there are other people going for it as well i try to outpadle them, or if i'm more inside i'll just start yelling at them till they get off my way, or even when some other dude tries to catch it along my way i just surf towards him to scare him off and eventually they'll get nicely sprayed...
if you're not in the inside of the wave still go for it until you see someone actually on the wave, 'cuz they can chicken out or simply fall and then the wave is free but if the guy is on it just let him have it, it's his wave...the wave belongs to whoever is closest to the curl, closest to where it starts breaking

waves break at any part of the beach, it's just some places break more often and some place got bigger ones. For the first few months of surfing it's all able try to become comfortable with surfing and guess the breaking point of the waves, so probably stay closer to shore; or you could hang around those places with less ppl, you just gotta wait for a while for the right waves.

stay away from groups at this stage in your surfing development......depends on your set up but u should be able to find a peak that is not teaming with people.....

Number one sin is to paddle on someone's peak. Here in the nard if you paddle on a peak early am that has 2 guys on it u will get the stink eye...if u kook...let the snickering begin.

There are spots that are better for newbies...hone your skills at one of these spots b4 you go clogging up good waves.

Remember u suck....if you respect those who don't suck your learning curve will be smaller....if you get the idea that u can surf anywhere you might get ur ass beat....depends on your locals.

Just mix and mince sweety, seeing as we`re all boys in gimp suits.