Surfing Waves

Hey all,

I seem to have trouble turning left when I'm on a wave going down the line. I tend to ride it to the bottom and then turn right to go back up and then slowly drift back down instead of making a distinct left turn. You can see that in the video of me (silyl green hat) surfing.



On the first wave, I have no trouble turning right to completely get off the wave once I realised that I had cut-off another surfer. Yet on the next wave in the video (after my friend has a go on the board) you can see me turning right and left but having a lot of trouble with the left turn. It might be an issue with my arms or where I'm looking?

Appreciate your suggestions

Best,

Lachy

Any thought anybody?

Issue is more with the wave....they are small & you don't have much to work with....

No problem on the drop in though....nailed that!

Yeah, I think I'd start with the surf etiquette first. Worry about turning later.

I quite clearly got off the wave as soon as I realised I had dropped in. It's easier said than done to not drop in on people when there's 100+ people in the water.

lachyd333 wrote:I quite clearly got off the wave as soon as I realised I had dropped in. It's easier said than done to not drop in on people when there's 100+ people in the water.

I understand. I don't think you intentionally dropped in. However, remember that this forum is often oriented toward beginners and if you post a video of a drop-in and nobody points it out, then a message gets sent to all those beginners reading your thread that dropping in is normal. When lots of people are in the water just drop in because you can't avoid it anyway, isn't the message surfers want to be broadcasting in a learning thread open to the world.

Are you trying to turn left in these videos - because the reason you arent turning is that you dont actually appear to be trying to turn. Look at your front hand - it hardly ever passes to the rear of your body (although it really should be hanging to your rear most of the time rather than stuck out on the same side as your rear hand). Anyway, your front hand if you want to turn left needs to go....to the left. Look at your hips; they are straight the entire time, they dont turn to the left at all either. You dont look left - you need to look where you want to go.

If you want to turn, your upper body needs to turn. Just leaning on a rail isnt going to do anything. Weight on back foot (even move back foot back for the turn).

Dont worry about the drop in, happens - you both started paddling at the same time (you should have spotted her but, hey, sometimes you just miss things). You did the right thing once you realised.

But you didnt really turn right here, all you did was go straight but the wave was breaking and so you went straight along the face to the broken part of the wave, which is lower than the part you were on and you went over the top. So it looked like you turned up the face, but actually you just went straight and the face went down. Notice here as well no upper body movement.

https://surfing-waves.com/bottom-turns.htm

Nice trim going frontside, back hand holding the wave to draw yourself in /up. Your foot weighted more over the right side of the stringer ( fine for loading the right inside rail ) A bit of a lot of squat for a non-barreling wave. Notice you front elbow is touching your left knee.

Now you begin to rise up once you get more to the shoulder. Foot doesn't change.

Elbow moves forward but not back towards the curl. ( notice you counter balance the head way out with the butt sticking way out ) Water is coming off the outside rail.

Now at the apex of your "Left turn", water shears off the inside Right rail. Left hand actually goes backwards since the Elbow is leading the body.
Advice:
1) Your front foot, which is at 3 o'clock, needs to be more at 1-2 o'clock
2) You need to keep your head over your butt.
3) Point with your front hand where you want to go.
4) Think "come back" to the curl of the wave instead of "turning"
There's way way more, but that's a lot to chew on.

isn't "cutback" the surfing term for what you are trying to do?

A big thanks to all teh advice. In particular, I'd like to say a big thank you to Waikikichan for taking the time to post your detailed advice. I tried it today and had much better luck going left !

I just reiterated what DTC before, so please give him some props. I am glad you are posted good questions and trying your best to improve. Please don't get discouraged. The better you get, the less mistakes you'll make.
That said ............. Now you're going to get a mouth full. Videos are great to work on your technique. But just like police bodycams, they can work in your favor or against you.

lachyd333 wrote:I quite clearly got off the wave as soon as I realised I had dropped in. It's easier said than done to not drop in on people when there's 100+ people in the water.

When you spun around, you looked to your right, then you looked to your left and CLEARLY saw the girl paddling for the wave inside of you.

You were still paddling when she was already standing. I didn't see you check/glance back once. You set your line and went down the line. It didn't seem you could do a Down, Up and Out. She came up on you THEN you decided to get off.

But by that time she already straightened out ( to avoid running into you or you into her ). She gets stuffed into the soup and you cut out of the wave.
I saw you were sitting inside of a guy and four girls. We don't know the whole story. Maybe those surfers missed a lot of wave previously. Maybe that girl goes left or straight usually. I to sometimes paddle on other surfers just incase they miss, it's called "Poaching". But you have to be able to quickly and safely pull out if they get on. You burned her and not only dropped in BUT ALSO wasted the wave. She didn't get it and neither did you, so a wasted wave. Hell, after you realize you melted her, you should've continued on, get a good ride and paddle back, apologized and thank her for a good wave. She actually might not had a problem with it.
You KNEW you were dropping in. The video shows the proof. If you use the excuse that it difficult to not drop in when there's 100+ surfers, then someone can use the excuse that it was difficult to not put their fin into the back of your head or thru your board. Give respect - Get respect.

I appreciate your comment but I stick by what I said. I did not realise I was dropping in on her. She had missed a heap of waves that day (as had I) and I thought she was in the wrong place to catch it. I am one of the most timid surfers I know and I am yet to drop in on someone knowingly. So, I get what you are saying and I obviously was in the wrong and your entitled to your opinion but I know what I know

Again, if you're going to setup further in and on the outside of other surfers and "Poach", then you better have the skills to pull out quickly. ( and not being able to turn left shows you don't have that skill yet ) Also check Left then Right then Left again, just like car drivers should to avoid t-boning a motorcyclist. Even if she misses 4 out of 5 waves usually, there's still a 20% chance she might get on, which she did.
Where you setup, if anyone to the left of you got on, it would be dropping in and you knew it. You were just surprised that she caught up to you.
A few years from now when some beginner-intermediate burns you royally and tells you " I didn't think you could get it ", I hope you can remember your mindset you have right now and be understanding/forgiving about the situation.

I also take issue with this. Snaking is snaking, whether you are conscious of it or not. And if you are going to do it (which still is contemptible behavior), you had better be throwing buckets of spray.

And what on earth does that mean, "I know what I know"? So even if something is completely incorrect, it is certifiable truth if you believe it?

And watch out where you pull this kind of thing in the future. Waxed windscreens are no fun.

You,have been hit pretty hard with the drop in stick. I invite you to consider these things.
She may have missed a few waves but you ruined one of the few she got!
The lamest drop excuse is I didn't see you, either you didn't look or you didn't care.
No matter how many learners there are out, just don't drop in
Let somebody else be the one without respect