Surfing Waves

Recent discussion has made me aware that perhaps my definition for shoulder is different from others. Here is what I learned : The shoulder is where the wave slows down or changes in speed from faster to slower. So if you have a peak that pitches over the shoulder is at the end of the initially pitching over section (both sides). Then if the wave breaks evenly there is no more shoulder till the end maybe. If there are sections that peak and pitch over along the wave then on the sides of those peaks there are shoulders. Sometimes even though the wave is tubing it will slow down and there is a shoulder right at the transition from fast to slower tubing. This is just how it was used among those who I surfed with. So perhaps there has been some communication problems because of this differing definition. So I thought it might be good to hear how everyone else defines a shoulder and then maybe we can all get on the same page. And perhaps my definition is wrong but still that is the one I use although I will try to not use it in the future to communicate better.

oldmansurfer wrote: The shoulder is where the wave slows down or changes in speed from faster to slower. So if you have a peak that pitches over the shoulder is at the end of the initially pitching over section (both sides).

I agree and only think about the shoulder when I'm taking off. I paddle for the peak and know that my ride will be slower to the extent that it begins in the shoulder. After popping up, I think of it as the wave face.

By my definition that might or might not be a shoulder depending on whether the wave was slowing down or breaking evenly and whether the peak was where the whitewater is.

Seems silly, but look it literally as it's described. Your HEAD is the center. The part between is the NECK and TRAPEZIUS. The SHOULDER is the part up until the drop off ( there's a little rise on the boney part ). After that it's the Upper arm. With your fingers, follow the contour from you neck to the bump of your shoulder, back and forth, like a massage stretch. If you go past your shoulder, it's just a drop off
In surfing, you want to surf in the rideable area of the curl, face and up to the shoulder. If you ride to the edge of the wave there's usually that last bit of rise or curling back, then after that you'll be out of the power.

I realize for most it is a structural definition but for me a functional one. It's much easier to say the part right next to the breaking part is the shoulder but functionally that doesn't describe that area well because that area is different from position to position and from wave to wave however it is easy enough for me to say the shoulder next to a peak or the shoulder where the wave slows down

oldmansurfer wrote:The shoulder is where the wave slows down or changes in speed from faster to slower.

When deciding to turn, I focus on the shape of the wave (peaking, waning) while you look more at its speed. Tell us more about how this affects your surfing.

Yes turning on the shoulder is different depending on the wave. Perhaps since you surf mostly even breaking point breaks you don't notice much difference but there are big differences between shoulders and where you want to turn or even if you want to turn on them. I surf mostly chaotic sand breaks so I see a variety of shoulders and when there are transitions or sections they behave differently. It's not so much speed as the movement of water and power that they provide a board to catch a wave or turn on. I ride mostly fast moving waves that are wind swells due to prevailing easterly winds on the east side of the island so the speed is almost always fast measured from the ocean to the shore and the interval between waves is almost always a short one (99% onshore winds in some variant of angle to onshore). Even the reef breaks are somewhat chaotic due to a mixture of swells most of the time but once in a while I get nice even waves that break orderly smoothly and are easy to ride (but because I am not used to that it takes me a couple waves to figure out where to be )