Surfing Waves

These are poor quality so if they’re not helpful, I apologize. I feel like I’ve been progressing, though slowly, a good amount the last 6 months. I stopped grabbing the rails when popping up, though I have picked that bad habit back up and know I need to fix that. I know this is pretty broad, but in the attachment I’ll upload, could y’all critique anything from form, technique, ect. that needs to be fixed so I can surf better? I want to generate more speed and do decent turns and hacks at the moment. I’m not sure if these pictures will load, but after posting this I will add videos

1) Are you Regular or Goofy footed ( or both ) ?

2) What's wrong with grabbing the rails ?

1) I'm goofy!
2) I've always heard thats bad to hold the rails when popping up. I find more waves pass under me and feel off balance when I do also

I always hold the rails on the pop up. Some people prefer to push from the center of the board instead, but I don't think either is better when it comes to wave count or balance. Only argument I heard against holding the rails was the possibility of slipping your hands and face planting in the board, but I don't recall that ever happening to me (maybe once? Nevertheless it is a possibility ). Anyways, if you felt better pushing from the center, go for it!

Your stance in the photos has a bit of a ‘pop stance’ to it - your knees are facing out instead of in



However on the videos you look better; of course my first thought is that you really need a different board for those conditions - what are you surfing?

waikikikichan wrote:2) What's wrong with grabbing the rails ?

I agree with waikikikichan, nothing wrong with grabbing the rails. See Jamie O'Brien riding pipeline backside, it's all about holding onto the rail! In the photos it looks to me like you've got too much weight leaning forward, (Like you have a heavy head!). But in the video it looks like you're not a bad surfer, just riding small waves. I know some people will say "are you a front foot or a back foot surfer?" It does kind of look like your front foot has the majority of the weight. I would try leaning back and using the fins to turn hard, maybe just experiment with crouching low and standing tall and feeling where your center of gravity is. Ultimately though, it looks like you're doing pretty good! I'd bet if you were surfing a bigger wave you'd have no choice but to lean back some!

I typically surf a 5'10 but the little blue board in the pictures is 5'0. Thats my shore break board, because those waves were in about 2 ft of water. I find my self slipping in and out of poo stance. It's a hard habit to break.
I've been told before that in smaller waves you need to put weight down on the front foot to gain speed. I find that helps when dropping in, because if I put it on my back foot then I lose the wave. But then when I try a turn and put it on the front I loose my speed.
Also, in one of my pictures, and I notice I do this often, I'm leaning forward pretty far. Is this a bad thing, or does it just look ugly?
Thanks for all the help guys

I live in VB and unfortunately those are some of the better waves we see outside of hurricane season

I feel like I finally am progressing, but then will just surf plain bad a couple sessions and the progression feels slow so Im trying to figure out what I can fix. I've been surfing about 2 years now

Looks like you need to work on your bottom turn. So what you need to do is start doing a top turn which means a better bottom turn and go up the wave then back down. You do little pump turns trying to generate speed but the thing to do is to not slow down so you have to go up the wave and back down (Top turn) or out and back into it (cutback). It's easier to learn a top turn so that would be my suggestion.

noahb2710 wrote:I feel like I finally am progressing, but then will just surf plain bad a couple sessions and the progression feels slow so Im trying to figure out what I can fix.

Yup, that sounds like surfing! I've also been surfing for 2 years. Not sure if it helps but I skateboard as often as I can. I used to just fly down hills and have to jump off my board! Now I crouch real low and turn as hard as I can, (reducing my speed). No idea if it's really helping my surfing. Unfortunately, I have never seen myself surf! But as a skateboarder, balance and turns come a little easier I'd say. I know some surf coaches like using the surf/skate trucks, but I grew up street skating, so I think any skateboard could help. I've been dropping into half pipes lately to help get over my fear of dropping into big winter waves! Good luck!

Watching your videos, you charge and have a good sense of rail and line. BUT ............ you lack in the turns. There is a lot LOT of arm movement but no action transferred to the board. What you're doing I call the Michael Phelps stretch.


PROBLEM: Stand up straight in the living room. Look straight ahead and extend both arms stomach high in front and touch hands. Now touch hands behind your back.
Body and Head stays straight while only the arms go back and forth. There is no twisting of the shoulders or the torso.

FIX: Stand up straight in the living room facing North. Keep your Left hand down at your thigh and DON"T move your feet. Bring only your Right hand up and extend it straight out shoulder high. Point straight ahead and keep you eyes focused sighting down the right hand. Move your hand clockwise to point East, while still looking at your hand. Then ( if you can ) point and look South. Notice how much twist of the torso is initiated ? Now from the South position bring it around counter-clockwise the other way and point South again.

Thanks everyone! I do own a Caver, and definitely have seen it help my surfing, but in some ways how I "surf" well on a Carver I just can't transfer it over to surfing. Especially the arms thing that was mentioned. So, what I'm understanding, is the biggest thing that y'all think would help is instead of moving the arms so much and trying to do these little pump-turns, try focusing on twisting my torso to go all the way up the wave, then twisting down and forcing myself all the way down?
I think I need to start turning back down in to waves more also, because I find that I ride out of some that I should've been able to take inside. Maybe thats just because they're small and mushy though.

Part of the problem is you need to look THRU the turn to the next point of action. Right now you are looking AT the turn.

This is an awesome thread. I'm learning a lot here.

Noah, I surf VB (although I have quite a drive), what beach do you surf? I have much less experience than you, but I'd love to talk about it.

I made a pop up trainer at home and I'd love to share a photo. It's actually more challenging than it looks, < $100. Can't figure out how to upload a photo though. Do I need a hosting site?

Nevermind I found it.

Beat up non seaworthy surfboard for cheap, 2x balance boards from five below and some double sided tape. I put the balance boards close together so there is a little fore and aft instability but not too much, and it actually feels pretty realistic. Side to side instability is less stable than actually surfing, which only forces you to have a cleaner pop up.

I think it works great but I'd love opinions

waikikikichan, by looking through, do you mean just turning my head sooner before I actually try the turn?

Snakeplissken, I surf 1st St and Sandbridge the most, and Croatan often, as well as going South to ObX (I live in Chesapeake). It just depends on the tide and swell direction. That pop up trainer is awesome. I usually just use my beater board and put pillows under it when I want to practice.

noahb2710 wrote:
Snakeplissken, I surf 1st St and Sandbridge the most, and Croatan often, as well as going South to ObX (I live in Chesapeake). It just depends on the tide and swell direction. That pop up trainer is awesome. I usually just use my beater board and put pillows under it when I want to practice.

I pretty much exclusively surf Croatian. It's inconsistent and small, but it's usually good for beginners like me. Except today. After I left I put my surfboard in my kiddy pool to catch bigger waves. But people are cool there, and at some other beaches they can be stuck up. Hope to see you around bro.

noahb2710 wrote: by looking through, do you mean just turning my head sooner before I actually try the turn?

Sorta yeah, but I don't want you thinking to just "turn you head" more or earlier. It's more being a step ( or 2 ) ahead in your thinking. So by the time you're traveling up, you are already sighting your landing. If you get to the top, then think "Hmmm, I should turn down now", it's too late.

But the main problem is you flail your arms, lot of movement but no action. You're punching with both hands at the same time, not good.

waikikikichan wrote:

noahb2710 wrote: by looking through, do you mean just turning my head sooner before I actually try the turn?

Sorta yeah, but I don't want you thinking to just "turn you head" more or earlier. It's more being a step ( or 2 ) ahead in your thinking. So by the time you're traveling up, you are already sighting your landing. If you get to the top, then think "Hmmm, I should turn down now", it's too late.

But the main problem is you flail your arms, lot of movement but no action. You're punching with both hands at the same time, not good.

Gotcha. Thanks! Would it help to try to keep my arm more relaxed and exaggerate it with my shoulders turning?