Surfing Waves

I was out on the south coast (UK) this morning - messy but surfable. The problem was that the high spring tides were creating awful backwash

But I knew conditions were only gonna get worse (wind turning onshore, and getting stronger) so I wanted to get in there as soon as I could. It was better than expected, and I had quite a lot of fun. BUT... the waves were hard to predict because they were messy and being affected by the backwash.

A fairly large wave (shoulder high, not huge, but big for the day) came in and I paddled hard for it... just as I caught it it got hit by a waist high backwash wave, jacked straight up and then STOPPED

There was me, paddling forward as hard as I could, head over the nose, and suddenly there was no wave beneath me - I didnt go over the falls, because there were no falls to go over, I just plummeted nose first into flat water

I laughed my head off - I bet everyone watching did too...

lol sounds like you have had a fun day
I would love to be able to go in, wouldnt care about messy waves, but I got exams and revision to do


What was the paddle out like? I find it extremely difficult when its messy

haha yea that was happening to me too on the last spring swell. the backwash would collide with the oncoming waves on the sandbar and they would form together and go straight up in the air, and they would stop. really weird occurence, looks like a video being rewinded or something

wer abouts on the south coast did you surf?

Laguna wrote:What was the paddle out like? I find it extremely difficult when its messy

Paddle out was easy... the waves didnt have much power to them, and the backwash helped!

baja fresk wrote: the backwash would collide with the oncoming waves on the sandbar and they would form together and go straight up in the air, and they would stop.

Yup, thats it

Except in this case I was paddling forward enough to carry on going - I reckon it must've been like Wile E. Coyote going over a cliff and there being a second or two where he carries on running, stops, looks at camera, then plummets...

bluesnowcone2000 wrote:wer abouts on the south coast did you surf?

Bracklesham - near wittering. Early, before the wind picked up. Drove down from london ridiculously early, but when you need to surf, you need to surf...

I aint been out in 2 weeks now, how cold is the water? Too cold for a 3mm summer suit?

you dont need boots and gloves in my opinion

Laguna wrote:I aint been out in 2 weeks now, how cold is the water? Too cold for a 3mm summer suit?

It would be two weeks for me too, except I got up real early

Water's fine in a 3mm suit with a thermal rashie. Nearly summer - not that you'd have known that this morning in freezing cold mists followed by weeing it down. Felt like november

lol, ye I was thinking it should be alright for the Summer Wetsuit. Last few times I went out I was a little hot in my winter suit. Cant wait to try out my new Summer Suit now, it will be a lot lighter.

I hope the sea has warmed up now, everytime I duck dive my head freezes, and I dont want to wear my hood now

yeah when its messy and choppy it really pisses me off sometimes. but like always once you get out there and get a feel for how the wind and water is moving that day then you kind of just deal with it.

lol backwash sucks..i was surfing along the wave then i hit another and just went flying up in the air on the unbroken face...i felt like a tool

I was paddling hard for a wave at Copacabana and as I started to drop in I ran into a big backwash whhich sent me flying up in the air, I was so surprised I froze until the board came down landing on the next backwash and my face followed straight into the deck, ouch! My chin swelled up to twice its size and I fell off the board and felt dizzy for about 10 mins...beware the backwash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh man, I don't know how many times I've gone for a wave when it's junky out; just to get shut down!
I'm lined up perfectly...paddling...looks like a good wave...I'm in position...I'm going to catch it...then I hit this bump and loose all momentum and the wave just passes me by...

yea! I'm SOO feeling ya!

Mind you I LOVE surfing when you can sort of run over the backwash waves kinda like speed bumps... it feels awesome like you're on a snowboard or something. And then you gotta turn when that interferring wave angles sharply and you can like... turn a corner sort of.

so awesome!

last week I watched the guy who taught me to surf catch a backwash wave... back out to sea! Haa haaa..

that was so funny I am SOO trying that next time.

The worst thing is feeling that wave suck up everything in front of you
and no matter how you brace yourself, it ain't gonna be enuff!