How much can bad waves help you?

[Jc]

I have being browsing the forums for a while and I keep seeing posts saying how rough, choppy bad waves can help you become a better surfer.

If so, how?

I remember something about late drops or something :/ idk just wondering, the whole idea doesn't sound likely to me

Cheers in advance

[allyoz]

in short, if you can surf well in shitty conditions then on a good day you should rip better, works better for some more than others though!

[isaluteyou]

poor waves can improve your overall surfing abilities. Gives you experience in all kinds of conditions pluss unless you constantly surf in excellent conditions (highly unlikely) then you will get days when its super messy. If you know how to handle those conditions then you can still have a good time.

Also messy waves are a lot less forgiving so it can improve your timing, wave choice, and drop time (if the waves are super steep - which is often the case here when the surf is big and messy )

[alimac2411]

when the waves are just throwing, or the wind is onshore it can sometimes be easy to catch a wave and then practice your bottom turns before the wave crashes down on you. You may get a beating from doing it sometimes but it'll help make you better!

[RJD]

Its sometimes very humbling to see pro's on small bad waves, short or long, and see what they can still do.

[alimac2411]

Its sometimes very humbling to see pro's on small bad waves, short or long, and see what they can still do.

Very, very true! They make bad waves look good. One day though...

[gerk86]

on bad days i like to just practice my popup in white water or if im out there, wait for a really steep wave to come along and try to get to my feet as quick as possible. I usually nosedive and eat sand but it is fun and gratifying to ride a 45degree face on your feet, even if it is only for a split second.

[rich r]

Bad waves will also help with your balance and timing.

[uglystick]

onshore days mean the wave is not going to be as consistent forcing you to read the wave better in order to surf it better.

also your fitness is better because of more paddling to stay in position and if you surf on onshore days that means you will spend more days of a week / month surfing = better surf fitness to exploit clean days, and unfit kooks

[LOLRuss]

I find that a choppy messy day is a great workout, which pays off on cleaner days.

[Chris*B]

i went out for a surf yesterday at Polzeath and the waves (or lack of) were terrible! However, i felt like i improved my pop up enormously and became quicker at getting up

[LeeM]

I agree with Russ. I spend a lot of time doing the Paddle-Popup-Turn-Exit- Repeat. It helps you groove the popup.

[stonebrew4life]

i use bad small and choppy days as a little way to challange myself to so how many times i can get to the nose
not very many usually
my best guess at how it makes you a better surfer would be that if you can have fun on those kinds of days, then on any good or even decent day youll be having a blast!

[surfmom68]

This whole subject is causing a "rift" within the group I regularly surf with. Surfing in Brighton means that we often head out in small choppy messy waves but some of our group are starting to miss out on water time because they don't think its worth heading out on those days. Personally Ill surf pretty much anything here. Beggars cant be choosers and i'm sure it pays off when the good stuff arrives

[Hang11]

This whole subject is causing a "rift" within the group I regularly surf with. Surfing in Brighton means that we often head out in small choppy messy waves but some of our group are starting to miss out on water time because they don't think its worth heading out on those days. Personally Ill surf pretty much anything here. Beggars cant be choosers and i'm sure it pays off when the good stuff arrives

There's enough people from Brighton who learned to surf there and who rip, which pretty much proves that messy waves will help you surf better, especially if you're learning. You do also need some good days too!

For a start, surfing weak windslop teaches you how to find the pockets of power in a wave, and how to cover as much face as possible to get speed up. That translates to decent waves really well.

[isaluteyou]

For a start, surfing weak windslop teaches you how to find the pockets of power in a wave, and how to cover as much face as possible to get speed up. That translates to decent waves really well.

Agreed. I doubt many people on here are getting constantly good waves offshore and clean. If you can surf in onshore closeouts and get decent rides this makes you a much more rounded surfer.

[OJSMsurfer]

thats true for example i live in florida people over here are quicker and it helps the beginners improve much faster famous examples would be kelly slater, cj hobgood, and the lopez brothers

[LOLRuss]

Lets face it - most of us don't get good waves very often, so if you aren't surfing crap... you aren't surfing. How you gonna improve then?