How to ride along the face of big waves!! Help Please!

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How to ride along the face of big waves!! Help Please!

Postby BlondieChick » Fri Jun 19, 2009 12:42 pm

I'm wondering how to get the knack of popping up on big waves and riding along the face of them, especially when the wind is on-shore. Please help!!

I started surfing at the end of April and have been out a few times most weeks (would be out lots more if there was more surf!). I have a 7'6 Minimal, am 5ft 7" and weigh 65kg. Three weeks ago something finally clicked and I was no longer riding in to the beach. Yeh! :D And for the week that followed I was flying it, riding backhand and forehand on small and medium to biggish waves. The conditions were perfect, clean and glassy with an off-shore wind.
Last week though the wind was on-shore, and the waves were messy and lumpy and really big. I'm really good at catching waves (very athletic, strong swimmer) and so I was catching all these big waves only to fall off time and time again when I tried to pop-up : I think it is probably because they were so steep and I was heading straight down the wave for the flats, and the lip of the wave or something was just throwing me over-the-falls?? Maybe on the smaller days I could get away with this, turning after popping up, but not when the waves are bigger?? I'm guessing here..

Anyway, I would be really grateful for any tips, like how to turn quickly when popping up (I was angling my board for 1 o'clock when catching the waves, but to no avail!) Or just generally, how to avoid the washing machine!!

Cheers :)
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Re: How to ride along the face of big waves!! Help Please!

Postby isaluteyou » Fri Jun 19, 2009 4:26 pm

sounds like you were getting pitched. Happens when the wave suddenly jacks up real steep and throws you bouncing you off. Its just a matter of practise to nail the timing.
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Re: How to ride along the face of big waves!! Help Please!

Postby vandangos » Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:51 pm

try angling your take offs, i.e paddle slightly to the left or right not directly into the beach. this already gets you going along the face whilst having more time to pop up due to not pearling.
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