Less control in bigger waves.

[Peakysurf]

Whats up!

I have had this problem for a while but haven't know how to explain it until now.
On the rare ocassion when we actully get some decent swell here. Decent is 4-6 foot. Which is basically maxing out here.

I turn into one big kook. If i ever attempt to make a turn with any sort of power. I never make it. I usally just get flung of my board.
I feel this has to do with the increase of speed in bigger surf. But i could be wrong.

I can make the drop fine, and even can to a bottom turn. But trying to do a top turn for instance, does not happen.
And even just simple trimming along the face usally ends with me wiping out.

The best way i can describe it is it feels like im always catching my rail. But looking back on it i cant tell if i do or not.

Have any of you guys ever had this problem?
And if i am actully just catching my rail. How can i avoid that?

There is ment to be still some size to it tomorrow. And i want to go out with a game plan.

Thanks

[dtc]

Keep in mind how waves work - its water being sucked out of the front of the wave and up and over the back; its not a lump of water actually moving forward (the swell is moving forward but not the water). In bigger waves that water needs to move up and over a lot faster than in smaller waves, because it has to go further (up and over) in the same amount of time. If you don't have your rail set properly or you are leaning a bit away from the wave, then the water rushing up the face will push your inner rail up and your outside rail down and you 'flip'. You have to lean into the wave more, put more pressure on the inside of your board (even move your feet to the inside - for trimming obviously, not so much for turns).

If you look at videos really big fast waves, like Pipeline, you will see guys aren't going straight along the wave (board parallel to the wave) but that their boards are pointing 30 deg or so down the wave, yet they are just going sideways and not down. This is to combat the water moving up the wave face - its moving so fast that you have to continually surf down and against against the water just to stay in the one place. For your size waves this isn't so much a factor (if at all), but just to give you a visual representation of what I'm talking about. You still need to 'fight against' the water movement by your weight transfer.

Another possibility is that sometimes in bigger waves that people drop down the face of the wave a bit more (maybe being half way or top 1/3rd of the wave just seems way too high off the 'ground') and I've seen people catch their bottom rail on the flats. So the top rail (closest to the wave) is on the wave, but the bottom rail hits the flat water and catches. So maybe you are staying too far to the bottom of the wave? you will notice this because basically your board just comes to a complete halt. This is usually on quite steep waves though

Finally, maybe its as basic as you freezing up a bit on a bigger wave, which is totally understandable, and not allowing your body to react properly. So if your legs are stiff, you don't 'go with' the wave or the bumps, but instead just try to plough through - which doesn't always work.

I don't know if there is much of a solution there - just 'relax' (huh!) and lean into the wave a bit. And don't get too low down - stay up the wave face, just as you do for smaller waves.

[waikikikichan]

If i ever attempt to make a turn with any sort of power. I never make it. I usally just get flung of my board.
I feel this has to do with the increase of speed in bigger surf. But i could be wrong.

I can make the drop fine, and even can to a bottom turn. But trying to do a top turn for instance, does not happen.
And even just simple trimming along the face usally ends with me wiping out.

On Dec 17th you wrote:
" The title says it all. I can surf along a face quite well, i can do late take offs, steep drops, i can finish a wave, and bounce on my board
But i cant do any kind of maneuver, at all."

In the one month that past, if you can't control you board in small waves and do basic turns ( and not even talking about top turns, just a basic cutback ), how can you expect to do them in bigger, faster and more powerful waves ?

If you can't connect with the ball at the Slow pitch setting, you're not going to do any better if you turn it up to Fast pitch.

[jaffa1949]

Peaky , get your surfing act together, in smaller stuff, learn to turn learn to do the basics of surfing.

Believe me if you are trying to go big before you are ready, you are just a hazard to yourself and others.

A basic set of skill requirements, take off skill, good bottom turn to wave position, ability to select your speed to match the wave, ( speeding up and slowing down) trim and stall. A good basic cutback and vertical positioning on the wave face.

Knowing what the wave is doing and working with that.

If you cannot control the board ,both you and it become navigation hazards, learn your skills, become safe, then it becomes much more fun, learn and earn your place in the line up. At many beaches you would be sent in!

[Big H]

At many beaches you would be sent in!

....or you just wouldn't get a wave....