big regression all of the sudden

[aves]

Hello guys, so i've been surfing since like 2 months maybe. i got progressively better, and it was super fun. i can only go straight to the beach as of right now.

I'm going everyday, and felt more confident everytime. i'm not in the best place in the world for surfing so the waves are kind of bad (less than 1ft most of the time) but still there are some good waves here and there.

I was getting at the point where i was catching almost all the decent waves at every session and found myself trying to ride down the line, and turn.

Today, waves were exceptionnally good, so after 30 or 40 minutes of catching waves after waves, i started trying to turn. It was bad, but after a few tries i felt like i was getting somewhere, but also feeling like my feet position wasnt ideal for turning so i started experimenting with foot position. more far back, more forward and so on.

after 10 minutes of bad experimentation (most of it sucked) i decided to go back at what i used to do regularly... and i couldnt. litterally. like i don't know at all what i used to do, and cannot get back to it.

i spent the next 2 hours trying to figure out what the hell was wrong either my feet were too forward, or too much on the tail. i mean there was 100 things wrong everytime. i " almost catched" (meaning i paddled for, and the waves were pushing me so i just had to pop up) at least 40 times after that and failed miserably everytime, there was always something wrong with my feet.

i really dont understand what happenned. theres no ding on my board, it still floats fine and doesnt fedl heavier than usual. its not even the first time i experimented with feet position. i didnt even take a break, i surfed yesterday and it was super fun. but today after just messing with that, i just couldnt pop up anymore.

i got into the sand, tried the classic pop up exercise a few times because i was getting so frustrated and when i got back into the water, i could pop up again, but its still not where it was like before. i'm still struggling, when it used to be so instinctive i just had fun riding to the beach every time like 5 hours ago.

Is this normal ? i know in some skill making, some temporary regression happens sometimes, like when i was trying to learn the ollie while skating, sometimes i would feel i had lost some progression, but it would come back after a few tries and being more mindful about what im doing, plus this is way worse, it's like going from trying a new trick to going all the way back to not even be able to stand on the board in a matter of minutes and not managing to get back even after hours.

this is like a huge regression, it kind of makes me feel discouraged. i don't really know what happenned, nor what to do now ? i felt i lost all my progress and i am back trying to pop up like the first time i surfed in my life and don't know anything

sorry for this long ass message but i'm super bummed and dont know wtf happened, or if its normal, if it's just temporary or anything

[BaNZ]

I think the issue is this
>so i've been surfing since like 2 months maybe
>i just had fun riding to the beach every time like 5 hours ago.

You're still in the beginner phase and sometimes a little setback hits you hard in your confidence even if you don't feel it. Even on some good days some of us are like that. The waves are also consistently changing and it might be breaking closer, further, faster or thicker and it is something that you're not used to yet.

Plus most people surf 1-2 hour session because by then we are worn out and it gets harder to get in the right position and catch the wave properly.

Just keep it up and keep surfing. Eventually you will get better after 6 months or more.

[aves]

thank you. when i meant 5 hours ago, it was not a 5 hour session, the issue started after 40 minutes after the start of my session. my session lasted 3 hours, which is unusual since generally it is more 2 hours (2x per day) but i was so baffled by me not be able to pop up anymore i just tried and tried. conveniently, there were so many waves, some days i could only ride 5 or 6 waves, while today it was like 40 or something so i reaaaaaally tried.

and yeah i understand, i'm still new. and even then, i'm sure i was far from doing the proper thing anyway, but ive really been poping up no issue, in so many different condition for almost a month... it was the last thing on my mind

thank you for your comment, i will try again, more consciously. if i have to redo everything, that will suck. i still hope it was just a brain fart or something, and that tomorrow it will be like always. if not i guess i will have to try harder

[oldmansurfer]

Maybe you are trying too hard? Overthinking? Surfing is kind of a visceral thing to me. I don't often think about what I am doing but more like notice what I am doing. Maybe you just need to relax and accept that it is a slow process to learn how to surf. If you really get flumoxxed maybe get a lesson or have a surfer friend observe and tell you what your doing.

[Silvery]

Just what I was going to say, over thinking it.
Funny last week I was waiting for a wave and thinking I havn't pearled for a long time, guess what happened next wave

[krustyburger]

this is like a huge regression, it kind of makes me feel discouraged. i don't really know what happenned, nor what to do now ? i felt i lost all my progress and i am back trying to pop up like the first time i surfed in my life and don't know anything

Just keep at it. 2 months is very little time, barely enough to figure out how to wax a board correctly, and definitely not enough time to talk about regression.

Remember, popping up and wave riding are the tip of the iceberg of surfing. As a beginner, for the first 1-3 years, you are largely working on the "below the surface" skills: reading the ocean, paddling, positioning, learning the lineup, avoiding other surfers, etc. Focus on building these fundamental skills and focus and what you did well in a session, even if you weren't rewarded by any rides you are still making progress.

Also, realize that surfing is different to other sports and that your ability on a skateboard is likely not going to translate to an easier time as a beginner in surfing. Adjust your expectations and just keep at it.

[waikikikichan]

i spent the next 2 hours trying to figure out what the hell was wrong either my feet were too forward, or too much on the tail. i mean there was 100 things wrong everytime. i " almost catched" (meaning i paddled for, and the waves were pushing me so i just had to pop up) at least 40 times after that and failed miserably everytime, there was always something wrong with my feet.

1) Probably a very easy fix, but first need to ask you a question:

How do you know where your feet were on the deck of your surfboard ?

2) 40 paddles and 40 missed attempts would get anyone tired.

You said you're a skater and skaters will finish a trick if they have to work at it all night. Not the same for the ocean.

[BoMan]

Following up on WKKKChan's question... "How do you know where your feet were on the deck of your surfboard ?"

The best spot for trimming a longboard is 2/3 forward. With the experimentation, you might have moved forward or back from this position.

[dtc]

I’m thinking wkk’s comment is that anyone who knows where their feet are is at high risk of being someone who is looking down at their board. And we all know ‘look down, go down’

[aves]

hello, first of all, thanks everyone for the time to comment and try to help me, it is much appreciated.

ok so now... y'all gonna bash me but anyways....

i got stung by a jelly fish on my legs that day, its not uncommon where i am and it already happenned to me so i didnt even pay attention to that. But at one point i had even issue standing on my feet, like on the ground, not on a surfboard. when i was drier, that started to hurt real bad.

I don't know if that was the cause or not, but the day after i could pop up no issue like before. In fact, that whole ordeal annoyed me so much i watched many stuff and relearned things about pop up so i don't lose as much speed as before, and that was the thing that made me experiment with my feet in the first place, so i guess it was a positive experience after all.

for wkk question, well i never really knew actually. It was instinctive or something. Thats why i thought i "lost" the og position by experimenting, maybe it was the case... maybe it was the jellyfish... in any case it wasnt perfect (still isnt)

anyway, my bad.... i feel stupid

thanks again guys

[LostAtSea]

It could even be you were just tired. Don't worry too much about it. Keep going out and it will come back and you will start progressing again. If you're surfing in waves that are small, especially wind swell (short period small crumbly waves) the waves just don't push you hard enough to get any speed, and speed it what you need for forward momentum, especially for turns.

If you're getting to your feet and your board just stalls, you might either be too far back on your board, got too far in front of the wave when you popped up (you slid too far into the flats when the wave pushed you from behind) , or the wave has zero power.

[IB_Surfer]

what size board?

[aves]

@LostAtSea Thank you ! I feel what you're saying it's super true... that day it was 100% the jellyfish(es, i even grabbed one with my bare hands while paddling this day.... ew) as i couldnt even stand straight and had burns the day after But you're right, what you say actually rang true for later sessions i had, that never went as bad as that one but still ^^ Been progressing ever since Wave catching is not an issue anymore and i can ride along the waves and do some very basic turns so i'm super happy ^^

Now my focus is trying to better my turns, changing directions and stuff. I was typically in that kind of spot you said, anow i'm at a place with much more powerful waves and predictable, it helped a lot for improving imho

@IB_Surfer

I am riding a 5'8 Seaside

[waikikikichan]

so i've been surfing since like 2 months maybe. i got progressively better, and it was super fun. i can only go straight to the beach as of right now.

I am riding a 5'8 Seaside

There's the reason why you are having such a hard time.