Will I ever learn? 3 years in

[yoyoyoyo]

Thanks for your feedback. I am thinking of selling the 9"6 I have serious doubts if that board is not too smashed uo and I think the core might be broken. It feels wobbly. So I'll get that one out of the way for maybe this NSP. there aren't that many for sale and it's 300 AUD so roughly $220 usd. If they use this for lessons, it is good enough for me I'll look at a 8'2 later down the track.

[LostAtSea]

You have the same pop up issues I had. Once I fixed those, my surfing improved exponentially.

Your back foot is stalling the board when you need to be accelerating.

Its fine for mushburgers with a crumbly lip, but not for anything bigger, faster and/or steeper.

[BoMan]

With a longboard it helps to sit 20 feet outside where most waves are breaking. From this spot you can often paddle into waves before the takeoff angle is too steep.

[oldmansurfer]

I looked at your videos and can't tell what you are doing wrong so my guess is it's your positioning and wave selection that is wrong

[oldmansurfer]

With a longboard it helps to sit 20 feet outside where most waves are breaking. From this spot you can often paddle into waves before the takeoff angle is too steep.

Not a good picture since most shortboarders would be deeper and riding the wave before that guy ever stands up

[waikikikichan]

I looked at your videos and can't tell what you are doing wrong so my guess is it's your positioning and wave selection that is wrong

I too didn't seen anything "wrong". I would attribute your lack of progression to the lack of a quality wave with a shoulder to trim on.
But if there is anything to critic, I didn't even need to see the video, just the first 2 photos.

I can tell you are just letting go of or just releasing your fingers off the board. You can get up to your stance quicker if you "explode" off the deck. Push your hands away, like saying to someone "hey man, Get Away from me !!" You arm muscles will help take pressure off your back, literally.

Both your hands are in the "clinched fist" position. That leads to stiff movements ( arms, shoulders, neck ) and hard to twist the torso/waist. You need to be fluid, like the water itself. Relax more and point with your front hand where you want to go.

[dtc]

Being fluid and relaxed is one of those hard things - you are doing something different, your mind is trying to process it all and in the meantime your body just freezes and waits for the mind to tell it what to do. What you want to have is where the body and mind react almost as one. In this its no different to any other complex physical activity - think about how you felt and acted when learning to drive to how you do it now; but in many activities (golf or tennis etc), you can practice over and over without consequence until it clicks. In surfing you have a limited number of waves and a much greater range of variables.

In any case, just thinking relax, go with the flow, be the water - or whatever works for you - is actually quite useful. That said, just like driving, its really only going to come naturally with practice and familiarity.

As wkk says, point with your front hand. It can feel weird or kooky at first, but to start off literally point with your index finger (or even all of your fingers) to where you want to go and look to the same place.

but otherwise - at least in the pop up stage - you look 'not too bad'. A bit slow and your back foot lands and then you bring your front foot through, but its not terrible.

End of the day, you wont improve doing what you are doing. You need to be out where the waves are bigger and more powerful. Not necessarily double overhead or anything, but waist to chest high faces at least. How that works with your injury I dont know - you dont have to sit on the board, you can spend your time laying down (but obviously it becomes harder to see the waves and slower to turn).

[pmcaero]

I too didn't seen anything "wrong". I would attribute your lack of progression to the lack of a quality wave with a shoulder to trim on.

Wave closes out fairly fast and there isn't enough speed generated to maneuver.Because of aforementioned injury OP would learn more playing in the white water or catching reforms on a bigger day

[waikikikichan]

.Because of aforementioned injury OP would learn more playing in the white water or catching reforms on a bigger day

And how is that going to get him to ......

to learn going from whitewash to carving the green waves

overcoming the fear of the waves?

???
"Playing" in the white water and "Riding" on top of the board is not going to get him to his goal of "ever learning" to Surf. ( carve on green waves ). And until he learns how to "get out back", he'll never get over his fear of larger waves. Yes, i agree riding white water and catching reforms is steps in the learning progression, but after 3 years and his current ability to paddle into waves, riding white water is a step backwards.

[pmcaero]

And until he learns how to "get out back", he'll never get over his fear of larger waves.

As I read it, the OP cannot sit on the board due to injury. This would prevent him from properly observing incoming waves while in the lineup. On a bigger day, the OP could be a danger to himself and others.

[waikikikichan]

As I read it, the OP cannot sit on the board due to injury.

BUT........As I read it, he also stated.......

I am still a bit afraid to sit on my board due to this, but I will get to it.

He has the desire to get better and the grit to get over this current obstacle. So let's encourage him. Of course, not blindly rushing unprepared to huge waves, but by observing / learning the ocean/waves and taking small steps to his goal.

He has good technique and I see a good future for his surfing.

[waikikikichan]

the OP cannot sit on the board due to injury. This would prevent him from properly observing incoming waves while in the lineup. On a bigger day, the OP could be a danger to himself and others.

In Waikiki, we have "AccessSurf" and "Wounded Warrior" programs for those with disabilities and severe injuries. I surfed with guys paralyzed from the waist down that couldn't sit up. They were out in the line up at the main peak. They did fine and didn't make any excuses for themselves.

[oldmansurfer]

Those programs have people watching to be sure no one drowns or hurts anyone else. I agree though it seems like an excuse and how can you improve if you have an excuse not to?

[LostAtSea]

You probably notice that sometimes you get to your feet and you are in the flats with no speed, or when the waves are steeper you are pearling, or when you try to get in earlier the wave just rolls under you and you wonder why others can get in earlier. Or you find you are hanging precariously in the lip staring down a precipitous drop.

A quicker pop-up will fix those issues and set you up with speed to get on with the business of surfing/ manoeuvres.

It took me a long time and a lot of home practice, I learned to surf at 48 and can get to my feet all in one motion now, and so can you.

When you are up quickly, you are standing up as you slide down the green face, prepared to make a good turn ( with speed) down the line. Too slow and it ain't gonna happen.

Try to get away from putting that back foot down first. When both feet flick forward and land at the same time, it gives the board a bit of a push into the wave. When you put your back foot down and step up the board, the pressure of the back foot on the back of the board (even for a second - the 7 to 8 second mark of the first video) it slows the board down and the worst possible time and creates problems.

It's not a strength move, it's mechanics - and you can do it. There are some good videos out there. If I have time, I'll make one myself and post it with an explanation.

This is what I see.

[LostAtSea]

Hey yoyoyoyo, you inspired me to make a short pop up video. I made it because, for me personally, learning to take off correctly was the key element in my learning curve so far (3 years in). I started with a chicken wing style, and was really holding me back.

There are many things to consider when learning to catch a wave, (head up, watch the wave behind you, etc...) but I just included a few simple points.

I will probably do some more editing, and maybe grab a better shot of me popping up (not the silly vertical shot). Any suggestions by those who are experienced, especially those with teaching experience are most welcome.

https://youtu.be/PhBdYVYzPT8

[oldmansurfer]

Great video there JJ. You get your hands way back to y our waist just about. Not to do with popup but you can see the surfer puts pressure on his front leg till he gets down the wave then switches to rear leg.

[LostAtSea]

Great video there JJ. You get your hands way back to y our waist just about. Not to do with popup but you can see the surfer puts pressure on his front leg till he gets down the wave then switches to rear leg.

Thanks for the feedback OMS. That's a good point - shifting weight to the front leg as soon as the surfer is up. Maybe I should elaborate on that a bit more. This is a first draft so any and all suggestions are welcome.

Maybe I should start a new thread - "Help make a pop up vid"

Not sure if I can use parts of Pete's youtube vids (I think I can if it's a shared vid), but he's got such a perfect take-off, and the shots are good. I can always ask, he's a local.

[waikikikichan]

That's a good point - shifting weight to the front leg as soon as the surfer is up. Maybe I should elaborate on that a bit more. This is a first draft so any and all suggestions are welcome.

Your video is great and well detailed. I wouldn't include about weight shifts and such. Your's is a "pop up" instructional video plain and simple. Too much for the newbie/beginner to comprehend if you put more. You explained the push up and the feet swinging under the butt and planting of the feet. By including the forward weight shift, they'll get messed up. Let them learn to plant their feet firmly.... first. ( but maybe for your next how-to segment )

[LostAtSea]

Thanks for the comment and the input Waikikikichan. I was thinking the same while I was doing it. Keep it simple. I want to be sure that the few points I include are the most helpful.

[OlegLupusov]

There is a tennis saying: once a week always a novice!
I think it is even more applicable to surfing!

No offence intended