Page 1 of 1
Need advice on catching unbroken waves

Posted:
Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:50 am
by kvas
Have been surfing for one week so far. First two times with big rented boards (seemed so easy then) and then I've bought myself a smaller one (7'2" fish-shaped). Now I'm quite ok catching whitewaterish waves with it, but unbroken ones just slip under me no matter how hard I'm paddling, and they are shoulder-high and quite steep, so I guess I must be doing something wrong. Any advice?

Posted:
Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:14 am
by kitesurfer
Practise, timing and keep paddling! Even when you think you'ver caught the wave keep paddling at least 3-4 more strokes to make sure!
KS

Posted:
Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:38 am
by justloafing
With you going down in size (in board size) you need to be closer to where the wave breaks. Sounds like your out to far to me.

Posted:
Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:35 pm
by surferdude_scarborough
also fish shapes arent great in steep waves

Posted:
Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:57 am
by kvas
Thanks for the advice, everyone. Will go practice more.
Also I saw in other topics the advice to place the board at an angle to the incoming wave. What's the idea there, and how is it related to catching the wave, does it make it easier?

Posted:
Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:33 am
by RJD
It makes it easier and harder!
You angle the board ( a little) to avoid burying the nose and to set you up for the bottom turn, also to stop the wave pushing you too far out front before your on it/get the bottom turn in.
it makes it harder because a little of your speed isnt with the wave and the angle ha to be right or you get barreled, not in a good way either...

Posted:
Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:09 am
by kvas
Thanks RJD. I guess in my case I should first just put it straight and when I can consistently take off with the wave, I can experiment with angles, etc.

Posted:
Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:07 am
by justloafing
Also angling the board helps you from pearling (nose digging in). Good advise to take off at an angle.

Posted:
Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:07 pm
by kinggargantuan
justloafing wrote:Also angling the board helps you from pearling (nose digging in). Good advise to take off at an angle.
i've tried that angling (i'm a noob) and I don't think I did it right because i ended up getting rolled.


Posted:
Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:20 pm
by Sillysausage
lol when you angle the board its only slightly just so you miss the whitewash when you're going down the face, if you do it to much you'll get smashed
Re: Need advice on catching unbroken waves

Posted:
Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:06 am
by crepuscular
kvas wrote:Now I'm quite ok catching whitewaterish waves with it, but unbroken ones just slip under me no matter how hard I'm paddling...
kick the back as you feel the slightest descend, it will give you some extra thrust; myself find that quite useful because I know myself my paddling is only average, helps me catch a lot of waves
