Surfing Waves

hi-

I just got out of the water, after being slamed around, and mostly skunked (two rides) No, I am not a beginner, I started surfing 30 years ago, however I have taken years off, and never been able to go more than a few times a month.

I am stricky a longboarder (9'6"), I have a 8' pintail too, but haven't tried it in many years. Also, I have spent very little time surfing in the winter.

Since I started winter surfing again, last year, I have been unable to pop up. I feel like I am glued to the board! In any conditions. I realize I should be snapping up, not crawling, but in most waves I stall getting up.

I also just started (last year) paddling prone, after knee paddling for years(easier on the back). I just can't get up enough speed knee paddling. So I am sure that contributes to the problem, but I think its all in my head...AKA FEAR

bEEN practicing tons of dry land pop ups, no problem, I just get in the water and freeze up.

ANY IDEAS??? SUGESTIONS?? For someone who gets limited time in the surf?

Thanks
tomboy

you could try yoga, havnt done it myself but alot of surfers say that it helps them alot. popping up, i shortboard but seen alot of longboarders and how they pop up, get into a press up then bring your front foot up to where your chest is, then let go of the board with your hands and stand up. hope this helps

Try angling your take off. In other words don't paddel strait when taking off on the wave rather paddel in the direction you want to go. This will make the drop much easier. Good luck

Hmmm, all the answers are about technique, while I think the question is about psychology ie fear and how to get over it.
Obviously a good technique helps but if she's freezing up and not even attempting to pop up then technique isnt the issue yet.

So the obvious answer - start again on smaller waves.

And dont look at the wave. Obviously look at it enough that you know what its going to do and where you're going to need to be, but at the critical moment get your head down and paddle hard, forward. Forget about the towering mass of water behind you

Oh, and you mentioned winter. I find that all confidence is immediately sapped away from me the moment Im chilly, so make sure you're warm enough.



This advice was brought to you by a BigWaveCoward who knows exactly what its like to freeze up when looking down the drop

Fear? learn to snowboard, getting hammered by a wave compares favorably to getting hammered by a mountain.

sounds like you might be psyching yourself out before you take off. maybe start off again on small, soft, slow waves. take off early so you have more time to pop to your feet. after you successfully get to your feet in a timely manner once, twice, and then more consistently you'll be more confident in your take off ability and it won't be an issue any longer.

My tech. for getting over this is pretty simple. I just stop thinking, clear your mind. Sounds very zen and all but thinking slows you down. Your body already knows what it needs to do you just need to learn to let muscle memory take over and let it do it's thing. You'll get much quicker and much more fluid when you take the thinking part out of the equation. Hope this helps.

RJD wrote:Fear? learn to snowboard, getting hammered by a wave compares favorably to getting hammered by a mountain.

Fear to me is having the back end of my motorbike letting go at 140mph on a race track !!

drowningbitbybit has it right, its all about fear. And re-learning, not only iin bigger waves, but pop ups from a prone position. I got in the habit of knee paddling, and it only works in the super small waves, at least for me.
too hard to gain enough speed.

Unfortunately, I have so little time in the water, and so much time between sessions,(months?), the learning curve can be slow, and its easy to fall back on old habits. Hope to get out in the next few days...back to the drawing board!

Thanks for all the advice

drowningbitbybit wrote:Hmmm, all the answers are about technique, while I think the question is about psychology ie fear and how to get over it.
Obviously a good technique helps but if she's freezing up and not even attempting to pop up then technique isnt the issue yet.

So the obvious answer - start again on smaller waves.

And dont look at the wave. Obviously look at it enough that you know what its going to do and where you're going to need to be, but at the critical moment get your head down and paddle hard, forward. Forget about the towering mass of water behind you

Oh, and you mentioned winter. I find that all confidence is immediately sapped away from me the moment Im chilly, so make sure you're warm enough.



This advice was brought to you by a BigWaveCoward who knows exactly what its like to freeze up when looking down the drop

this is great advice. you gotta forget about it. cause once you pop up its not nearly as scary as you thought it was.. only difference between an overhead, or double over head once your on it is......the insane sound behind you, and the feeling of a huge rush... oh ya and some physical things change too.. but we will get into that later.

also brought to you by a big wave coward.