Surfing Waves

I encountered a new kind of problem today: really steep waves. At least that's what it felt like. The waves were pretty big by my standards (I'd say about four foot) and were easy to paddle into. However, as soon as I tried to stand up, my board would just rush off the wave, much faster than I could find my balance. This was new to me, I usually do pretty well on this size of waves.

Any way, the whole thing kept ending up with my board flying away from under me, while I just free fell off the top of the wave, hit the water (which felt more like hitting the asphalt), and then went under while the wave crashed on top of me. If anyone has any advice, I would sure appreciate it.

And while I'm at it: I also have a small follow-up question. I keep reading that I am never allowed to let go of my board (a minimal), that I have to hang on under all circumstances. Today I was trying, but I just couldn't hold on when the wave crashed on top of me. The board would fly off backwards, I got nasty looks from the people behind me, and I now have severely sore arms from clutching to the board. What am I doing wrong?

When waves jack up steep and fast, you need to stand up faster. Try practicing standing up as fast as you can while still keeping your balance. And when it is steep you need to keep your your weight more forward. Try keeping low and "pushing" your weight onto your forward foot when you stand up, this will have you leaning into the angle of the wave and you will be better balanced to make the drop.

Also, you might try catching the wave a little further out where it isn't jacking straight up. Start a little further out and see if you can catch anything, if you can't, start moving in until you do. Even just an extra foot might make the difference.

Sounds to me that you may be standing to far back on your board when you stand up. If you stand more toward the middle of your board when you pop up that should help to resolve the issue of the board shooting out from under you. Another thing to do is to not catch the wave paddling straight toward shore. Instead paddle at an angle in the direction you want to go on the wave. This will make your drop in not so steep and will give you a head start in going across the face once you get up. So far as grabbing your board every time you fall, this is not always going to be possible. Considering you are still learning the other people in the water should be giving you extra space anyways. Try your best to keep your board under control but realise that you won't always be able to.

maybe put more pressure on your front foot whilst you go down the wave.

Learn to turtel duck, and put some wax where you grab the board.
And btw, lean a bit forward and catch it a bit farther from the breaking point.

I am also starting to think that the getting up earlier may be the clue. I noticed that I often get catapulted by the lip, suggesting that I am indeed too late. Not too sure about putting the weight on the front foot yet, I'll try if I ever get up... Right now waves mostly pass me by as I try to get to my feet earlier, thereby missing the descent completely and just getting left behind.

I'll try turtling under the breaking wave, should I get caught, but I have to admit I dread the consequences...

it's not always getting up earlier its just needing to get up faster. make sure you catch the wave before standing, you can feel the board speed up a little, and give it one last stroke before attempting to stand

I wouldn't worry about people behind you when you are paddling out. If the board gets knock out your hands there is nothing you can do about it. Anyone who is so close behind you that they may get hit should be more aware of other surfers of all levels and give space.

Just don't let go of it on purpose unless you know there is no one close behind.

i try not to stay too close behind anyone no mater what their level. you never know what could happen

as for the take off....make sure you are set up to catch the wave early....late drops are much harder to pull....i also agree you are prolly to far back or standing up to straight...keep weight low and forward knees bent ready to pump out of the bottom turn. mostly don't go for waves that you can barley catch...wait till you are positioned better on the next one.


as for lettin go of ur board.....don't. practice ur duck dive...get ur weight forward and use the momentum of your paddle to help the dive start. You should be able to duck in all conditions....it is a right of passage...focus on this more than alll else at this stage....it will get you out faster and you will in turn catch more waves....go out even when it is flat and practice submerging and scooping under the water.

Sillysausage wrote:i try not to stay too close behind anyone no mater what their level. you never know what could happen

Yea, this one surfer who was one of the best there was out on her minimal, and as a breaking wave approtched she ditched her board, instead of turtling, and beleave me, that hurt.

One day , at band camp...

When waves jack up steep and fast, you need to stand up faster. Try practicing standing up as fast as you can while still keeping your balance. And when it is steep you need to keep your your weight more forward. Try keeping low and "pushing" your weight onto your forward foot when you stand up, this will have you leaning into the angle of the wave and you will be better balanced to make the drop.

Ten weeks later and I still can't do it. Progressed a lot in the +/- 50 surfs in between. On days with slow crumbling waves, I am now catching pretty much all of them, making my bottom turn and going back up the face if the wave doesn't close out. I can trim along the face and turn up and off the wave, riding it as far as it goes. Feeling pretty good about it too!

But then comes a day with faster waves and I can't do anything. 7 times out of 10 I get launched off the board before I even have a chance to get up, resulting in both of us flying forward in horizontal position. The remaining times I will get up and find the board gliding away from under me as soon as I put my weight on my feet. This results in the board flying off and me free falling off the wave into the water below.

I'm stuck! It's so annoying, especially because on other days I go so well. I'm pretty sure it's just something completely wrong in what I do, otherwise the results would not vary so much (no problems at all, no waves at all).

Does anyone have any last advice before I fork over cash to a private instructor to get me out of this dead end? Would it help if I had a smaller board? Does angling the board when taking off make a really big difference (I'm not really good at that so I go pretty much straight down most of the time).

The only thing that I have found to work sometimes is to stand all the way back on my board (7'6'') and lift the entire front out of the water and slide down the wave with just the back of the board touching water. It's a pretty hard balancing act, but at least it keeps the board horizontal.

Any advice appreciated, after which I promise never to ask any questions about this again...

Thibb wrote:Any advice appreciated, after which I promise never to ask any questions about this again...

So, anyway, Im a complete twat on steep waves, but I am surfing some seriously steep waves these days and I know what I should be doing...

Dunno about getting an instructor - I had an 'intermediate lesson' once, and it didnt really give me any more than I could have learnt from a book or a DVD. But up to you.

As for trying steep waves on a 7'6 - if they really are proper, steep waves then yes you might have some better luck on a shorterboard. A learner mini-mal doesnt have the rocker to make a steep drop, and the tail/fin set-up usually means it wont hold a face very stably.

The fact that it works when you're on the very tail of the board means that either you need to be thinking about a shorter board, or that standing on the tail of the board is in fact the way to go.

And angling the board will help a lot - not angled so much that you get pitched sideways over the falls, but enough that you keep in front of the entirely horizontal face. And catch that wave early

Have you tried "arching" your back? Sounds like you are using whitewash in wedgy mushburgers, to get up. When the wave approaches, angle your board 45 degrees toward the shore. When you are in transition of standing up, lean your weight forward, but arch yopur back, so your weight will be about 60 percent forward and 40 percent backward. Then get up as fast as possible.

Surfing steep waves requires the following things

Position, Timing, right board, and being aware

Position = If you are not positioned in the right spot the wave will just crunch you. So you need to find the right position that allows you to make the wave.

Timing = Timing your popup and getting to your feet quickly are a must. Slow pop-ups will cause you to eat sand.

Right board = A board with more of a rocker is really handy in this situation. Boards like fishes are no good nor are the majority of minimals (how longboarders manage it beats me )

Being Aware = anticipating the movement of the wave. This also means making a judgement call on which waves to take as you have almost no room for error.

In short its all down to experience

isaluteyou wrote:Surfing steep waves requires the following things

Position, Timing, right board, and being aware

Position = If you are not positioned in the right spot the wave will just crunch you. So you need to find the right position that allows you to make the wave.

Timing = Timing your popup and getting to your feet quickly are a must. Slow pop-ups will cause you to eat sand.

Right board = A board with more of a rocker is really handy in this situation. Boards like fishes are no good nor are the majority of minimals (how longboarders manage it beats me )

Being Aware = anticipating the movement of the wave. This also means making a judgement call on which waves to take as you have almost no room for error.

In short its all down to experience

Yea, I have no Idea how they do it, I once saw a longboarder out in 1 1/2 overhead conditions, doing floaters, off the lips, and everything exept airs. I am sure this dude is sponsored by somebody.