Surfing Waves

Hi,

Another question from me. I am still riding a 7'6'' minimal and have recently been focussing on the position of my feet (shuffling forward and backwards). I noticed you can get back into a wave which has almost passed below you by walking to the nose of the board. Thing is, I think that since then I have started to move too much towards the front of the board.

I usually have one foot about 40-50 cm from the back of the board and the other just below the logo (40-50 cm from the nose). Is that too much weight on the front? I notice the board going under at times, especially when I am turning.

Another reason I am asking is that I see other people with the backfoot right above the fins. Some surfers even seem to lift 3/4 of the (long)board out of the wave as they are riding towards the beach, with only the back part of the board actually touching water. Does this help you catch steep waves?

I hope this makes sense to anyone...

heres a quick run down of based on what i think you are talking about

1 - legs spread far apart gives better stability but less turning capability what you dont want is the ballerina position with legs tight as that not only makes you unbalanced and impossible to turn - stand in a fighting position that is comfortable and provides maximum maneverability - thats what you want to mimic

2 - too far up on the board will allow you to get into a wave easier but makes it very dificult to turn. too far back and the wave will pass you by (this dont apply to shortboards as you usually use a tail pad which gives you back foot position from the get go.

3 - keep in mind that you dont always maintain the same position. Different sections of the wave or when lining up for a maneuver often requires a slight adjustement.

4 - Everyone has a different stance if you feel comfortable then its the right one for your specific body structure.

5 - dont over anaylyze get out the n surf till you drop everything will get weeded out and come naturally the more you progress and the more experience you gain.

Hope it helps

shuffling back and forth on the board is how to maximize the board's riding capacity. however, you need to use the tail to turn. you do this by placing weight on the tail of the board with your rear foot and pivoting with the tail. i was watching a fairly small girl stand up paddle surfing the other day and this is the technique she was using to turn her board around to catch waves. very impressive.

one solution to being too far back or too far forward on your board is to ride something smaller. then you can't get too far away from the sweet spot or the pivot point on your board.

Wait! You place your feet on the board?

It's all about shifting weight around to maximize the potential of the wave. Some longboarders ride way back on their boards, they usually do lots of turning and off the lip stuff, others ride centered and some nose ride. I try to do what will work best on the individual wave. Shortboard or longboard, it's all about maximizing the potential of each ride.

Ever did karate or any other martial art? Use your normal stance (the one you are standing quite relaxed in, not any fancy stance, the one you will use in sparring.)