Catching Whitewater?

[LOLRuss]

I am new to this, woefully out of shape (working on it) and get exhausted making it out to the lineup. Part of this is bonehead moves like forgetting to buckle my leash today (woops!), and totally misjudging where to paddle out at and winding up right in front of where the waves break.

I keep reading here at first not to try to catch the waves as they break, but to catch whitewater. But... how? Just like normal? The whitewater doesn't last very long. Didn't today, anyway.

I've been thinking about going out every day for the next couple weeks and just paddling up and down the beach in between the sandbar and beach break - that way I stay out of people's way, and get my shoulders in shape.

Today was my first day out on the 11' board I just got, and the accomplishment of the day was that I didn't drown I worked on my paddling, tried to sit on the board, etc.

[isaluteyou]

walk out to just befor the waves break. When wave breaks turn to shore and let the whitewater take you. Then pop up.

Do that a few times until you can reliably stand up then move on to the lineup.

The whitewater is intedned to help you find balance and to get used to the feel of the board/water.

Always good to paddle around to keep fit and work on technique

[LOLRuss]

Thanks. Ok, so its not gonna wash over me. Kinda thought it would.

[Otter]

On occasion it might, but only if it's a fairly large wave. isaluteyou is giving xlnt advice for you as a beginner. You don't want to get a rep as a kook at your local break, it can hang over you like a cloud for years. Try and stay out of the way of more experienced surfers, while watching what they do, then to some extent imitate it.

Any paddling is good paddling. Find out what position you need to be in on your board to get the most speed per stroke. The nose of the board should plane over the surface of the water in glassy conditions. If your nose is up out of the water, reposition your body until you find the sweet spot, equilibrium.

[ANZAC]

Definately paddle out wide from the break and sit wide. Just get your fitness up.
You should be able to creep in from the outside and catch a couple just off the shoulder from where the better surfers are riding.
If your catching whitewash it will develope you stand-up technique until your competant enough to start surfing the face.

Isaluteyou is 'on the money" with his advice..

[LOLRuss]

Thanks, guys. Yes, the last thing I want to do is get in people's way, and I think I kinda did today. Going out again in the morning, hope this swell is left over.

[Otter]

Hey LOLRuss,
Shouldn't you see a dentist?

Hehehe, I love Walruses... ever since Alice in Wonderland. Have a nice day.

[LOLRuss]

Its my next tattoo, to go on the opposite shoulder from lame-o-saurus.



It will be a walrus 'LOL'ing, kinda like this one:



Also feel that I resemble a walruss in my wetsuit

[brummie]

have you thought about having a lesson first? or watch the other guys and girls to see what they are doing and try and imitate their actions.
Different things work for different people...

[LOLRuss]

I had 3 lessons in Hawaii, and yeah I've been thinking about a lesson but I wanted to get some time in first getting used to the new board. Also short on funds at the moment. The waves here are different than there.

I went out yesterday even though there was nothing ridable breaking (like 1' waves), and I got used to the new board. It was much easier to paddle and sit without rough conditions. Also, I think I was overheating in the wetsuit which was - right now if its warm out, its not necessary for me to wear one.

[LOLRuss]

I still can't get in position/get my arse moving fast enough to catch in the blue. I catch whitewater, but lately the whitewater is big enough that it ends up eating me and tossing me off my 11' board, or it doesn't have enough push so its all over. When I try to catch near the lineup, they usually break on me which is... kinda fun, actually, but not the desired result

Its a little frustrating, as I feel like I would be progressing faster if I had the chance to TRY to get up more, if I could catch more waves. But I just can't get into anything that doesn't break on me, and most of what has broken doesn't carry too far - my popup is slow.

Anyway, I know this isn't a quick learn, especially for someone my size but damn, its frustrating! Lots of days I don't catch anything. I'm starting to think I just don't have the raw power to push myself into a wave. People tell me I should be able to catch certain waves early on my big board, but I just can't. I guess it just takes more time, more paddling, more power? My endurance is getting up, so its its not too rough I can make it out to the lineup repeatedly but... its not always clear where that is, for me. Where I should be. I can't catch waves in the same spot as the others can. They pass me by.

Should I start working shoulders/back with weights? Get some raw strength? Or is about a month of surfing just not enough to get my upper body in shape enough? I'm still sore all the time, but making big improvements on conditioning.

Anyway, had a frustrating day where I didn't catch anything that didn't toss me, and didn't get to try to pop up. So looking for tips. I'll do anything that will help.

The good news is that I'm getting a lot more stable paddling the board, move faster, etc. and I'm getting more confident in the water.

[smallwavegrovellerchick]

Although your board is big enough that you should be able to catch the waves early, as a beginner it's difficult to see the waves early. This is why most beginners start off by catching white water. The trouble with white water take offs is that white water is more turbulent than a clean open face. At some spots the white water just doesn't have enough power to push your board and at other spots you just get blasted and overpowered by white water. Therefore what works at one spot doesn't necessarily work at another.

I'm assuming you learned how to surf in Waikiki at Canoes which is an excellent wave to learn on. Now you're probably surfing beach break which is an entirely different type of break and should be approached differently than the waves you surfed in HI. How is the crowd factor at your break? You might be able to get pointer from local surfers who can recommend where to sit.

Try not to get frustrated as surfing ISN'T easy. It takes years to become a proficient surfer. Spend as much time in the water as you can. The more time you spend paddling, the better your strength and endurance will become. You'll also gain more ocean knowledge which is fundamental to surfing. Aloha and good luck!

[LOLRuss]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I first learned at Waikiki (I think at Canoes - it was the inside break they use for lessons), and I've been surfing a beach break for a month. I try to go out at low tide to catch the outside break at the sandbar, as the inside can be quite shallow, but thats not always possible.

Okay, so it sounds like the issues I am having with whitewater are normal. I'll keep up the work. If I'm continuously sore I must be getting stronger, right? That and experience should get me into some unbroken waves eventually.

There are usually a few people out, depending on the time of day. Lots of them surf the inside/shore break when its shallow which would break my neck. With the outside/sandbar break, the issue I have is that sometimes I can't make it to the outside break lineup - I get hit by wave after wave when I try, and I can't really duck my longboard or turtle roll it every 5 seconds. Need to work on this. If its low tide its pretty easy to get on my feet on the sandbar and just jump over the waves if they aren't too big, to make it back to the lineup more quickly. But I stand up so slow when I do get up, that the wave is broken by the time I do so... so I figure I need more whitewater experience until my popup is quick. Just wish it was easier to catch! So often the white water lasts only a few seconds at the outside break, or blows past me even though I paddle.

[pkbum]

Although your board is big enough that you should be able to catch the waves early, as a beginner it's difficult to see the waves early. This is why most beginners start off by catching white water. The trouble with white water take offs is that white water is more turbulent than a clean open face. At some spots the white water just doesn't have enough power to push your board and at other spots you just get blasted and overpowered by white water. Therefore what works at one spot doesn't necessarily work at another.

I'm assuming you learned how to surf in Waikiki at Canoes which is an excellent wave to learn on. Now you're probably surfing beach break which is an entirely different type of break and should be approached differently than the waves you surfed in HI. How is the crowd factor at your break? You might be able to get pointer from local surfers who can recommend where to sit.

Try not to get frustrated as surfing ISN'T easy. It takes years to become a proficient surfer. Spend as much time in the water as you can. The more time you spend paddling, the better your strength and endurance will become. You'll also gain more ocean knowledge which is fundamental to surfing. Aloha and good luck!

Wow couldn't explain any better than this.

[LOLRuss]

I managed to duck dive my 11' longboard today! Once. Got the nose down, and hugged the board when the wave hit me. You really don't have to go deep for it to work! Of course, I almost fell off while the nose was sunk on the other side of the wave but... this is something I can learn to do, me thinks.

[LOLRuss]

As a follow up - on days when there are 2-3 foot waves, at a period of 5-6 seconds... I can't make it out to the lineup. I get washed in over and over. I don't even think duck diving matters. I just can't make enough progress to beat the waves. Whitewater after whitewater hits me, there is no channel and every wave is a closeout.

Is that... normal, or am I still way out of shape?

[drowningbitbybit]

You really don't have to go deep for it to work!

Thats not really a duck dive then, more of a duck dip

[drowningbitbybit]

As a follow up - on days when there are 2-3 foot waves, at a period of 5-6 seconds... I can't make it out to the lineup. I get washed in over and over. I don't even think duck diving matters. I just can't make enough progress to beat the waves. Whitewater after whitewater hits me, there is no channel and every wave is a closeout.

Is that... normal, or am I still way out of shape?

At 5-6secs, thats pretty terminal whitewater so a) you'll struggle to get out b) why would you want to?

One of the all important things about getting out back, particularly in tricky conditions, is route.

you'll never get anywhere trying to paddle through the impact zone if the period is short. So the best way is to use a rip to get out and then paddle across, or from a sheltered region to a point behind the line up and then paddle to it.

At the very least, look for a point between peaks where you've got a chance to get out.

But if its 3ft at 5s, then you might just have to admit that today wasnt the day for it

[LOLRuss]

The waves tend to break all along the shore, so if its like that... I guess at where its breaking less, but its just a guess: the conditions are so dynamic it changes every minute. I can't really spot rips in chaos like that.

Why would I want to? Because they're the only waves I've got. If I could get out, I could ride em. I'm still getting my popup down in whitewater, so I'm not picky.

But yeah, I can't usually get out when its like this. Sometimes I see other people out like this, and they manage. But they usually know what they are doing. I figure in the least, that its a good workout.

Thanks for letting me know my frustration on a day like today is normal

[LOLRuss]

You really don't have to go deep for it to work!

Thats not really a duck dive then, more of a duck dip

I believe a duck dip is all I'm gonna get on this big board with my busted elbows