Surfing Waves

Had my surf day out on the waves today, really enjoyed it. Was on my dads mates 6' 9" board, and an old wetsuit of his.
The waves wern't amazing, but was really good getting a feel for the waves taking my board, and paddling.
Didn't manage to stand, but I didn't expect to on the first go, although I got to my knees.

I did have a bit of difficulty balancing on the board whilst paddling though, I'm not sure if it was my stance on the board, or just my lack of experience. Is there anything I can do to help my balance?

longer and wider boards are much easier to paddle, but i'm no expert

im looking at getting a "starter kit" from bic with a 7.3 ft board, westsuit and the accessories.

hopefully this longer minimal will be easier to paddle on:)

Whats your age, weigth, height?

Stability comes from balance, foot psoition and speed, and float.

Having a larger longer board helps an awfull lot to start out.

18, 12st 11 (I am cycling back and forth from work and running so thats going down by the week) and im 5' 11"

i dont know how far to position my body up the board, and my paddling doesnt seem to get me anywhere.

Ryan_Plugs wrote:18, 12st 11 (I am cycling back and forth from work and running so thats going down by the week) and im 5' 11"

i dont know how far to position my body up the board, and my paddling doesnt seem to get me anywhere.

I strongly recomend getting a much bigger board as others have said. I also reccomend that you dont fall into the trap of going to your knees this can turn into a nasty habbit that will hold you back much more than do any good

Position is also a key aspect of surfing you will know when you are not positioned correctly because if you are too far forward the board will likely perl. Too far back and the wave will pass you by. so you need to find a happy intermediate This also applies to paddling as incorrect board position will likely mean you are just not gonna get anywhere

Welcome to surfing

First thing as stated above NO KNEES A terrible habit.
Also I would think longer wider and a thicker board for you. It may not be what you want or end up with but it sure will make learning easier and more enjoyable

I believe I have a terrible habit of gonig on my knees, is their anyway to correct it or do I justy ignore it like the rest of my bad habits (drinking alot, swearing alot, lol)

Jc wrote:I believe I have a terrible habit of gonig on my knees, is their anyway to correct it or do I justy ignore it like the rest of my bad habits (drinking alot, swearing alot, lol)

Just make a concerted effort to stop going to the knees. The reason is not so apparant when you are catching whitewater but on a green wave you lose a lot of time and momentum and makes it almost impossible initiate a any kind of bottom turn. Next time you go surfing just make a point of not going to the knees. You ight feel like you have taken a few steps back. But in the long run you will be very glad you did

Jc wrote:I believe I have a terrible habit of gonig on my knees, is their anyway to correct it or do I justy ignore it like the rest of my bad habits (drinking alot, swearing alot, lol)

Definitely get out of that habit. I know you have a lot going on in the mind when your taking off but when you first start paddling think to yourself "No Knees No Knees" Practice pop ups on the floor.

If its just one knee down because your having trouble with getting your 2nd foot into proper place for balance is not so bad but if your going straight onto both knees, that is a bad problem as you aren't even doing the motion of the pop-up correctly.

Here's my suggestion (alot are repetitive with others)

-Longer, wider board and make sure you go out on a small wave day your 1st several sessions until you can popup consistently and catch waves (don't go out if waves are over 3-4 ft. if that is possible).

- Stay away from the lineup of the more experienced surfers so you are not in their way. Also so you can practice with piece of mind, without feeling self-conscious or embarrassed in front of a larger crowd. You want surfing to be fun and enjoyable and even learning should be that way. Just grab your board and go out and have fun on it. Don't worry about what others might think about how your technique looks (much easier said than done if you can stay away from a crowd of other surfers) Make sure you have a buddy or someone with you though for safety purposes.

- As others mentioned try to go straight to your feet on the pop-up and don't worry about not getting your feet in the right spot and falling over instantly. Master that step and "surfing" will come in due time, just be patient.

- Stay inside some and paddle in for as many waves as you can. You need alot of practice and tons of repetition, perfect wave selection should not be you're main objectives as a beginner. Trying to catch broken waves and white water is even fine until you get the popup thing figured out. Sitting out back and only choosing a couple of waves in an hour session (like a more veteran surfer may do) will make your learning curve significantly longer so stay inside and catch as many small waves as frequently as your paddling endurance will allow you to.

Enjoy!

As for body position while paddling, you need to position yourself so the nose of your board is an inch or so clear of the water. If it's more than 2 inches clear, you're probably too far back, and the board is angling upward creating a lot of drag while paddling. Make sure you're lying on the center line and are straight. If not, the board will feel unsteady and not go where you want.