Surfing Waves

I am very much a beginner and was wondering whether you could help me.

I have a 7'3 minimal and getting to the stage where I should really start trying to catch some green face waves.

However, I cant really get out back. The waves round here are mostly onshore slop things.

Being a kook, I cant really get through all the white water. Ive been told to go round, but am not sure how because the white water just carries on all down the beach.

Being new, i'm also a bit worried about the way the ocean works! When i'm outback and i cant get any waves (because I'm a rubbish surfer) I'll just drift back in shore wont I?

One of my biggest fears is just being left drifting out to sea

Thanks for all your help and advise.

duck dive the white water. drift will happen out or in depending on currents and tidal push.

You should learn to go underwaves with a duck dive, and make sure you have the stamina to paddle yourself back in if you plan to hit the outside.

keep the stoke and the stoke will keep you.

Hi mate, I've only just started and i'm on a 7'6 mini mal. I've found it real hard to duck dive my mal and i find the easiest way is just to paddle, paddle and keep paddling!

Also, wait until your in between sets before you start going out as u dont get pounded so much!

Good Luck

I went out in 6ft waves today, REALLY ROUGH, I got outback (by paddling near rocks which isn't really a great idea) and got pretty stranded. Couldn't get back in, the sea just was pulling me out. Luckily I half caught a wave (clinging to board) and got in fleshin' exhausted.

So make sure your ready, I really wasn't today.

You either need to find a rip and get put quick, time your paddle for a lul or go under the waves duckdiving which will take more time.

Either way getting out back isnt always easy, especialy at beach breaks, its not called the kook barrier for nothing.

toonraider wrote:Being new, i'm also a bit worried about the way the ocean works! When i'm outback and i cant get any waves (because I'm a rubbish surfer) I'll just drift back in shore wont I?

No. Very much no.
Sometimes - depending on wind, currents and of course waves - you'll tend to drift in. Other times you'll drift out or along.

Until you have a grasp of that, you shouldnt be going out back.

Not 'understanding' the ocean can be dodgy at best.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip_current

Watch others, learn what happens at your local breaks in different conditions.

The place you really want to avoid are those colorish part. Those are usually the rip current that sucks you in.

I've been surfing about three months on a beach break, and I had major issues getting outback. I ride an 11' behemoth on account of being a big guy, so getting out back can be especially hard. Others here are probably in a position to give better advice, but here's what I learned:

1) Even on a sandbar waves break different in different spots. Wait and look for a spot where its not breaking so much and paddle out there. This can be tough to spot at first, but take the time to look and you'll get it.

2) Work on your paddling when its flat. The stronger your paddling, the easier getting outback is. If the waves come in sets, you need to be able to haul ass and get outside in between them, and that takes training. Your feet need to be on the board or in the air so they don't drag.

3) Go out on days when the swell period is longer and its smooth, but not too big - its easier to get outback. Obviously not too many of these days though depending on where you are

4) If you can't duck-dive/turtle roll, and you just aren't gaining much ground... toss the board to the side, drag it on your ankle and SWIM outback. Before I started doing this I didn't make it out most of the time. Now I get outback every time. I did this today many times, as it was utter slop and I kept getting caught inside and having to toss the board to the side so I didn't get rickrolled.

When you're out there at first its quite strange, but you get used to it. You shouldn't really go out alone your first time, though.

But...

5) If you just started, do you really need to get outback? Catch whitewater.

LOLRuss wrote:4) If you can't duck-dive/turtle roll, and you just aren't gaining much ground... toss the board to the side, drag it on your ankle and SWIM outback. Before I started doing this I didn't make it out most of the time. Now I get outback every time.

This might be working for you, but as a rule, I dont think you should be recommending this to people. Several reasons...

- If you're swimming and dragging the board behind you, your length on a 10ft board is something like 24ft!
The guy coming down the line will never be able to avoid you.

- Even if you manage to swim through or under that big set coming in, the board will get sucked backwards. And you're going back over the falls with it (trust me, this hurts).

- You're paddling out back, into the line-up. This requires respect, both ways round. You'll never get a wave if you've labelled yourself 'kook' by swimming out back.

- The final one, and this is the biggy. If you cant get out back, you shouldnt be out back.
If you're fitness/technique/understanding isnt up to the job, then you shouldnt be out there. One day you'll be coming in by helicopter (hopefully still breathing).


So if its working for you, Im not gonna tell you different (sounds like you're bigger than me ) but I dont think you should be recommending this technique to newbies.

Swimming will never help you. Bailing your board is the worst thing you can do when paddling out - more drag - you'll end up washed inside.

Also, never rely on your leash. It's a backup. They do break, if you swim out with your board behind you it will happen one day.

I've been surfing for a long time, and the two scariest moments for me have both been down to a busted leash and long swim in on biggish days. It's bloody hard work, and if you're just learning, it will scare the crap out of you more than any wipeout.

As has already been said: NEVER BAIL YOUR BOARD!!!!!!

Speaking from experience, the most frightening thing I have ever seen while surfing is the longboarder in front of me just throwing his board away as a wave approaches. Not only can his leash snap and send a big board flying my way, but you never know which direction it will go in the turbulent whitewash.

Sure I shouldn't be paddling out immediatly behind another surfer, but sometimes you get smashed by a wave and have to. I value my teeth, and my consciousness while I'm in the water.

Instead just turtle roll. Hold on to your board like your life depends on it.

drowningbitbybit wrote:

LOLRuss wrote:4) If you can't duck-dive/turtle roll, and you just aren't gaining much ground... toss the board to the side, drag it on your ankle and SWIM outback. Before I started doing this I didn't make it out most of the time. Now I get outback every time.

This might be working for you, but as a rule, I dont think you should be recommending this to people. Several reasons...

- If you're swimming and dragging the board behind you, your length on a 10ft board is something like 24ft!
The guy coming down the line will never be able to avoid you.

- Even if you manage to swim through or under that big set coming in, the board will get sucked backwards. And you're going back over the falls with it (trust me, this hurts).

- You're paddling out back, into the line-up. This requires respect, both ways round. You'll never get a wave if you've labelled yourself 'kook' by swimming out back.

- The final one, and this is the biggy. If you cant get out back, you shouldnt be out back.
If you're fitness/technique/understanding isnt up to the job, then you shouldnt be out there. One day you'll be coming in by helicopter (hopefully still breathing).

So if its working for you, Im not gonna tell you different (sounds like you're bigger than me ) but I dont think you should be recommending this technique to newbies.

I see what you're saying.

However, as a beginner on a longboard, you shouldn't be surfing in a crowded lineup anyway - thats just a given, yeah? Personally though, I CAN paddle out on a smaller board. But on the 11' one, if the swell period is short (like 6 seconds), even the very experienced surfers I occasionally go out with aren't going to be able to get outback. The board is a boat. With a bouyant board, and 10 waves a minute... you aren't getting outback on a beach break 7 miles wide unless you swim. I see what you mean though, about noobies as everyone isn't in this situation.

I don't think going over the falls is an issue - yes the board pulls you back, but no thats never happened to me. But then I don't go out if its over 5-6 feet. Neither should he, for that matter. And yes, its a lot harder to pull me back than most people.

Advice withdrawn!

Okay guys I'm going to jump in on this one, just because I've just been thru exactly what you are talking about. First I'm 46 years old and a 200lb body builder type. Not exactly ideal surfer material second I surf in Ft. Lauderdale Fl. The only thing we get here this time of year (short of a storm) is wind swell with the wind blowing 15-20 kts. The surf is POOP, but it's what we have. It's choppy, bumpy and no nice patterens. I surf a 9'2" Hobie Fusion which is a boat as well. You really can't duck dive it properly and the waves are too close together to turtle roll. By the time I was getting out back I was beat. So I took a surf lesson from a local legend Kali "The Big Kahuna" .
Here's what I learned
1.No matter how messed up the water looks there is patterens and lulls. You have to watch the water,study it , and look for the best area to paddle out.
2. Walk your board out as far as you can pulling it by the nose. When a wave comes, duck forward into it holding on to your board.
3) Once on the board paddle with a trimmed board, even thou you may not be able to properly duck dive a long board for most of the smaller waves you can still attempt a duck dive and even thou you don't go completely under it is still effective in getting thru.
4) conditioning, train!!! I posted some training tips before that you might want to read. Bottom line is you have to get into surfing shape. The more time on the board the better, when not on the board try training other ways.
5) safety, and I'm not so sure this shouldn't be #1 if you are not a great swimmer do like I do I wear a Hyperlite ski vest. I never worry about drowning, if my leash breaks and at some point it will, I know that if I do get caught, I can stay afloat. "Live to surf another Day"
6) Never let go of your board or try to swim pulling your board. Not only is it not cool to other surfers theres just too many things wrong with doing this.

I went out Mon. for the first time in a month and my training during this time certainly helped I was able to get out back in attempts to catch some choppy mush. Even after my layoff due to no waves my paddling was not bad. There's no short cuts, I've looked and I tryed, we all have to pay our dues. Good luck and I hope this helps

I say don't bail the board or drag it across unless there is nobody near and it is safe to do so.

If you're bailing the board and dragging it across all the time, I suggest you downgrade to a shortboard or learn how to turte roll or duck dive

pkbum wrote:I say don't bail the board or drag it across unless there is nobody near and it is safe to do so.

If you're bailing the board and dragging it across all the time, I suggest you downgrade to a shortboard or learn how to turte roll or duck dive

You can't much dive an 11' board, and if you're turtle rolling every 6 seconds, you might as well swim. It just makes it easier to get through that last spot where the waves break, if you don't have the luxury of sets or a long swell period - much of the time in Florida. I don't do it as much now, as I surf fewer crap days, but if I hadn't done this I would have given up in frustration.

just an idea so please tell me if its wrong, what about swimming under the white whater holding the rail saver, it should mean you have controll of your board

joem wrote:just an idea so please tell me if its wrong, what about swimming under the white whater holding the rail saver, it should mean you have controll of your board

Don't do it. I have a completely non functioning bent finger from doing that! It wrapped around my finger, and bent it all the way so it was flush to the back of my hand, and snapped the middle joint. Makes it bloody hard to hang on to a pint of lager after a few too many. And it hurt.

Just hold on to your board. It's really not that hard once you work it out and get the hang of it.

cool i was just wondering, i can duckdive well sorta so i dont need to worry about it

Just to chime in what everyone else has said.. if you can't make it through the conditions, you shouldn't be out.

Don't ditch your board - you're a danger to everyone else out there if you do.