What side to take?

[LucasG]

I have now started going to surf quiet often (this is my first 2 weeks), the waves aren't huge but are decent. I am having kind of a problem, once I get the waves, I stand up but they break on me, kind of like I don't turn to the side I would say. Even thought I do aim it to go to a side and can move the board, the thing is, whenever I stand up, pretty much right there the wave is breaking on my back and most of the time it just wipes me out. Is there any type of specific thing you should look for when catchign a wave and seeing to what side to turn in order to move towards the non-broken part of the wave?

Comments, suggestions, everything is welcome!

Thanks!

[isaluteyou]

usually ive made my 1st choice before i have even started paddling. I will make final judjement just before im gonna commit to a wave. Generally it all depends on where you are positioned in the wave taking off on a shoulder is a no brainer. For a peak wave i look at the very tops and try to spot any whitecaps or look further down the line to see the bend of the wave and what its doing. Its really handy if you know the beach. I know of several spots that basically only really break left so when i surf them i generally will always go left. Visa versa for right breaks. Peak waves are anyones guess use your best judgement.

Without waffling for a few pages the trick lies with wave knowledge/choice something you learn as you get more experienced. So just get out the surf observe and it will come

[the.ronin]

... the trick lies with wave knowledge/choice something you learn as you get more experienced. So just get out the surf observe and it will come

That about sums it up right there. I stretch before going out just as much to keep from getting sore as to watch where, when and how the waves are breaking.

Don't just assume that because a spot is a "left", you can never go right. Backdoors can provide screamer rides and bigger days can wake up the boneyards.


[edit] Not sure if those terms are used anymore but growing up we called breaks going against the grain "backdoors" and "boneyards" were the other side of point breaks most people dont surf (usually too rocky).

[isaluteyou]

[edit] Not sure if those terms are used anymore but growing up we called breaks going against the grain "backdoors" and "boneyards" were the other side of point breaks most people dont surf (usually too rocky).

ya thats just like the left reef by my front door the rights take you waaay to close to rocks. but on a huge day it can be an amazing ride. I call them phantoms

[Thibb]

Whenever I stand up, pretty much right there the wave is breaking on my back and most of the time it just wipes me out. Is there any type of specific thing you should look for when catching a wave and seeing to what side to turn in order to move towards the non-broken part of the wave?

Sounds like the problem is not so much about deciding which way to go, but about where to start. If you are surfing dumping waves, like you seem to be suggesting when you say they break on your back, then you need to consider if they are dumping along the entire length at once (closing-out) or if there is a part that breaks before the rest.

If it is a close-out, there is not much you can do except try to get up sooner and surf for a couple of seconds before it breaks. If you see it breaking at a certain point before it breaks anywhere else, then try not to take off right there. Either move over just a little bit and try to ride the shoulder and surf away from the breaking part, or just move down the beach to an entirely different spot where the wave is breaking less quickly (away from the sandbank).

[LucasG]

Whenever I stand up, pretty much right there the wave is breaking on my back and most of the time it just wipes me out. Is there any type of specific thing you should look for when catching a wave and seeing to what side to turn in order to move towards the non-broken part of the wave?

Sounds like the problem is not so much about deciding which way to go, but about where to start. If you are surfing dumping waves, like you seem to be suggesting when you say they break on your back, then you need to consider if they are dumping along the entire length at once (closing-out) or if there is a part that breaks before the rest.

If it is a close-out, there is not much you can do except try to get up sooner and surf for a couple of seconds before it breaks. If you see it breaking at a certain point before it breaks anywhere else, then try not to take off right there. Either move over just a little bit and try to ride the shoulder and surf away from the breaking part, or just move down the beach to an entirely different spot where the wave is breaking less quickly (away from the sandbank).

That's exactly what I have been thinking today. I think I am taking the waves in spots where they break even and taking them way too close to the beach where they quickly break. I am going to try taking a longer look at the beach, choose a better spot and try to see how the waves break to get the corners where they actually last and break to the side.

Thanks for all the great suggestions, it really helps out clear thoughts and keep trying different ways.