Surfing Waves

How can I improve my backside skills? Lack of speed?

practise. i read a thing on surfline or somewhere saying to try to angle your feet at like a 45* angle to the stringer, rather than 90*. stand on a line on your floor with your feet perpendicular to the line, and try to turn and look like you'd be looking down the line on a wave. so if you're regular footed, look over your left shoulder. then turn your feet slightly to the left, if regular. then try it. it does make a little bit of a difference, but other than that, just practise. i just go out when it's kind of poopy and try to go left as much as possible, so i can get the feel and hang of it better before trying to on macking, hollow, big stuff and then getting worked

This will seem like strange advice, but try grabbing the rail on the drop like the pro's do. It's not that you are trying to copy them, but it will make you more stable and cut more into the wave, thus ride the wave higher and give you more options after the drop. I'm not a begginer, and I know it sounds weird, but just try it a few times, it will train your body and feet where to be