Surfing Waves

Hi Everyone

I was wondering whether you advise on how I can move my surfing on to the next level.

A little about me. I am 5'3 and about 115lbs (8.5st) and "surf" at a local gently sloping beach break which on an average day is about 3ft with cross/onshore.

I've been surfing a little over a year (surfing once/twice a week)on a 7'3x20.5x2 3/8 minimal. Well, I can now catch the white water and stand easily. I guess the next part is catching green faces.

Heres where the problem is. I cant actually get to where the green faces are because I can not get past the breaking waves. Basically there are hardly any lulls and the period which the white water comes in as about 5 seconds. I dont want to use the rip to get out as i dont think i'll be comfortable with it quite just yet,

Being so light and short I can not duck dive my 7'3board (i can barely sink the nose even If I sit on the nose of the board!) same sort of problem with turtle rolling, I dont think i have enough weight to control the board whilst underwater.

I've been thinking alot and was wondering, do I just need more practise or is the board too big for me now?

I've heard a lot of groms learn on 6'4s (and shorter). As i''m am so short and light and acutally fit In grom wetsuits, I was wondering, should I ditch the 7'3 and go shorter, thinner etc so I can actually start learning/practising duck diving etc. My mate said think about a 6'6x20.5x2.5 or I should I just keep trying on the minimal?

What do you guys think?

Thanks for the advise.

i would stick with the minimal until u can ride the face of the wave because it would be hard standing on a shortboard in white water, maybe try to get out the back on a smaller day so that you may not need to try and duckdive or turtle roll, or if this isnt possible try to borrow/hire shortboards of diffrent sizes and see which one works the best for you. you may even want to go shorter and thinner than the 6"6 that your thinking about buying because you will prob find this hard to control/duck dive.

ride a rip. all you have to do is paddle parallel to the beach when you get to where you want to go. and even if you do get sucked out farther than you wanted, you at least have a big floaty thing underneath you to make the paddle back easier

I say use the rip. Get someone to go with you if possible, and if not, just make sure you understand how the damn thing works. Should you get caught, then paddle sideways and you will be fine. But make sure there are people around when you first give it a try.

Like Vandanos said, going too short too quickly (before you even know how to ride an unbroken wave) will really complicate stuff.

toonraider,
you need an experienced buddy or trainer to teach you how to get through. With all the surfing you say you're doing, you must be fit enough by now. I had the same problem. Then I went to a moderately rough place with a very experienced buddy. He told me to do everything he did and stay right behind him. We did this kind of thing for a couple of hours and I learned how to snake through whereas I'd been beaten before. A few times I got pretty winded. I was so out of air that the world was spinning, but I responded to his voice. He was saying, "Keep paddling! Hard! 10 more seconds and you'll be through!" It really helped. If you don't have a friend like this, then ask some of the guys at the break to do this with you. Explain to them what you want to acheive and how they can help.

Well said billie.

The trick is to just keep going. Even if sometimes it takes me 30 minutes just to get through the white water, I don't give up. A shortboard might be easier to pass through the white water with, but it's not much fun once you're out in the lineup. Especially if you've mostly ridden longboards and minimals.

I agree with the guy here who said that having a friend nearby to egg you on helps a lot. You're both out there trying to get through the white water together and having that extra psychological push can really go a long way.

toonraider wrote:Hi Everyone

I was wondering whether you advise on how I can move my surfing on to the next level.

A little about me. I am 5'3 and about 115lbs (8.5st) and "surf" at a local gently sloping beach break which on an average day is about 3ft with cross/onshore.

I was wondering, should I ditch the 7'3 and go shorter, thinner etc so I can actually start learning/practising duck diving etc. My mate said think about a 6'6x20.5x2.5 or I should I just keep trying on the minimal?

What do you guys think?

Thanks for the advise.

The smaller the board the easier to duckdive, no doubt about it, but if you are still a begginer smaller means lower wave count and less fun until you catch up to the skill level of your new board.

I have a 6'8 x 20 x 2.5 that I use on mushy days, but once in a while I'll get stuck on the impact zone. When you duckdive a board that size it really doesn't go under too far, but the little it does is a lot better than ditching the board, or trying to duckdive a mal.

So, I say go for it with the 6'6", you have step it up eventually. I would, however, wait for summer when the surfing is more enjoyable and smaller, so you won't get so frustrated with bigger surf. You can't surf the mal forever, so if you think you are ready to step up then go for it.

I agree with teach on this one. Just make sure the 6'6" you get is something like an egg shape.

CHarvey wrote:I agree with teach on this one. Just make sure the 6'6" you get is something like an egg shape.

Or avoid a shortboard not too narrow or skinny.

My boards are beefier since I'm 200lbs, 6'5" x 19 1/2" x 2 1/2" is my shortboard. My begginer friends that are smaller/ligher than me have tried my board like the floatieness and ease of glide, but not that it is harder to duckdive compared to their much smaller boards, but they dig catching waves on it.

Hope that helps.

Thanks to everyone for all your replies. It is all much appreciated.

I think I will take a combination of everyones advise and keeping trying with the mini mal but also get a shorter board as well. Like themathteacher said I cant surf the mal forever and have to make the leap sometime.

I guess the trade off is with the shorter board i'll catch less waves and have less fun than the minimal but at the same time there is no enjoyment using all your efforts just paddling out using the mal.

Just thought I'd add my two cents as I'm in a very similar situation...

Using my 7'4" minimal at beach breaks took me forever to get outback and it was bloody hard work. Then I borrowed my mates 7'0" shortboard kinda things - got a much more pointed nose and is a bit thinner - and my god! It paddled almost as well and I could easily duck dive after just a few efforts. Easily caught waves as well in the slightly small/mushy waves we've had around here recently. As a result I'm persuading him to buy a properly shortboard so I can buy this one! I also found it much easier to get my feet position right as it has a footpad and as a result made the bottom turn easier! Result!

Cheers

Yeah man go for the 6'6" and just stick with it. It will be hard at first, but as long as you keep your mind focused on a goal of riding a green face and practice; you'll get there. Good luck, and have fun!

Your options appear to be :
a. Stand on the shore and watch - wait for a lull then run into the water and paddle like fury.
b. Swim / drag you and the board through the 'getting harder' breaking surf till you get past the lineup.
c. Get a shortboard so you can duckdive, and catch the green waves on that - It will feel similar on the stable green waves as the longer board did in the unstable white water.

Have a good one.

[ edit : get a 6'2" max board, 19.25" wide and 2.5" thick or there abouts - If you wanna duckdive get a board you can duckdive with !]