Surfing Waves

I mean, when I see a wave coming, no matter how hard I paddle it always seems to pass under me.

get a bigger board

^ or paddle harder - your position on the board might be out as well. Try scooting forward slightly. If thats not the case your position in the line-up might be wrong try to time it better

^or get closer to the peak.

hello, i am 43 almost 44 and i am learning also how to surf.
a couple advices from someone that does not surf like a champ.

1- paddeling is vital, they have to teach you how to get speed and how to move your board.
2- get in good shape, if you are dead after 3 waves, you MUST swimming and train to enjoy surfing.
3- there are some waves that have your name, go for them, like if is the last thing you can do in life, paddle like a maniac, is your wave and you can not miss it. (it has your name)
4- is very important that someone push you at the beggining to get into the wave, soo you can experience the feelings.
5- do no get disapointed and paddle harder,

we have a place in brasil, perfect for begginers, < advertising removed > with great teachers, if you feel like going let me know.
regards and train hard.
ernesto

Here is something to try, might not be it, but it's easy to test it:

Your board should glide over the water, when you are too far back it is not flat and therefore you push water and the board seems slow, hence you miss the wave. You can tell easier while paddling than when catching waves.

So, try this: Set up normally, paddle. Now move up, paddle again. Does it seem to glide easier? If it does then you have been too far back all this time, if not then it might just be your paddling ability, but at least try it.

what position are you taking off from? sat on your board of stood by it?

for months i clung onto the idea that i could just jump on my board from a standing position and get going, like you would learning on a bodyboard...it was only after it was pointed out to me, that i started sitting on my board whenever possilbe..it takes a while to find your balance but after that..you see waves coming earlier so you therefore set yourself up earlier therefore you are paddling longer and harder and the board is going faster by the time the waves reach it.

was trying this one on half foot waves this week, its amazing what a longboard can catch if you are already up to speed!!

MichaelH wrote:I mean, when I see a wave coming, no matter how hard I paddle it always seems to pass under me.

Look and see where others are catching the waves and hang out there. Eventually you will understand when a wave has enough power to pick you up and where you need to be to catch it.

But I agree with the above. Usually the problem with beginners is they're not moving fast enough. It's not just how hard you paddle, it's also how you paddle. If you're flopping around on the board with your legs dangling in the water and the board sticking up in the air, you're creating too much drag and no matter how much energy you use you'll have a hard time catching anything. Get that nose down, get those feet on the back of the board, get those knees together and dig real hard, you'll get it.

catch the waves which look like they are about to break on your head

the 'get the nose down' tip is spot on! I've been learning to surf, and couldnt catch a thing, then read this thread and have nearly got the hang of it....a few more years and i might be standing up

MichaelH wrote:I mean, when I see a wave coming, no matter how hard I paddle it always seems to pass under me.

What type of board are you using? How tall/heavy are you?

To see if the waves are powerful enough for your board, you can try to catch the surf after the wave has broken. If you can catch the surf, then you should be able to catch the wave. If you can't catch the surf, then you probably can't catch the wave, but the wave can give more drive for some surfboards than the surf.

Try to catch the surf. When you see the surf approaching, get ready, and start paddling. When you feel the board catching the surf, stand up.

i know this sounds funny, but often I saw ppl paddling for the wave (say 2-3 meters away) but actually they're not moving at all (probabaly due to the rip)... but once wave is up and close, they're able to go and catch the wave... just wonder do we have to paddle that early? can we wait till the wave is at the tail and then start paddling? I did see some experienced guys catching wave in this way; they makes it look so easy... but when I try it, i just couldn't do it... where did I do wrong???

for me, getting bigger board was the best solution. i was surfing 6"6' fish and i was struggling. Recently i changed to 9" and am loving it. it's not that big once you get used it hehe

ok, i get it... isaluteyou is spot on...

This is a very common problem with beginners (or anyone who has just pearled a 4' and up wave).

Learning you do a lot of nose dives, and you condition yourself to be further back than you should. There's a balance there that needs to be found.

I had to get a bigger board and it worked for me and i know how it feels when you can't catch a wave because of the board.