Surfing Waves

Hi, I've been surfing for about 5-6 months now and am having some issues making the drop. For reference, I'm 5'11", a lady, small build, and am riding a 6'8" fun board.

I think my problem stems primarily from lack of confidence - I have successfully made the drop before, but more often than not, during the crucial moment when the wave picks you up and you're supposed to stand, I hesitate and miss the wave, or at worst I look down and pearl. I surf better when I have my friends with me, not only because they're my friends, but because I know I will become a better surfer by surfing with people better than me, and that's a confidence booster. However, I need to learn to surf on my own because I can't rely on them for positioning/telling me when to paddle/etc. - I have to learn these things for myself.

How do I build up my confidence to make the drop and avoid hesitation? I know I need to be mindful of my weight positioning (sometimes it's too far forward) and I am taking off at an angle, not straight toward the beach, but despite all this, when it comes time to go for it 100% I hold back and end up wiping out. I try really hard not to look down, but it happens sometimes. Yesterday, during one of the bigger sets, I made that mistake and I swear there was nothing but air beneath my board! Until I pitched my nose into the face and then got worked.

I'm pretty determined/stubborn and will keep paddling out after taking a pounding, but I do get frustrated when I make the same mistakes over and over and I know it's in my head!

You have no controll if your not on your feet.

Aim to get to your feet, if anything, too early, spend a while missing waves because of this, then edge the timing on a touch.

It probably sounds a bit trite, but I think you may be overthinking things. There are many things, many nuggets of knowledge you have already learned first hand, and doubtless many more that you've read, that contribute to your surfing success. Understand that all of this knowledge is also available to your subconscious mind, and that subconscious is far more able to get you up and going, if you let it.

Concentrate on paddling and positioning, but try to forget all those details you are trying to remember all at once. Trial and error and muscle memory will eventually prevail, but don't get caught up in the details. Process what is happening NOW, don't think too far ahead, and don't think about the washing machine, just enjoy it when it's over and you can have a laugh at yourself, then go out and do it all over again.

Trust me, in no time you'll be making great strides, and your confidence will grow, and it all just snowballs from there.

And I know what you mean about stubbornness. Last session I hit my cheekbone on my board pretty hard after falling on what I was going to make my last ride of the session, which made me more determined to paddle back out and grab a better ride. 2 rides later I hit my chin on my board even harder, and again, I paddled back out again until I had completed another good ride or two. Nothing motivates me more than failure and pain!

I feel your pain. Here's a response to a post about pearling I posted the other day to J.B. I think it applys;

hey JB, ( pardon me while I )from reading your post it appears that we may be wrestling with some of the same problems. Regarding sinking the nose(pearling). everytime I go out i gather a few more pieces of the puzzle. here's what i've found. the whole business of actually catching a wave is a game of extreme subtleties and incremental adjustments.ie. too far forward vs. too far back, too much angle vs. not enough, popping up too soon vs. too late, good wave postion vs. bad, paddling for it hard vs. not enough. you get the picture. the fact that all of these things must happen near perfectly as well as simultaniously makes catching a wave difficult at best for the novice. the importance of a lightning fast pop-up is becoming more evident. back to pearling. I'm also surfing 2-3+ foot waves with a small curl and rapid closeout, not the prime choice for long boarders apparantly. after many pearl diving sessions, here's what is working for me now:

look outward for the waves coming, even if i see a hint of what might be a wave I turn and begin paddling. i'm sure it seems like I'm paddling waaaay too soon but I think i'm actually getting the forward momentum established. then, 10 and 2 baby, 10 and 2. just like your hands on a steering wheel, with the wave at your back and the beach at 12:00 angle for 10:00 or 2:00 wichever is away from the peak. ( i also struggle with this whole angle thing but after repeated attempts i find it cuts your chances of pearling way down). When i'm looking over my shoulder and am sure it really is a wave, I bear down and paddle like a moFo. I dont mean flailing and splashing, but i basically empty the tank, leave nothing for the dogs, use it all to propel yourself forward. if you miss the wave you should feel utterly spent and need a little rest. now here is the pivotal point, everything from here happens in less than 2 seconds. yes you are on your boards "sweet spot" but don't linger there for too long (pearl) you know the drill. the wave begins to lift you, if you have established enough forward momentum from your death paddle you may feel the forward glide a bit but just for a half second, BOOM! pop-up like your life depends on it, i'm tellin you its got to be fast. now here's the thing, the wave might just pass under you and leave you feeling that you popped up too soon. too soon you say? maybe by a .5 second, but you didn't pearl and it was a successful "attempt" at catching a wave. try again. this time wait a HAIR longer remember subtle, incremental adjustments. dont be suprised if you catch one, also dont be surprised when you do, to see the nose of your board sticking out the face of the wave kinda like a diving board for a second (weight on your back foot, seriously) till you actually drop in and bottom out. that's another thing to handle, you might catch it but the speed at which you drop in can cause you to lose your balance. but then you're like, "YA! didn't pearl, almost got it all right". just a small adjustment now and you'll be longboarding like, uh... I don't know, some really good longboarder...but probably not for like 6-10 more years...

have fun out there

p.s. i know you're not on a longboard but the same principles apply

Nice post Pauly!!

Thanks for the great advice RJD, Unorthodox and Paulyoffshore.

Unorthodox, you're right, I am overthinking. One of my closest friends told me the same thing, and it's true since I'm a very analytical person, always trying to scrutinize each detail to figure out what went wrong and how to correct it. The idea of "letting go" or "just doing it" is difficult for me, but it's also one of the reasons I love surfing because it forces me into a new perspective; it's very therapeutic in that sense.

I'll keep all this advice in mind when I paddle out today; if I focus on *just* getting to my feet hopefully the muscle memory will kick in.

The learning process does not gradually increase, it jumps into stages it seems. Its like one day everything clicks and you go from a struggling waverider to a surfer flying down the face. This seems to be the case with everyone I have surfed with and also myself. You will struggle all the way up until the day you reach that next level and then boooooom, your a different looking surfer. Its like everything just falls into place all of a sudden and makes sense.

You should be gradually getting into the wave on your takeoff. If theres a huge drop each time your doing something wrong. Usually these are the most common reasons....
*Your not going fast enough to match the speed of the wave. (Paddle faster or take off earlier)
*Not standing fast enough (Right when the wave starts to get you moving, quickly spring up to your feet in 1 motion. Better to crash on your feet then face first pearling)
*Board isnt fitting into the wave (Your angle must be right so your board fits into the wave. If it fits in correctly there will not be huge drop and you will gain more time to get your feet)

Its alot easier to drop in going in the direction of the wave in a angle on the face then taking the steep drop forward once you get the hang of it. I angle to the extreme at times, especially on really late takeoffs and slip right into the face pocket on takeoffs others think im doomed with. You can try taking off on the shoulder also. These are easiest to get into smoothly.

One day everything will click and your brain and body will be in sync out there, it just comes in stages with alot of repeating yourself.

Rudyland wrote:The idea of "letting go" or "just doing it" is difficult for me

Just stand up.

I dont even mean that in a mean or patronising way. Just stand up. It'll all go a lot more smoothly once you stand up.
The wisest words regaring surfing anyone ever said to me - "It'll hurt a lot less if you're standing up at the time".

Once you're up and standing, even a steep drop is relatively simple. its just the whole standing up that puts the fear of god into you.

wipeouts are 10 times worse if you don't make it to your feet first

If anything else fails, then try some private lessons, preferebly by a competision surfer. They can put you on the track in a few lessons. Once you know you are doing the right things at the right time, you have the confidence, It is the small doubt that is holding you back and make you fail. You are not sure you are doing it right, and all the advice from different people is confusing you.

So tips to a newbie surfer would be
# Angle your board with the wave
# Stand up as soon as you can (If one fluid movement if you can)
# Learn the best position on your board to be on when the wave catches you

Miss anything?
Gonna have to wait till next weekend till i can try again

Just about !

The angle only needs to be slight, 5 degrees or something too much you go over sideways.
Getting to your feet - it doesnt have to be quick, just smooth.

RJD wrote:Getting to your feet - it doesnt have to be quick, just smooth.

That gave me alot of hope ha ha

Thanks

How good is your popup and paddle? If you are stalling in your popup then that adds to wobbles during the drop. If you are not a strong paddler it means you have to catch the wave at a steeper angle, which might be throwing you off.

Solutions? Practice, practice, practice. If you have a slow popup try practicing in the whitewash before every session, the smoother you pop up the easier catching waves will be. If it's your paddling, make sure you are stroking down, not out, using you arms, torso and shoulders to paddle (as opposed to paddling out and using only you shoulders), head nice and high, digging down. Also, paddle around in the lineup instead of sitting around, develop them muscles.

Thanks everyone for your help! I'm feeling much better in the water.

I surfed two very different waves this weekend; my home break in Newport, and Old Man's in San Onofre. It was my first time at Old Man's, and while I didn't have the right board for the wave (it's a longboard wave) I still managed to catch a few on the inside and make it to my feet. It was tough - I had to paddle HARD to get enough speed.

I've tried taking off at an angle in Newport, but I guess I wasn't angled enough. The current was strong, so I paddled around a lot just to stay in position and not drift into HB. I had more success this weekend, but know I need to keep practicing.

Thanks again for all your support!

trifish wrote:You should be gradually getting into the wave on your takeoff. If theres a huge drop each time your doing something wrong. Usually these are the most common reasons....
*Your not going fast enough to match the speed of the wave. (Paddle faster or take off earlier)
*Not standing fast enough (Right when the wave starts to get you moving, quickly spring up to your feet in 1 motion. Better to crash on your feet then face first pearling)
*Board isnt fitting into the wave (Your angle must be right so your board fits into the wave. If it fits in correctly there will not be huge drop and you will gain more time to get your feet)

Its alot easier to drop in going in the direction of the wave in a angle on the face then taking the steep drop forward once you get the hang of it. I angle to the extreme at times, especially on really late takeoffs and slip right into the face pocket on takeoffs others think im doomed with. You can try taking off on the shoulder also. These are easiest to get into smoothly.

That sounds like good advice. Could explain a lot about nose diving and wiping out. How can you tell if your board is fitting into the wave, to help make more sense of the last helpful hint. And, what angle of take off are you suggesting she try?

Just try to think of how your board is going to fit into the oncoming wave. Is the wave hollow, fat, steep.. etc. Try to think of where your nose is heading and the angle needed to avoid your nose in the bottom of the wave. The steeper and more hollow a wave is the more you need to angle because you need to make your turn faster to avoid hitting the bottom of the wave. Notice how alot of the barrel riders drop into steep hollow waves grabbing a rail so they can get there board turned really fast. Pretty much the faster you get your board turned on a steep wave the better you are off and out of harms way to a certain point. Also taking a good angle will buy you more time to the bottom. Since you are not going in a straight line to the bottom your delaying the time to the bottom and this will give you extra seconds to make it to your feet. Your angle all depends on the wave type thats coming to you. start with some small angles to get a feel for it. Heres a quick illustration on what I mean.

That's a great post trifish, really helpful for us beginners who are still struggling in the big stuff! Cheers

Thanks for the handy chart, Trifish. My home break in Newport is steep and fast; I've started taking off at sharper angles and am having much more success.

Funny thing is, now I'm making the drop and getting knocked off when I reach the bottom.

love the graphic trifish - I might use that.