Surfing Waves

hi everyone
just got out from a local spot in south wales and it was the biggest i have ever seen there the local surf shop said it was 3-4 ft yeah right me and a few surfers were comparing size of wave and we all said the same 8 ft + on sets. anyway thought i would share that with you the trouble i am having on bigger waves like that is i cant for the life of me get outback just seem to get thrashed in the white water all the time and if i am lucky enough to get there the wave i try and catch rolls under me and then a rouge wave breaks out to sea and drags me back to shore, i use a 9'4 cooper or a 9'6 firewire im still abit wet behind the ears only surfing 2 years but when waves arent so big i can get outback and catch them no problem, is there any advice out there for if so greatly appreciated.
many thanks
johnboy

find a cleaner spot to surf or learn to turtle roll. always gonna have some trouble alligator wrestling a board that size in big stuff... reefs or points might be better than beaches here as you can paddle around the white most of the time.

as for the guys in the surf shop they are probably measuring from the back of the wave (don't agree with the system totally, as i don't surf the back of the wave) but in some ways it makes sense, just double whatever they say, or half your estimate when talking to them. i often think they should remove the ft, and call it a category (like in storms etc.) category 3 wave = head height, cat 4 or 5 = head and a half, cat 6 - DOH etc.
waves are pretty hard to gauge the size of as they are moving and change as they move, so when they say 4ft it covers a bit more. 4ft in their system usually means between 6 and 8ft in yours.

i wouldn't rely on surf cams/reports too much, they can change in the blink of an eye - like the ocean.
if you don't mind whereabouts in south wales were you surfing?

johnboy530

3 to 4 foot is indeed up to and over 8 foot faces.

Then, in that surf, there are the clean-up sets, the outside sets and the killer sets, mixed in with a couple of big ones !

Enjoy !

Find a rip out, learn to turlte , hope for a break in the sets or find a point where you can get out easier.