Staying high on the wave?
Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:53 amHey guys,
I've been surfing for a little over a year, I'd classify myself as an advanced beginner. I've made the transition to shortboard and I am paddling well, popping up quickly and consistently catching waves and riding across the face. I am still, however, consistently missing sections, losing speed and getting caught in the white water sooner than I'd like.
Today a thought occurred to me, maybe I'm running out too far down the wave instead of staying higher up on the face. I gave it a shot and yes, I felt that I had a bit more speed and was able to lengthen my ride.
I was wondering if anyone else had this same experience when you were at my stage, and if this indeed seems to be a common pitfall of beginning surfers. It's probably wave and break dependent, but I think the principle is sound. Someone once told me that you always think that you're higher up on the face than you actually are, and most people realize this when they see video of themselves.
I've been surfing for a little over a year, I'd classify myself as an advanced beginner. I've made the transition to shortboard and I am paddling well, popping up quickly and consistently catching waves and riding across the face. I am still, however, consistently missing sections, losing speed and getting caught in the white water sooner than I'd like.
Today a thought occurred to me, maybe I'm running out too far down the wave instead of staying higher up on the face. I gave it a shot and yes, I felt that I had a bit more speed and was able to lengthen my ride.
I was wondering if anyone else had this same experience when you were at my stage, and if this indeed seems to be a common pitfall of beginning surfers. It's probably wave and break dependent, but I think the principle is sound. Someone once told me that you always think that you're higher up on the face than you actually are, and most people realize this when they see video of themselves.
