Surfing Waves

Hi all,

I'm stoked on the be board I got from a friend, CI Dumpster diver 5'10x20 and works like a charm. Been able to get a few decent rides on it already.

Anyway, I've read a few posts on paddling and proper technique. Just have a question, when im paddling out to the line up and duck diving, then paddling to stay in place.. I notice my shoulders upper back and biceps tire very easily.. So it's frustrating to see a nice wave coming and I have no juice left to paddle for it.

I'm quite fit. Surf and gym often.. Is it my technique that's throwing me off or my position on the board? Although I feel I'm fine on it.

Anything I can do to fix this problem?? Nothing worse than seeing a set come in and you know it's going to dump in you bec you can't duck dive under haha

It's difficult to comment on your technique or condition without seeing you surf, but regardless you can work on your pacing.

Try to be conscious about your fatigue when you are surfing and pace yourself appropriately. I try to have several different paddle speeds, anywhere from slow and easy to scratch like heck. I paddle slow and easy when holding position and when paddling out unless I see a set coming or a surfer aimed at my face. And of course be still as much as possible. I'm sure you do all of this instinctively but the more aware of it you are the more strength and energy you'll conserve.

I'm no duck diving expert, being a longboarder, but if your biceps are getting tired that suggests you might have your arms bent as you go through the wave, meaning that your biceps are constantly having to push against the board's flotation (basically you spend the time in a 1/2 push up position). Instead see if you can push the nose down and then keep your arms straight and move your bodyweight forward to keep the board under.

If your biceps tire while paddling, then you are doing something wrong!

A tip that helps me - when you are paddling, rather than think about moving your hands back through the water, think about moving your elbows back. Moving your elbows results in your upper back/lats doing the work; moving your hands tends to result in your shoulders doing the work. Your upper back has much bigger muscles.

Swim, swim and swim (with gloves on). I used to swim gloved over 3hrs a day every day (pool and or ocean). Took me over 12months but there was nothing faster than me in the lineup (other than this fecking SBS special forces triathlon dude who just totally destroyed my in my college pool in Portsmouth Uk, oh and some gifted bloody under thirteen's who must have been on smack or something!).

Yeh, swim with gloves on in the water and I guarantee you you'll glide any surfboard into the wave of you choice [yeah, I guess you can say I was committed in the day!].

Pfft - just get, and keep, water fit.