Surfing Waves

I feel like I'm either too far in or too far out.
But, I also feel like I chicken out when I feel the wave is about to break and pull back instead of trying to make the drop.
I'm talking about 3-5 feet waves , nothing crazy.
Maybe it's cause I had a few wipeouts where
I lost my contacts and had the leash tangle my legs.
Today the wind was blowing offshore and the waves were too flat to catch early.
So I failed to catch any!
I'm thinking maybe do some body surfing to get over this ?
Any other suggestions ?

I had this problem when I started surfing maroubra (australia) - much steeper waves, and the beach being so close (compared to UK waves where you're often several hundred metres out) freaked me out. So I got into the bad habit of pulling out rather than going for it

I'm over it now, and this is what it took...

- Do it on a realistic board. Even if you can't get them early, you still need to be early enough to make it, and that's only going to be harder on a wafer thin board. And some rocker will make it easier too.

- Shifting your position back on your board ever so slightly (an inch or two - no more) as you paddle sometimes helps. When you're going in late, the wave will catch you anyway. Although with strong offshores like you were saying, this might be counter-productive. But try it anyway and see if it helps.

- Don't look back at the approaching wave. Pick your wave, start paddling and commit. It'll catch up with you anyway

- Two more paddles. Just like you always tell the newbies, two more paddles than you think - this not only helps with catching the wave, but forces you to go for it because otherwise you'll plummet down the face.

- Try and surf without a crowd. It's hard to commit if you're worrying about the other surfers around you.

- Man up and just go for it.
Really, just take the beating every now and then, but go for it. It all goes surprisingly smoothly when you commit to the wave, much more smoothly than when you hesitate

thanks for the tips and encouragement mate!
I think one of the problems is that we hardly ever get waves above 3 ft here...and when we do, it's usually pretty packed, not like California packed, but definitely distracting.
The board is pretty big, 7'4", though not the best quality, since I patched it myself. But I have no problems catching waves at 2-3ft when I go in just before they break.
So, probably just psychological.

What could go wrong when you plummet...
Broke my first board today.

Sorry!

I wouldn't really care all that much about breaking the board, I spent less than 100 dollars on the board, including fins and repairs.
Losing my contacts, though, means I would have to abort the session.

Are there better more experienced people surfing these 3-5ft waves? If so, what kind of boards are they using compared to your board? I was going to a beach break, where I see beginners trying to learn, and noticed it was rare that I saw anyone who knew what they were doing surfing there. I was having a hard time catching many waves, and also some good wipeouts, and then I realized it wasn't me, it was just the waves didn't really break good. On a real good day the waves were breaking better (and were 4-6 ft) and I finally saw some people who knew how to surf catching these waves, and I was able to catch quite a few, but I realized I was just getting frustrated trying to surf crappy waves, whereas the people who know what they were doing just went somewhere else. I was committing to waves that were breaking all at once and wondering why I was wiping out.

So I've since been going to a point break that has waves that break much more reliably, though they are smaller (2-3 ft). I have been having a much better time at this other break, and I often see other surfers who know what they are doing and can watch them to learn.

I guess what I am trying to say is that if you want to surf 5 ft waves, make sure that they are good quality waves as wiping out trying crappy waves isn't going to help much with learning.

When I first started surfing 5 foot waves looked huge to me. I was frightened.

But there is real risk, and there is perceived risk. Anything under 8 feet is perceived risk. Your life is not in danger, you can go and if you don't make it, you'll be fine. Whats the worst thats gonna happen? You face plant, and fall down, and get held down for a few seconds. It's not going to harm you in any way.

any tips on making the drop on a wave that is breaking?
On Friday I saw people on shortboards simply get up without as much as a single paddle...
there was a trio of really good surfers catching some waves that were peaking early, didn't go in that spot as it was crowded,but they made it look so easy.

pmcaero wrote:any tips on making the drop on a wave that is breaking?

Depends... do you mean a fairly fat wave with a crumbling section? Or a steep wave throwing a lip?

If it's fairly fat, then my advice earlier stands - man up and go for it
It'll be a chaotic, unbalanced, and possibly very fast drop, but just crouch down low, have your arms out wide and just go for it. Be a touch further back on your board as you paddle, and make sure you've caught the wave before you stand up, else you'll be stuck bouncing about in the whitewater. I find that when I'm in a crumbly section (or even full-on whitewater) it helps to have your feet more centred on the board, rather than over the fins.

If it's a steep wave throwing a lip, the advice is simpler - just don't

pmcaero wrote:... without as much as a single paddle... really good surfers.... peaking ...didn't go in that spot

And one more thing... from reading that, you're doing what you should do and staying out of everyone's way, but... it's an awful lot easier if you're on the peak. Sitting on the shoulder gives you a weaker, less predictable wave that will close out sooner and, counter-intuitively, often means you end up taking a more critical drop compared to the surfers on the peak.

If you can, find a spot where you can comfortably surf on a peak without too much overcrowding. It's better to be on the second-best peak than on the shoulder of the best peak.

drowningbitbybit wrote:

pmcaero wrote:any tips on making the drop on a wave that is breaking?

If it's a steep wave throwing a lip, the advice is simpler - just don't

Heh...I think that's a matter of experience. I noticed during this ill fated session that sometimes a wave would pitch a bit of a lip while remaining fairly manageable down the face.
It's a matter of experience I guess...in the two years I've been surfing here, days bigger than 3 feet are few and far between, then throw in different winds we can get, and I end up out of my comfort zone on bigger days.

If it's throwing, just take a steeper angle. And take your line before you paddle...

I would say you need to think about surfing without your contacts. Getting pounded is a part of surfing. Taking off always amazes me. It is a skill you learn from doing over and over again. On a steep takeoff you don't have time to think about stuff, your body knows what to do and does it. You make all these little adjustments but you are more like an observer to the process than thinking I need to do this or that, it's more like ...that worked. It's the adrenalin and it makes you perform better. I think the only way to get good is to just do it over and over. Back when I was really into surfing I made a cardboard cutout of my surfboard and used to practice standing up quick and placing my feet in very specific spots. That helped me to change my stance to a more powerful one. Anyway the most important thing is to have fun. If you aren't having fun you won't stick to it so do what you have to to be sure you have fun.

One more thing.....once you get good at paddling and catching waves you will find that there is usually a spot where it is easier to take off at on a wave. Very often if you stay away from the steep section it is very difficult to take off but a bigger board will help, more floatation, larger planning surface and more weight/inertia will help you get into the waves quicker but once in there it may be harder to turn. Eventually you will recognize that if you are in the right position you don't need to paddle much or at all just stand up quickly and fall down the face of the wave, gravity does it all.

Oldman is right. Dropping in or pretty much everything else you just have to do over and over. It's muscle memory. Even though I'm a complete newbie when it comes to surfing it's like any other sport, whether it's golf or shooting free throws in basketball you have to do it over and over until it is 2nd nature. At least that's what I've heard I'm still learning too. Keep it up pmcaero.

thanks for the advice everyone!
went again yesterday in 4ft waves, on the shortboard and stayed where the waves were breaking, didn't look back and paddled hard and made some nice drops where I stayed up, the speed was incredible to me.

pmcaero wrote:paddled hard and made some nice drops

Dropping is just another way for us to strive and paddle more to achieve our goal. No worries as you drop coz there's always a chance for us to stand up. Have a great surfing Everyone !

One way i tackled that fear, was to take all waves for a day on my belly, paddle hard for waves, let the wave catch you and put both hands on your board and arch your back and dig in the fins.

Its the act of arching the back, transferring weight to the fins that stops you pearling, if you hesitate your going over the falls.

You got to want that wave, keep telling yourself over and over, I will take that wave I will take that wave and it will come.

Most of all, enjoy the wipe outs, personally I love them!

Having an appropriate board to learn on is also really important.

I just dont get the whole 'learn on a short board thing'....The stability and glide on a fun board is a great learning experience....Beginning surfers are best to learn in smaller and variable conditions.....the main thing is to learn to stand up properly...

In my generation in Sydney we grew up on foam boards riding foamies, we then borrowed big mals, learned to glide and stand and eventually got our first shorter boards,,,,

It was agreat way to learn and learning to stand up 'pop up' is a fundamental that once well learned then develops and progresses to the point of underpinning manouvres...

Any way, just some thoughts.....dont be embarrsed to learn through grovelling the white water...

I recently watched an old guy and he was like the consumate beginner...He picked a little spot all to himself and I lost count of how many waves he caight, but every wave he caught he perfected his pop up and he looked like he was really enjoing himself...

he rode every wave all the way up to the beach on his fun board...Classic...and he was good at it....