Surfing Waves

Hi

I have been told 2 different versions how to stand on the board to increase speed, while surfing.

1. Both feet about 90 deg to the board stringer. To get speed move weight to front foot by moving hip forward. Point with your shoulder towards the direction where u want to go.

2. Back foot about 90 deg to the stringer. Front foot about 45 . To gain speed move weight to front foot by leaning upper body toward front of board. In this case hip is actually moved back a little. Twist upper body a lot so shoulders are getting close to 90 deg to the board and close to facing the direction of moving.

For the turns I am weighting the back foot.

My board is 6 feet 2 inch. I am 65 years of age, with 6 years of surfing 3 times a week all yr.

Any comments greatly appreciated.

Tom

Back arm forward so both arms are in front of you puts the weight on front foot

Tom wrote:I have been told 2 different versions how to stand on the board to increase speed, while surfing.

I've struggled with this occasionally in the past, so I've spent a lot of time watching other guys in the water and know a thing or two about it (even if I am still pig slow sometimes)

Both versions are right, and depend not only on style but on where you are in the wave.

Belting along the face, with some up and down motion, I'd be going with (1), but to increase speed down the face, go with number (2). The first one is for a fairly lengthy run along the wave as its quite stable, while the second one is to gain speed for a big turn or whatever.

I am not so in touch with modern boards but my theory of getting speed on a wave has to do with weighting and unweighting making quick turns going top to bottom. So you start with your bottom turn and you crouch well down in the turn so that when you come out of it you spring/jump with your board forward and up to the top of the wave where you immediately turn back down. If the wave is head high your center of gravity may stay about in the same place while your legs go up and down the wave. Gravity of your board falling down the wave increases your speed and I think on the top turn you weight more on your front foot to get the board headed back downhill again although it seems to work with my quad board pushing on the back foot on the top of the wave as long as my body stays low so my weight is pushing down once I get through the turn. I don't know LOL but I seem to be able to generate speed ok with my board. I just made 60 and have many years of surfing every day but stopped for a while then started again a little more than 3 years ago but only surf a half hour session twice a week. I like the back foot 90 degrees to the stringer and the front foot 45 degrees.

So three factors in speed your board, the wave, what you do. To go faster staying higher on the wave helps. The longer the wall the higher on the wave you should be but pumping up and down for speed repeatedly (weighting and unweighting) can generate some awesome speed

Tom wrote:Hi

I have been told 2 different versions how to stand on the board to increase speed, while surfing.

1. Both feet about 90 deg to the board stringer. To get speed move weight to front foot by moving hip forward. Point with your shoulder towards the direction where u want to go.

2. Back foot about 90 deg to the stringer. Front foot about 45 . To gain speed move weight to front foot by leaning upper body toward front of board. In this case hip is actually moved back a little. Twist upper body a lot so shoulders are getting close to 90 deg to the board and close to facing the direction of moving.

Version No 1 sounds like surfing frontside and version 2 sounds like surfing backside (although for version 2, try back foot 45 deg and front foot almost straight). So possibly both are right, but at different times.

Well, unless you have a super brain thinking about it while you surf just won't do.

As you get better you body will develop muscle memory that improves your surfing. 90 degreees? 45 degrees? You really gonna land that pop up exactly there? Just work on technique, the rest comes naturally

Thank u for all the good answers.

Hey Tom,

The following video helped me so much in relation to position my feet!

If you can find a point break with some consistent small waves, you can actually feel and adjust your stance a little bit while surfing where as most cases you don't have that kind of leeway. The waves were rather weak the last time I went out, and it looked like the longboarders were going in slow motion, but it gave me a chance to practice pumping for speed, and I was happy to find that whatever I was doing worked, and I know I couldn't have done it yet on faster stronger waves. I still feel like a beginner at a beach break but at a point break I really dont feel like a beginner anymore, even if I'm surfing backside and feel more comfortable surfing frontside.