Surfing Waves

Hey Guys,

Managed to get out an have a surf today, out back were some overhead to double overhead barrels rolling through and reforming into 4 footers closer to the beach, With my back i decided to stay on the inside.

Anyhow, Made some progression today, I finally mastered my short board paddle.

Anyhow, By the time im popping up my tail is sinking, I dont feel like im to back foot heavy (when i am my board has some amazing drive) any ideas?

- Andy

You're weight placement is crucial on a smaller board. A lot of people think you surf off your back for rather than adjusting your weight as you need throughout your movements. For example, when I pump for speed my back foot is at the front of my pad, even I hit a turn, I move my back foot to the bank of my pad in order to guide my board through the turn.

Thanks, Panda! going back out in a bit and shall try to adjust me feet a little

What size is your board and what size and make are your fins?

5"9 / FCS PC-5s with GX-Q Backs...

Sometimes i swap out the GX-Qs for A M5 Thruster fin IB

hm, I had the same problem when I bought a board that was just too small for me, it felt like I was doing wheelies and putting on the break. I ended up buying K3.0 fins which are smaller, and it seemed to fix the problem, but then I lost the tail too often, ended up selling the board.

So, if you want to try something, see if a buddy has a smaller center fin and try it, if it feels better than you maybe need a smaller fin size, if it feels the same then it's something else. I use PC5's on my 6'5 and I'm 200lbs

I bought me some am-2 thruster's IB, Tail is not sinking on pop ups no more (unless i didnt generate enough speed on the drop), board feels loser and gets into waves alot better.

Just come home to change, go grab some lunch / coffee and them im going to try am-2 fronts with gx-q backs see how it goes, but at this rate I think i found 'my fins' at last!

EDIT: I got a m-5 back fin as well, am-2s have a slightly smaller back fin from what i can see, i believe the m5 is slightly bigger

you using side or center GX-Q fins?

im using center / back GX-Q with my PC-5 at the front / outside, did i do it wrong :O?

Not at all, I use centers too. The sides do give you more grip on big nasty waves but I dig the huge paddle advantage of the centers in back. Good deal!!!

Not touched my quads since getting my am-2's, they seem perfect for punchy beach break waves with a bit of a lip (but work in mush to)

Ive caught more waves since getting them, then the whole 3-4 weeks before hand!

totally stoked, racking up some gopro footage and can see some real progression, only thing i can see wrong is my front foot position.

anyone have any ideas for dry land training for front foot position?

Nah, front foot will correct itself, just keep surfing

So just switched to my am2 fronts with gx-q backs..

the waves today have been more mushy and really struggled with the am-2 thruster setup, so this evening i switched to the above set up and all i can say is holy s*&t.

Ive just come back from taking the biggest drop of my life, Pure downward face time for around 2-3 seconds feeling pure speed and drive down the face no manouvers yet, but i did get cheers from the beach! so freaking stoked, that feeling when you know you took a beast wave, I just celebrated right there and then on the spot, must of been at least overhead and the biggest wave of the evening.

So it seems, Clean conditions, with a bit of a throwing lip i need my fcs am2 thrusters. For more mushy waves i need my quad setup with am2 fronts and gx-q backs regardless how big they are.

EDIT: did i mention im stoked?!