Surfing Waves

hi all, been a while since i posted here, been enjoying the surf now ive moved to Cornwall
But, i seem to have developed a problem now....
I seem to have got to grips with playing around in the whitewater, can catch every wave, trim a bit, do some small turns etc. When i go outback, i am usually able to get out, but once im out im struggling to pick which wave to go for, i either end up going for ones which are too steep, or too small, so i fall off the back, or get pummelled....
How do i work out which to go for? I occasionally manage to catch a wave, and am usually so surprised i forget to turn or do anything fun:-)
thanks in advance, need to get this sorted before the winter swells hit:-)

I remember being at this stage!!

The answer is practice. Also watch Surf Simply's podcast for catching green waves.



Just keep practicing and you will find you catch more and more unbroken waves! Then you will stop being surprised and start to work on the next stage

Yeah I would watch the videos recommended. Also take note of where the more experienced surfers are lining up. of course try to not get in the way but at least you can gauge what waves they are paddling for and at what point they are popping up. It does take time but man...its wicked it all comes together...enjoy and continue to stay stoked!!

All of surfing comes down to learning what you can do and what your board can do and what the waves can do. If you really want to know which waves to be on watch the other surfers and see which waves they pick then try it yourself. Falling down and getting pummeled are a part of surfing, more so when you are learning. The more you go surfing and fall down and get pummeled the faster you will learn. I know it's a part everyone wants to avoid but there is no avoiding it. Where to take off and which waves to pick will change with your skill, the board and the waves. You will have to adjust it as you learn. If you can afford it maybe some surf lessons will help you learn a little faster.

There is so much difference between white water riding and actually getting to riding unbroken waves.
There is much more timing, reading the changing face understanding and then being able to respond to ride.
It takes time you probably haven't stalled if you went back to kinder garden waves you could still do it!
.You are just entirely in a harder learning environment, stick with it we all had to go through

Remember that paddling (and positioning) are much more important on an unbroken wave. In white water you can paddle a little bit and be whereever, and the water will push you along. In unbroken waves, you have to catch the water, not the water catch you.

So really concentrate on paddling and paddling hard and committing

Probably most of the waves you try to catch are catchable, but you just get overwhelmed by everything that is going on and stop paddling/dont commit or something.

thanks for all the replies, guess you all told me what i kind of suspected, im too chicken

I do tend to stay away from the "proper" surfers, so as to not get in their way, so maybe the waves im trying for aren't as good as they could be, and i usually find i paddle for the weaker waves, where i should be maybe going for the steeper ones.
Usually once its steep i find i stop paddling and try not to get it, as i feel its too steep, but i guess they are the ones i should paddle harder for:-)

think i just need someone to show me what waves to go for, or just to keep trying until i figure it out. Friend runs a surf school, and its pretty quiet there fr him now with it being the end of the season, might try to borrow him for a day to babysit me until i grow a pair

Don't stress too much, surfing puts you out of your comfort zone and it takes a while, a bit of experience, to get more comfortable. Even then, you (well I) second guess yourself all the time, esp when the waves are steep or bigger than you are used to. Try surfing toward higher tide, when the waves are usually fuller, and work from there.