wakesurfing, does it help?

[kish783]

Hello! What do you think about wake surfing behind the boat? Does it help for surfing (on the waves)? I live far far away from the ocean, so I can surf just few weeks in a year on my vacation. But I can wakesurf a lot, where I live. So the question is will wakesurf help me surfing on the waves or not? Should I practice it?
PS sorry for my english. I'm not an english speaker.

[jaffa1949]

Kiss, your English is pretty good, but I have some sad news for you . Wake surfing doesn't help.
You need to be able to paddle well enough to catch up aves and then unlike wave surfing, stand up without a rope or boat pull.
You have be able to vary your stance and position on the board and drive a turn without any counter balance of rope.
Where do you live that surfing is such a long distance away?

Read a lot of these posts about surfing an set out to enjoy it for what will offer you , if it catches you it will be worthwhile, I've been hooked since 1958

[kish783]

Jaffa, thanks for your answer. I'm from Russia

[jaffa1949]

Hmmm welcome , not much I frigid coastline to hit for a surf although there is new territory in Kamchatka area and around Vladivostok but difficult to get too and not for beginners.
If you go somewhere warm with a coast then you can take the vodka antifreeze out of your system for a while.
Depending on where you plan to go, there is probably a surf school and that would be good start.
Let us know where you plan to go there will be someone on this forum that can advise you.
If your president can wrestle bears and our prime minister attempts surfing all is good in the worl and you can enjoy it!

[kish783]

I know there are many good surf spots with good camps around the world. I thought about Bali. Its not a problem to choose where to surf. But I can surf only few weeks in a year. So i wanted to know about wake surfing, worth it or not. and how can it help for surfing. Or its just complitly different sport? I asked, because the moment when you stay on the board looks very similar in surfing and in wakesurfing.

[Jester]

I saw a chap once surfing the wake of a boat right in the pocket of the wave coming off the back of the boat, it wasn't using a rope but actually surfing. It won't help you paddle and read waves but it could be worth a try if you really wanted to!

[jaffa1949]

Kish I had a look at wake surfing just so I wasn't confusing it with wake boarding.
The areas wher you will struggle will be catching the wave especially if you use a board the size used in wake surfing. You just won't have speed and pull of a boat and rope! An oceanic wave will respond to the beach and bottom contours and will change very suddenly. So beach understanding has to be learned.
Rips and other hazards are there and mostly no floatation gear is worn.

Apart from getting paddling speed. Once you catch the wave you have to get to your feet , most of our learners' questions are about this and their positioning to make the board move.

Plenty of surf schools in Bali. Plenty of learners.

[Big H]

....plenty of Russians here too..... :} There is alot that goes into surfing beyond the standing and moving around bit on the board, a whole lot......I don't see how wakesurfing would hurt though....looks like fun anyway and if that's all you have access to then there is your answer, different sport or otherwise......just have fun, that's what it's all about.....

[Big H]

BTW it looks tiring too!!! You pretty much ride until you just give up right!? I think you'd get more "surfing" crossover if you used a regular surfboard like in this video rather than a wakeboard....

[kish783]

wakesurfing on the longboard look fun:) we have boards, that looks little bigger then skimboard.

[IanCaio]

As big H said, if you only have acess to surf a few weeks a year, and have wake surfing more frequently, than I don't see why not doing it. It might not help you much with surfing (maybe with balance), but it seems fun anyways!

[oldmansurfer]

A good portion of surfing is reading the waves and positioning yourself and paddling. Wake surfing won't help with any of that but once you learn read the waves and position yourself and paddle then it might.

[kish783]

thanks guys for your comments and advices

[jaffa1949]

Let us know your adventures and experiences as you learn to surf.
Finding out how people are going in their evolution is one of the great things about this forum.

[seeker]

Hello! What do you think about wake surfing behind the boat? Does it help for surfing (on the waves)? I live far far away from the ocean, so I can surf just few weeks in a year on my vacation. But I can wakesurf a lot, where I live. So the question is will wakesurf help me surfing on the waves or not? Should I practice it?
PS sorry for my english. I'm not an english speaker.

Privet kish783

I would say wake might be helpful at some stage as it was said before (balance etc.) I suggest if you are keen, apart form wake, you can focus on your physical preparation. Go to pool for swimming or even take your surfing board and practice paddling in a pool. Go to GYM and exercise, probably google some good gym programs that help to prepare for surfing. Improve your endurance as much as possible. In addition, there are so many things that you need to learn about surfing simply by reading. Read as much articles in regards to rips, wave types and so on. This forum helps a lot as well.

All the above activities won't substitute surfing ofcoz, however it will prepare yourself for one. So, when you go surfing on holidays (bali or whatever), you will progress much faster.

Ja toje iz Rossii:)

[surfinggrrrl]

Wakesurfing may help you with balance, but not much with surfing. As an intermediate longboarder, and wakeboard boat owner, I cannot wakesurf to save my life! My husband is excellent on the wakesurfer, easily surfs without the rope, but can't catch a wave in the ocean. There is some basic principle of balance which are the same as a short boarder, but that's about it. Ocean surfing is about so much more, paddling, ocean knowledge, rules of the line, etc. etc. Good Luck, and keep surfing, wake or ocean.

Surfinggrrl

[IB_Surfer]

Surfing more improves your surfing, but wake surfing sounds like a blast. Have fun

[tonylamont]

Ah yes, the "board sports" fallacy. Give me a good swimmer and a good [insert board sport] athlete who are both novice surfers. 99 times out of 100 the swimmer will be a competent surfer faster.

Learning to paddle efficiency, read waves and catch them is infinitely more important at the beginner stage than any board skills. Plus, the board skills don't always translate. Many tendencies that help in one board sport are terribly counterproductive in another.

Nothing will teach you to surf other than surfing.