Body/Mat surfing

[zebroo]

Hi all

I am currently not surfing due to a shoulder injury (scan due next week).

In the meantime I have ordered some MS Viper fins and a mat. They arrived yesterday and I went to the sea after work and discovered that I can't kick effectively with the fins and that my feet hurt (as in strained, not rubbed by the fins).

So I know I need to learn to swim with the fins before trying to surf with them. I can't find much info online so hoping somebody will have some tips please?

Many Thanks

[oldmansurfer]

Bummer. I used to bodysurf and paipo board long ago and as I recall some types of fins bothered my feet too. I couldn't use duck feet fins which were popular amoung bodysurfers back then. I tried regualr swim fins made for snorkle diving and that was much better. I also would go one day with fins and the next day no fins at first. Perhaps making sure the fins fit well too helps. If your feet feel cramped then it probably isn't going to work

[jaffa1949]

The fastest form of surfcraft nice.
A Fourth Gear Flyer or a Krypt mat?
If you are flippering with ankle movement absolutely the way to get pain.
A good rhythmic scissor kick or flutter kickusing your whole leg as a straight lever is the way to go .
Swim out, mat well under inflated, blow up outside till you can bend the mat into a right angle at the half way point that is pretty much the optimum inflation, a simple technique you can grip it well in the front corners and pull it around in a bottom turn, then tuck your elbows in and push down on the outside pontoons which gives you a concave bottom for fast planing acroos the face , release the out side rail ( pontoon) pressure and side slide down then re-engage.
Great fun have a watch of this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jyaxsL599g

[zebroo]

Thank you OMS and Jaffa for the tips.

Jaffa I just bought a very cheap Redback mat for the time being. If I get addicted who knows... first impression is that the thing is huge. I only ended up catching white water due to not being able to get going with the fins However, I love Crystal Voyager and am very excited about the potential for fun, as well as getting back in the surf until I get my longboard out again

I hope I get the hang of the fins! I know when I do my pool laps that I feel I only really kick with my lower leg so that is probably the issue... I will practice over the weekend.

[jaffa1949]

I'm taking my mat to Indo, if things work out well I will do some GoPro shooting from a helmet I'm wearing while riding the mat. Could be good or a bore who knows yet!

[zebroo]

Make sure you post the footage for us! When's your Indo trip?

[jaffa1949]

get your flippers up and running no dragon your feet

This was downloaded from FlickR

At the Newport wedge