paddle, pop up -- and wave goes by without me?

[keithwdixon]

Hoping someone can help me move past my most common problem! (I even have video!)

I'm a beginner (surfed 7 times this summer) -- I use a 7'10'' funboard, surf generally thigh to waist high. Right now my goal is to just catch lots of waves -- and without a doubt, my most common problem (happens on about half the waves I try and catch) is that I line up, time the wave, paddle like crazy, feel it, pop up...and the wave literally just drifts by without carrying me forward?

Please be gentle, but -- I even have a video of this exact thing happening to me at Spring Lake this past wkd, below. I would greatly welcome someone taking a look and offering some criticism of what I seem to be doing wrong -- I think I was even in really good position to catch the wave at its breaking crest -- but then notice how I stand up, the white water appears under me, and the wave just flows by without me...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/660 ... G_4042.m4v

I am feeling like I am stuck at this level and I won't go anywhere until I solve some mistake I seem to be making again and again. Any suggestions about what I am doing wrong? -- Thanks so much guys!

(One thing -- occasionally when I get in that standing-on-white-water situation, i sense that i COULD move forward if I leaned way forward and slipped down the face of the wave, but the few times I have tried that I have pearled BAD so that doesn't seem to be the answer either...)

Help!

[oldmansurfer]

I can't see your video but It's likely you need to lean forward or step forward. I think fear of pearling makes you stay back or lean back but that only makes you miss the wave and if you do catch it then you will pearl.

[waikikikichan]

Paddling like " crazy " is not good. Catching a wave is like hitting a baseball. You can't just swing madly. Timing to match where the ball and the wave is important. ( but in surfing the pitcher is standing behind you )

Don't paddle faster, paddle smarter. Move a large amount of water a short distance rather than a small amount of water a long distance. ( splashing )

Also Catch the wave FIRST, then Stand Up. You ( in American Football terms ) are running before you caught the ball.

[jaffa1949]

IN the video you are making the commonest mistake standing up before you have caught the wave. You needed to make at least to more paddle strokes!
You need to be moving down the wave not stand as you feel the wave lift you.
Very ordinary surf but OK to learn in.
when you stand your feeling is correct you need to move a little forward the nose of your board should be pointing in the direction you wish to go ( in the video's case uphill)

You don't have to paddle like a demented spider to catch a wave but you need to match or exceed the speed of the wave in sloppy surf .
A good thing you are doing is you are trying to catch the waves rather than the typical white water let the waves catch you technique.
Persist it will come , we have all been at this stage

[dtc]

As the others have said, you are basically doing two things 'wrong' - not being fast enough to catch the wave, and then popping up too early

First thing, you seem to be a little bit too far back on the board (its a bit unclear- you may not be, but its worth checking anyway). Lay on your board in flat water and shuffle forward until the nose is about 1inch above the water. That is the position you should generally be in. This may seem too far forward but it isn't. You will learn to shuffle a bit back or forward or arch your body to deal with different shaped waves, but as a starting point this is where you should be. Note where it is (often your nose or eyes are over the logo). The reason for this is that if you are too far back, your board tail will sink into the water and create enormous drag, slowing you right down. You needs speed. Don't worry about the nose digging in, that is NOT caused by being too far forward - it is caused by being too slow in your paddling (so moving back to put the nose higher slows you down and causes the very thing you thought would be overcome by moving back...)

Second, your paddling. You need to reach forward as far as you can (without tilting your shoulders) and then pull strongly back right along side the board (like a freestyle stroke). You seem to be 'paddling wide' - your hands are out to the side, where you will get no power (and it puts a lot of strain on your shoulders); and you are taking rapid shallow paddles. Again no power. Basically you just aren't moving fast enough.

In addition to the paddling practice, you may be turning and starting to paddle too late - certainly by the time the wave arrives you aren't moving very fast and this might be part of the cause (cant tell because when the video starts, but again its worth just making a check - it often is an issue for beginners because you are thinking 'should I catch this one, maybe, no, ok yes' - and then you don't have time to get up to speed), ). If you start late, by the time you have overcome the inertia of the board and actually started moving, the wave has passed you by. If you think this might be a factor I suggest you move your starting point back maybe 5-10 ft (away from the beach) and start paddling 3 or 4 seconds earlier. Over time you will develop your paddling skills and positioning and wont need to do this, but just to start off with give it a go.

Combined with proper board positioning and padding technique, this should put you up and going forward at the right speed when the wave comes.

Lastly, as Jaffa has said, you are popping up too early. Its an 'art' to knowing when to pop up, but you need to feel the board being pushed forwards and downwards slightly (down the face of the wave). Yes it feels totally wrong at first - and continuing to paddle when your head is higher than your feet just confuses your brain totally. So when you feel the board is being pushed forward (not up), take another really strong paddle then pop up. If that doesn't work, next time take 2 extra paddles...again, as you start catching waves you will start feeling when its right, when you need to adjust or wait. That's just experience; you will mess up plenty of times to start with.

Lots of things seem illogical, but if you are paddling properly and moving forward fast enough by the time the wave arrives and wait long enough before popping up (but not too long...) it all comes together and you catch the wave. Then the fun...

So
- check your body positioning
- focus on paddling properly
- start slightly earlier so your speed is up
- take one more paddle than you think you need

[waikikikichan]

In the video, you are staring at your feet. Do not look at your feet. Trust me, they are still connected to your body. Where you look is where you go. By looking down, you just cut your speed.

To get over your "Fred Flintstone" surfing style, I would try take off and belly ride some waves. Try to say to yourself, at what point would you pop up as you come down the wave. Slowly, by slowly you can get the timing down.

Are any of the other people in the video your surf buddies ? Try catching a wave at the same time with them.

[keithwdixon]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone -- this is terrific advice! I may be going to long beach tomorrow and will give your suggestions a try.

In general am planning --

• board position -- nose 1'' out of water
• start 5-10 farther out, paddle sooner
• paddle BETTER
• first, 1 extra paddle -- wait until feet higher than head...
• head up...
• then quick pop up
• if that doesn't work, 2 extra paddles, head up, then pop up...

thanks everyone!!!

[waikikikichan]

NO. you are getting ahead of yourself. Catch the wave FIRST........... Then Pop up.

You're being too analytical. Imagine you trying to break down how to throw a baseball pitch. Hand at chest, front knee up, twist at waist clockwise, lead hand out ...... blah blah. Dude, just throw the ball !! Let it go, let it flow.

How are you going to check if the nose is 1" out of the water while you're paddling ? by looking at the nose ? Not good.
How are you going to paddle better ? What method or technique will help you paddle better ?

[Big H]

For what it's worth KeithD., Waikikikichan's suggestion to belly ride waves is what worked for me to get past this stage of development....you will get into the wave and can feel when the wave takes you without the added complication of trying to figure out when (and somewhat how as popping up is not an automatic movement yet right?) to stand up....you can just paddle hard then pay attention to details like if you are positioned on your board correctly to catch the wave, get that down then you're catching waves and not pearling and then you can start to figure and FEEL when that "moment" is that you should stand.

[dtc]

In general am planning --

• board position -- nose 1'' out of water
• start 5-10 farther out, paddle sooner
• paddle BETTER
• first, 1 extra paddle -- wait until feet higher than head...
• head up...
• then quick pop up
• if that doesn't work, 2 extra paddles, head up, then pop up...

thanks everyone!!!

when you put it like that it seems complicated....

Its like every physical activity (think golf swing) - you cannot hold 5 thoughts in your mind at once. I'm a bit different to waikikichan - I do learn by breaking things down to individual actions. But I cant fix all of them at once - I do one at a time, try variations until I get it right. Then move on. I think both ways of learning are fine, just pick your way.

Paddling is muscle memory. Practice doing it right all the time whenever you are paddling. Then you will do it right without thinking. Board positioning you should also do all the time - you paddle around all the time in the right position and you will get to just 'feel' when its right without thinking.

Most of the rest comes with experience - my suggestion is focus on looking up/where you want to go (you want to go down the wave but slightly at an angle, depending on which way the wave is breaking) and focus on not popping up too soon. The others have given some good hints on this. All of the 'head above feet' and 'extra paddle' and 'wait until the wave has caught you' is popping up too soon - its all the same thing, so there is no need to think 3 or 4 thoughts, just the one. And, really, its not even a thought - its a 'feel' - you can feel when the wave has caught you. Once it has happened to you 5 or 10 times (even on your belly) then you will just 'know' (you will still get it wrong, but not as often!)

[Tudeo]

you can feel when the wave has caught you. Once it has happened to you 5 or 10 times (even on your belly) then you will just 'know' (you will still get it wrong, but not as often!)

You will still get it wrong sometimes because ur learning, but also when more advanced you'll get it wrong sometimes cos there is so much variation in waves. It's a continuing learning process, the reason why u should put in the effort is just for fun.

[waikikikichan]

DTC - I am like you to. I like to break down individual movements. But he seems to be breaking down the actions During the action. ( thus my analogy of talking to yourself while throwing a pitch - or swinging a club ).

[yumyumyellow]

I agree with what others said. It's more about positioning than "paddling like crazy". Get in the right position (ie. at the peak), THEN when the wave comes under you, give a few hard, deep, strokes. When you think you've caught the wave, give it two more deep strokes. Sometimes, in hard offshore winds, this can be tough as the wind wants to keep you at the top of the wave. In this case, try angling you takeoff a little more. You may also do everything right but still find yourself kinda stuck at the top of the wave and in this case you'll need to force yourself down the wave by leaning forward a bit of popping up slightly more forward on your board.

You need to full commit to the drop. If you're leaning back on the tail on takeoff it's gonna make it harder.

[dtc]

You may also do everything right but still find yourself kinda stuck at the top of the wave and in this case you'll need to force yourself down the wave by leaning forward a bit of popping up slightly more forward on your board.

You need to full commit to the drop. If you're leaning back on the tail on takeoff it's gonna make it harder.

This is an important point worth noting as well - when you pop up your brain is going 'don't fall over' and making you lean back (pressure on back foot) to stay level.. For your brain, level is normal. But leaning back just bogs the tail and slows the board and you can go off the wave.

For me, I convinced my brain to do the right thing - that is, go down the slope, charge down the slope - by convincing my brain that it was just like going down hill when skiing or when skateboarding down a hill. You don't lean back, you lean forward and go with the slope. It is actually exactly the same, but its easier/more normal on land than in the strange (when you are a beginner) location of water and when combined with all the other new things going on just to catch the wave.

[Big H]

I personally never liked the advice to take an extra stroke....semantics but I think you should take exactly as many strokes as needed....to know that you just need time in the water....practice catching waves on your belly as it has been suggested....you will learn where you need to be to catch the wave, how hard to stroke, what that feeling is when you have caught it....once you can recognise that feeling you just need to stand up when you feel it again (quickly)....catching on your belly you can practice angling, both before you catch (paddling in at an angle) and after (putting pressure/setting a rail as you pop up by weighting the inside hand of the direction that you're going)....have fun!

[yumyumyellow]

I think the main thing is that beginners just sort of wait for things to happen to them. I was certainly guilty of it. They wait for the perfect wave to come right to them, they for the wave to take them once they reluctantly paddle for it, they wait until they feel it's absolutely safe to pop up (by then it's usually too late), they turn their head and wait for their board to turn. Once you commit to taking total control of what you're doing in the water at every step, your surfing will improve very quickly. One time I read a quote that was something like "There are two types of surfers: the hunters and the hunted. You don't want to be the hunted". Most beginners go through a phase were they are very much the hunted because it feels safer, but it's really not.

[keithwdixon]

It sounds like belly riding might be a good place to begin -- get the feel for the "catch" itself and then build on that.

one other thing -- i have at times sensed that I could make the ride work if i commit to more weight-forward stance -- but at times this has caused me to pearl.

is it possible that my beginner ( = straight down and forward, nose digging into wave trough) way of surfing contributes to this?

meaning, does the more advanced method of catching the wave and heading off at an angle partially prevent pearling? is it too advanced for me to be thinking of beginning with a turn the moment i do catch a wave? i'm wondering if that will help.

thanks all!

[oldmansurfer]

It is amazing that with all that goes into surfing we can actually do it. You have to have caught the wave and you have to be standing in the right place on the board and shift from leaning downhill to turning back up hill at the bottom. I don't know if ramp skateboarding helps with this but think of a skateboarder on a ramp. He is standing at the top and wants to drop down. His untrained instincts tell him it's dangerous and he wants to lean back but he has to overcome thing and lean forward. If he leans back the skateboard will go forward and he will go backward. Then he is leaning forward dropping down this steep verticle wall but he needs to bring the board under him at the bottom or he will face plant so along the drop he needs to start leaning back a bit but really it is about getting board under him. It is the same thing surfing but the board is bigger.

Yes there are things you can do to help not pearl besides making sure you caught the wave and standing in the right place on the board. BigH mentioned pushing one rail in as you popup. I do this sometimes too but it may be a little difficult if you don't have your popup down allready. You could take off at an angle but that requires being able to paddle better. It takes more effort to get the board up to speed at an angle. What I often do is to do an ankle turn at the top of the wave. I use my ankles to push the inside rail into the face of the wave it changes the direction the board is going slightly and increases as you get down the wave. That may be difficult to accomplish if you don't have your popup down. You could stand further back on the tail after you popup. When I used a longbaord this is what I did on realy steep waves, I would watch the nose of the board and when water went over the tip I stomped the tail with my rear foot. This worked really well but if you ask Waikikichan who teaches surfing he would say that is not a good thing, you should be looking at the wave not your board. Overall what helps is practice. Get your wave catching and popup and stance down and the rest will follow.

[Big H]

Paddle more effectively and you won't pearl on those waves.

[keithwdixon]

How are you going to paddle better ? What method or technique will help you paddle better ?

my understanding is that i need to really concentrate on NOT paddling wide, and instead to make sure i am paddling right along the rails and DEEP, with long straight strokes -- reach out far ahead, dig deep, and push the water straight back behind.