New Board "Lazy Toy (ish)", New Problems (catching waves)

[Gumburcules]

Hey All.
I took out my new board for the first time this week and I was really struggling to catch and ride waves.

I am 185lbs riding a 38L locally shaped Lost Lazy Toy-ish . Previously I was riding a 6' 33L Lost Rocket knockoff. and an overvolumed 6'6" 45L shortboard/funboard. which caught waves like a champ but I struggled getting a proper bottom turn in head high surf.

The problem:
Normally when I catch waves I start a little further out the back than most shortboarders take some strokes and build up speed, watch the wave build, and then hit high gear paddling when the wave starts to pick me up and I feel the push of the wave like I got it it press down on the front wait a second to slide down the face, pop up and ride.

The other day, I tried to catch a wave like I always do. And I either stalled out completely on my pop up or most often I would feel the push of the wave like I caught it, push down on the front and fail to slide down the face like I anticipated and the wave would carry me a moment and then I roll off the back.

Here are my thoughts but honestly I have a hard time identifying any one thing so I though maybe one of you guys would have some insight

1) Lack of confidence/Poor wave position? The waves were averaging head high occasional overhead. I have surfed these conditions plenty of times before but always on a board that I had a few months of experience riding in smaller surf.

2) Paddling or lacking some physical strength? I have been out of the water and no gym for 6 weeks+. (Visiting in-laws for the holidays, flu, and jet lag) so I was not 100% of my physical strength but paddling out felt good and I felt really good padding towards a wave and flipping around. Although end of session I felt like jello.

3) Too cold? Maybe not the main reason and I don't like blaming my equipment. But my old wetsuit is way stretched out, and maybe patched up a few times too many. My teeth were chattering the whole day.

4)Still haven't found the sweetspot? The other board I have been riding have the foam either moved forward (rocket), or further back to the tail. This board is much wider at the nose than either of the other boards I have ridden. On those other boards it felt very obvious when I was too far forward or back. This one I can move up or down a half an inch and not feel a huge difference.

So any thoughts? Anything I could do better? Am I out of shape? Poor technique? Poor board position? Need to catch waves differently with this board? Poor wave selection? Better conditions? All of the above? None of the above.

Thank you.

[waikikikichan]

All of the above. Plus... You took out a new board after not surfing for over 6 weeks. You could have surfed the days before on another board and still have a hard time with the new one.

If it was windy off-shore, maybe the bigger nose was catching too much air underneath. You gotta move your body more up if waves are passing you by.

Question, are you getting up on one knee firs, then to your feet ?

[Gumburcules]

Thanks for a quick response. Ill try scooting up a little further next time,

to answer your questions.
1)There was a fair amount off shore wind.
2) I pop up directly to my feet.

[surferbee]

I recently posted about a similar issue. You might find some additional answers here, especially the reply that includes the comments from George, the shaper: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26100