Please critique my (crappy) performance - part 2

[pmcaero]

In case someone might find this helpful, part 1 is here: https://surfing-waves.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=25810

Based on generous feedback from users on this forum, this is what I have been trying to work on:
-pop up with bringing my legs under me to speed up the board
-turning while popping up of a quick bottom turn to start down the line
-improve stance with knees closer together for better turns

The results of today's session are somewhat mixed. I failed, during both rides caught on camera, to properly set up for a ride along the face of the wave away from the breaking part. I failed to stay high on the face. As always, critique is welcome!
Both videos slowed down to 1/4 speed.

[Big H]

Did you do better on off camera waves? Your performance aside, I don't see any other surfers in the water and the waves don't really look good at all......hard to make much of those, esp. on a shortboard unless you rip.

[pmcaero]

I don't think I did much better on the other waves I caught.
The offshore started to pick up during the session. Very few people, it was pretty cold and all the shortboarders got their fill yesterday (I also went out yesterday but didn't catch a single wave).

Today there were a couple of people on paddleboards and a couple on longboards but there was also shortboarder ripping so no excuses.

[dtc]

You catch the wave and pop up ok (maybe a bit slow - its hard to tell), but in any case, you catch the wave and that is the ideal outcome

Your problem is that you are heading straight to the beach and you don't do anything about it. My suggestion is to angle your paddle - if the wave is breaking left (ie you will head to your left to ride the face), then start paddling toward the left as the wave comes in. As you pop up look to the left. Then you will already be heading in the right direction and your weight is going in the right direction. All you need to do then is twist a bit.

The other option is the start off straight and do a big bottom turn. On waves like that you probably cant do it - not enough speed (not your fault, that's the waves). Whereas if you are already angled, 50% of the turn is already done.

Watch videos of surfers take off on waves - almost all of them will be angled at the point of pop up and already looking where they want to go. Its actually easier to angle than to go straight - less steepness on the wave for example (straight down a slope is steeper than going across a slope)

[pmcaero]

Hmm , I guess I need to angle more while I paddle. I try to pop up and start turning right away but it doesn't seem to work out.
I thought an angled paddle was more for longboards though.

[drowningbitbybit]

but there was also shortboarder ripping so no excuses.

Yeah, but there's always one

Everything Big H said... it's all about generating speed in those waves, and that takes a lot of practise. If I was on those waves, I'd have taken out my big-volume groveller and had some slidey fun, but I think I'd struggle to properly get and maintain some speed without some foam beneath me.

I think the biggest help would be, like Big H said, to go in at an angle. You'd probably go in to those waves at almost 45º to the beach/wave. Then keep your weight on your inside rail to stay high, followed by one drop down the face, which I reckon is about as much as you could realistically expect on those waves at your level

[drowningbitbybit]

I thought an angled paddle was more for longboards though.

NO!!!

[jaffa1949]

[quote="pmcaero"
I thought an angled paddle was more for longboards though.[/quote]

It is a most useful tool in any size board skill set, especially if you can't bottom turn
There are no set rules as to how and what you do, only that it be effective.
At the moment without angle you dangle , so angle!

[waikikikichan]

2nd wave, you're trying to go Right from the other side of the curtain. You going into the white water, you need to go AWAY from the white water. But, there wasn't much face on the Left anyways. So basically a go straight dump.

[waikikikichan]

1st wave, you are leaning Not turning. Your butt is sticking out and try to lead the body. You need to twist your torso counter-clockwise to the face of the wave.

[oldmansurfer]

It seems to me like you are lining up slightly wrong. If it were me I would be right at the peak most likely....hard to say. Do you have an accurate lineup on the shoreline? Is that where you want to be on the waves?

[pmcaero]

Do you have an accurate lineup on the shoreline? Is that where you want to be on the waves?

There was one really good set but it came maybe once every 5 minutes and when it did it always caught me inside. So I kept vacillating between wanting to wait for that, and getting too cold because I wasn't moving, and trying for the smaller sets, with the result that I was never properly positioned.

[oldmansurfer]

It's sometimes difficult to get lined to the proper distance out or in but I was thinking left or right lineup usually 2 objects far apart that lineup with the right place left or right. Then you still have to figure out how far out to be but often that is easy to judge by looking at the waves as you paddle out

[Surf Hound]

Not sure you can do much else other than practice pop ups on those waves. You mentioned staying high and riding the top of the wave which really isn't possible with the waves shown. My advice would be the same as others - take off at more of an angle (left) and practice popping up. Not sure one can do much else on these waves as a true bottom turn would leave the wave passing you by because not enough power to get you outta a bottom turn. Looks like a good spot to practice taking off and popping up but not much else with those conditions. Don't over analyze yourself - use those conditions for practice so when it gets good you can use what you learned.

[RinkyDink]

I think you're trying to stand up too straight after your popup. Keep your knees bent and learn how to twist your torso like Waikiki says. You're too wooden. Go out and dance, dude.

You might benefit from copying this kid on his skateboard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRQLvkoSj7w

Or this guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga-6wy0Nboo

Or this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EonxoGtl3hk

Or anyone in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2RhG7riORM

[pmcaero]

You might benefit from copying this kid on his skateboard.

I have a surf-skateboard and I practice on it fairly often, trying to keep my knees bent and doing bottom turns and cutbacks and pumping.
But somehow it all gets lost when I am on a surfboard

[Big H]

Next time you're out, as soon as you pop up duck down again then stand up then duck down again....don't matter what part of the wave or not that you're on...it will loosen you up and get you moving and more in tune on the board....do that a few times and you'll realise how out of sync you are with the wave....and then it begins....you are now aware how out of sync and slowly you'll begin moving with the wave better...............at least that's what I did........and I'm improving so worth a shot......it breaks you out of the cast that you see so many learners stuck in which is pop up and HOLD.....loosen up and move up and down....next thing you'll know you'll be pumping - at the wrong place and time....and then you'll start to "feel" it and you'll get better. But before all of that get the angled paddle working....then figure out how to paddle straight to catch a weak wave then as you're standing to turn the board into the wave (on an angle) with your hands as part of your pop up....waves like that you can practice those movements over and over....I bet if you're active you could get 25-30 pop n outs in an hour and a half......get that down then start dancing...

[Big H]

On your skateboard, practice getting so low that you can grab the rail....get your butt down....that helped me improve my bottom turns....I wasn't getting low enough....I'm 6'1" and 45 years old and figured how to fold things so that I could squeeze down that low so no excuses! But honestly, practicing getting really low on the skateboard translated to very good things in the water...

[pmcaero]

I did that for a while on the skateboard, made some really fast turns almost sitting on the deck, and felt like a teenager, but since it's not a movement I would do on the surfboard I gave it up. I've been basing my surf-skating on these tutorials:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxKqOOd2CY4

But your suggestion of overdoing after pop-up might actually work, I will try next time, and hopefully learn better control.

[Big H]

That guy skateboarding is way too high, static and stiff too....

THIS is what you want....

...look at the movement, how deep the knees get bent, the rhythm of the body going up and down in tune with the turns.....that's the biz!!!