Surfing Waves

Hey, I am just a beginner.
I tried (after one lesson and a lot op youtube and internetsearch), but totally failed. The most waves (they were small) didn't catched me. I was paddeling, the nose of my board wasn't in the water (so, I would think that I wasn't to much to the front). I really didn't get what I did wrong and am still wandering why I couldn't get a wave.
Can somebody help me out??? Please.
Thanks.
Margo

There are many possible reasons:

Board too small
Too far back on the board
Weak paddling
Badly timed paddling
Terrible waves

It's possibly a combination of all 5.

Have you ever body boarded? Give that a go first for a session or two (much easier to catch waves) to get the feel

But Lebowski has highlighted the main reasons. I would add positioning - too far out (from where the waves are breaking). Probably paddle, position and timing - influenced by the board and your positon on the board

Keep trying; people take many hours to catch a wave the first time and even longer to stand up. It's a slow incremental sport - resilience and optimism is required

I've discovered that it really helps to keep your feet together (no drag in the water) and your head up to increase your paddling speed. These two things might seem trivial, but they really make a difference for me.

If you are a visual learner like me, this may help!

Wave Selection and Position


Catching Unbroken Waves

Question - Was anyone else catching waves ? If so, where were they positioned in the break compared to you ?

Question - What size board ( and shape ) were you riding ?

doc wrote:Keep trying; people take many hours to catch a wave the first time and even longer to stand up. It's a slow incremental sport - resilience and optimism is required

This. With something like skiing you can take one lesson and you are ready to go down the slope in a beginner sort of way. Not so with surfing. The very first lesson can only give you a taste of what's to come. Keep practicing and eventually you'll realize you've surpassed this stage. It's true. About a year ago I was exactly where you are right now (and my goal keeps changing so essentially I'll never stop learning) All those competent recreational surfers we see in the water have hundreds of hours of surfing experience.

Two reasons, the first: You ever seen a piece of wood out in the surf? When the wave hits it it doesn't surf, the wave passes right over and nothing happens. Why? Momentum. To catch waves you need to already be moving. Beginners usually don't paddle too good, so waves usually just lift them and nothing happens. Forget surfing, when out in the water practice paddling, get better at it, that will really help you catch waves.

The second reason: Most beginners are too far back on their board, with the nose way up in the air. What happens is that instead of planing the board they are pushing against the wave. Try moving up an inch or two on your board, you can actually tell if you are in the right position on your board because it will paddle easier. Just try it while in the lineup before trying to catch a wave.