Help with Standing

[Chris]

I am 43 year old learner (new sport after injury retirement from triathlon). Can stand up but very awkwardly via knees, and as well as looking very ordinary, end up with sore bruised kneecaps. To get to feet in one smooth move, should I have my feet on end of board and push up from them? I can't see how I can push up enough and swing my feet far enough forward to stand in one move if not using feet to jump up. Watched videos over and over but so hard to see exactly what they are doing.

[sinistapenguin]

Hi Chris

This is probably the hardest part of surfing to nail. It's also the hardest to describe accurately.

When you are learning, it is very difficult to get the 'pop' right. This is partly because the board is flat. As you progress and start taking off in the steeper part of the wave, the process becomes easier, because gravity plays its part.

It is actually worth practicing the 'pop' at home on the floor (although I still have problems doing it here).

To directly answer your question. If your board is long enough for you to push off your feet, then I would do it. If you are watching the majority of surf videos then they are on shortboards and will pop up from their knees.

Unfortunately it is one of those things that only comes with practise. What I would do is go for a 'mid point' of popping up so that your front foot is in place and your back knee is down, then push off your front leg to get off the back knee.

It is hard, but you'll know when you start to get it.

When you've got the hang of this you'll have to try and tackle 'duck diving' which is the absolute hardest thing to get right because you need decent sized waves to practice properly, but that makes it worse when you get it wrong.

Basically, just stick at it and you will get the hang of getting to your feet!

Good luck

Sinista

[Chris]

Thanks Sinista - just as I thought. Need to keep working on it, and no easy solution as i had hoped. In terms of duck-diving, have already abandoned that and will work on turtle roll. I am using a 7'10" NSP board, and it will take a bigger bloke than me to sink.

[sinistapenguin]

Hi Chris

Unfortunately it's true - painful knees are part of learning. Then you move on to 2 little bruises where your ribs are pressing on the board when paddling.

As for duck-diving, it can be done - even with a 7'10 NSP. I've seen someone duck dive a 9'6 longboard (don't ask me how!!).

I've always found the 'turtle roll' to be equally hard to get right. - I always used to revert to my old favourite. Get off the board, turn the board fins up, grab the leash near the board, duck under and pull down on the leash.

It aint pretty, but it gets you under the bigger waves!!

Sinista

[Chris]

Got the bruises first time out. Lasted 6 weeks and was beginning to think I'd cracked ribs. Your last comment re gravity on steeper waves is spot on. Was out on Saturday and finally got my first two clean rides on unbroken waves. After both and feeling like I have finally surfed (for the first time not in the froth) I realized that I had got up without the knees and without even thinking about it. So in terms of gravity - its much easier to bring the feet through in a downward line as you head down the face, than in a forward line when you are practising in broken mushy waves. Thanks.

[surf patrol]

Surfing in mushy waves makes it much harder to get up. When you have caught an unbroken, more powerful wave the water surface is completely different. Your board is stable and when you push down on the board it does not sink straight in.
That first 'drop' is incredible. You think surfing is great just getting up on the whitewater and then wham! completely different experience.
The faster the board is moving in the water the more solid the surfboard will be and the easier it is to get up on.