Surfing Waves

Hi,
I have been having surfing lessons for the last 2 mths and I love it! With the instructor there, I can paddle onto (small) waves, get the drop (love that feeling) and ride it to shore. I can trim across the wave a little but I'm not turning really.
The problem is when I go out by myself it all goes to pieces!! I can never get myself into the right spot, I watch where the other surfers are but I always seems to be too late onto waves. I just spend my time nose diving, or too far out.
When I finish a lesson I'm so pumped and think, man that was unreal, I'm getting this. When I go out solo I'm like, you'll never get this, you suck.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Practice more and more time in the water.....the importance of positioning and learning how to figure it on your own is something that needs to be learned the hard way....learning to use a combination of learned experiences, developed fitness and growing your sense of timing, water movement, and ability to find your way back to that magic position means time in the water with your senses tuned wide open. Watch, practice, take notes and learn.

Thanks for the advice. I guess it's just going to be time out there, making mistakes and learning from that.

Do you have eyes in the back of your head ? No, of course not. That is one of the benefits of an instructor, an extra set of eyes. ( to look out for others, to gauge where and when to paddle, etc. ) Probably during your lesson you are laying on your board facing the beach, right ? Well, then there's the possibility that you're using the same method when you're alone. You still have the tendency to face the shore and wait for the "okay, paddle now", which now isn't there. You may even be looking over your right shoulder, when the wave is actually coming from the left.
My advice is getting use to You and the board facing the waves, learning how to sit up and spin the board around and timing the paddle to meet the wave.
Like they say, "The Ocean is like a classroom full of kids, You never turn your back on it."

On my first solo attempts that's exactly what I was doing, lying down facing the beach. I can now sit on the board, spin around and paddle for what I think is a catchable wave.....
I know it's just a matter of being out there and it eventually come. I guess I'm going through a bit of frustration at the moment.

Not sure what type of break you're at, but where in relation are you to the peak when you're with the instructor and when you're solo ?
What do you think is the difference when you're with the instructor and when you're solo ? You figuring that out, will help you fix the problem.

Further to what WKK was saying, might be worth a few more lessons with a few solo sessions mixed between to sort out what it is that you could be doing better when you are out there alone.

I think many people are surprised by how difficult it is to learn to surf. I mean just getting up on a board and riding it to the beach isn't too difficult but to learn all the rest of surfing takes some time and effort. It's not supposed to be easy

Learning to surf is much harder than I thought, even just getting the basics. I am really enjoying the process, going to give it the time it needs and deserves.
I'm learning at a beach break in Sydney, have got a mini mal.
I've got a lesson later today (doubt it will happen, zero surf) and one more next week. After that my second baby arrives so it's no more lessons (cash flow tight).
I suppose I've got to get a much out of these last lessons as possible. Then it's observe what others are doing and getting out there, giving it some time.
Thanks for all who've given advice, appreciated.

Hopefully you will make some surfer friends and they can help you but if you are having a particular problem rather than in general post it here and maybe we can help.

Also Waikikichan has a web site devoted to teaching surfing at http://alohaki.jugem.jp/

Thanks for all the help. Had a lesson today in some small surf, was great, no one around.
Got answers to all my questions, it was the same answer every time. Time in the water, practice, experience. Solid advice I think.

I started surfing a year ago. I have not long come out of that stage.

What I found helped loads was a couple of days with really small wind swell that helped me (about 1-2 ft) all I did was paddle out spin my board catch/ nosedive or just fall off the back of the wave but I kept going and spinning the board around. It really helped with catching waves and just getting into the right position.

Also watch simply surfing finding spot x on YouTube as that is very informative as well.

Hmmm. I thought/hoped the lessons can teach people about wave selection and positioning. I was sort of contemplating on booking one to improve my wave reading skills. Otherwise, just keep on surfing and accumulate the water time, I guess.

saltydog wrote:Hmmm. I thought/hoped the lessons can teach people about wave selection and positioning. I was sort of contemplating on booking one to improve my wave reading skills. Otherwise, just keep on surfing and accumulate the water time, I guess.

there is a big gap in surf lessons - there are lessons for absolute beginners and high performance lessons for rippers, but very little in between. Dig out a podcast called 'surf mastery' and find the interview with Ru Hill, who is the founder of Surf Simply; he spend quite a bit of time talking about this and how weird it is (and how surf simply focused on the gap and are now extremely successful). I think the interview is Dec 2016. Its a pretty interesting interview as well.

In any case, there are a few (but not many) schools that run more intermediate sessions or sometimes camps; the other option is to get a one on one lesson. Most schools will offer this even if not publicised - the instructors are (usually!) good surfers themselves, so can provide individual tuition.

There no doubt my surfing instructor (I'm having 1 on 1 lessons) could offer some gold as to wave selection and positioning etc. My thing is I'm still working on getting the basics down, but with another baby due any day (which I'm pumped about beyond words!!) I'm unable to continue with the lessons. I feel I'm going to slide cause I won't be catching waves, so the basics I have now will slip away, cause I'm constantly floundering around in the wrong spots at the wrong time.

Oggy wrote:There no doubt my instructor (I'm having 1 on 1 lessons) could offer some gold as to wave selection and positioning etc. My thing is I'm still working on getting the basics down, but with another baby due any day (which I'm pumped about beyond words!!) I'm unable to continue with the lessons. I feel I'm going to slide cause I won't be catching waves, so the basics I have now will slip away, cause I'm constantly floundering around in the wrong spots at the wrong time.

Honestly, that is a big part of the learning process....surfing isn't only about standing in the board....improving comes in many forms, including developing instincts as to where you need to be and when. It's not glamorous, and you'll barely notice your development save for you will slowly start to catch more waves, get caught inside less, find getting out back easier than it used to be....small things. It mportant things. The floundering has its place as well since it will take lots of hours in the water to build the paddle strength and endurance needed to catch waves, stay safe, keep up with the sweep, stay safe, surf longer and stay safe. The floundering is engine development and a few frustrating months down the line you will make mini breakthrough after breakthrough and suddenly it will all come together.... backbone of which will be your growing paddle fitness. Hang in there, it's a long road....I'm three years in and just getting my feet wet so to speak....but even if you go out and can't catch a single wave, stay aware, stay active in the water (don't just bob around) and you will develop and learn.

Thanks Big H. Looking forward to some floundering this weekend!

Its all clicked a little! After some quality time floundering, nosediving and generally sucking I can now catch waves! Can't describe how pumped I was getting the first was one solo, over the moon! Went out today and caught 4 or 5, missed lots, nose dived off some but still a huge improvement. I feel I can read what's coming a little better now, be in a decent spot and have a bit more paddle power (fitness) to get on it.
Thanks for all the advice!

Great Oggy, which Sydney beach? Nice to here it is all in a good beginning