Surfing Waves

I have a 6' Odysea Skipper which is very buoyant. I've been experimenting with turtle rolling and it seems to work as well as my longboard, that is, I don't lose too much ground if I get my body deep under.

I doubt I could duck-dive that board, and also, because of contacts, I don't open my eyes under water which I found out makes my duck-dives hit or miss.

Anyone else uses turtle-roll with their shortboard?

Sure, I do sometimes. ( so long as no ones watching )

waikikikichan wrote:Sure, I do sometimes. ( so long as no ones watching )

heh I never took you for a high volume shortboard kind of guy.

You're right, I'm not really a shortboard guy. But I did use my 6'4" NSP Fish in a small surfshop contest. I'm the smallest rider yet using the biggest board. If I can duck dive this at 5'3" 125lbs. , you can duck dive a 6'0" skipper.

I think that skipper has a boatload of volume - 48L, right? You can probably duck-dip it in smaller surf but it's gotta be pretty tough in waves of consequence. My midlength is ~44L, and I'll turtle roll on rare occasions if I get caught in a bad spot - mostly if the alternative is worse than simply getting washed in a bit. The simple solution, of course, is just not to get caught

waikikikichan wrote:You're right, I'm not really a shortboard guy. But I did use my 6'4" NSP Fish in a small surfshop contest. I'm the smallest rider yet using the biggest board. If I can duck dive this at 5'3" 125lbs. , you can duck dive a 6'0" skipper.

So if a 6’4 counts as a shortboard for someone 5’3, I can count my 7’4 as my shortboard and my 6’10 as my high performance short board!

I’m almost ready for my WSL debut!

Can’t duck dive the 7’4 though and the 6’10 is pretty sketchy. Then again, and obviously, I suck at duck.

dtc wrote:So if a 6’4 counts as a shortboard for someone 5’3, I can count my 7’4 as my shortboard and my 6’10 as my high performance short board!

We're from a different generation and time from these Millennials. Back in 1991 Tom Carroll won the Pipe Masters on a 7'8". Gabriel Medina used a 6'3"-6'6" to win the 2018 Pipe Masters.
See if any of these young guys can do a "Snap" on a 7'8" like Tom did.



......... well, other than Mason Ho.

waikikikichan wrote:you can duck dive a 6'0" skipper.

My main issue with duck-diving is not being able to open my eyes underwater lest a 50/50 chance of losing a contact.
I have found that it is harder for me to perform the duckdive sequence with my eyes shut even on my board with less volume. Success rate with eyes shut does not warrant relying on this maneuver.
Turtle-roll is comparatively simple kinetically and can be done with eyes shut so to speak.

The turtle roll is an enigma to me.

Basically I am flat on my back on the surface of the water holding my board in the air above me. When the wave rolls over me you can guess what happens.

That sounds like a dead cockroach wash away roll!
Timing is everything, paddle strongly straight towards the oncoming white water.
With that speed, timing it so you have enough time complete the roll but with no gap between roll and impact of the wave.
Grab the rails forward on the board tightly, roll off to the side turn the board upside down as you do.
Pull the nose down into the water and hang your body as a sea anchor.
As in a duck dive the wave should push the board down into the water further and pass overhead, hopefully without pushing you backwards too much. Repeat as necessary.
In the intervals between waves roll back onto your board and keep paddling out.
Try to pick a route out that involves the minimum rolls.
If some one is riding DO NOT try to out paddle them to the shoulder, you won’t make it and neither will the rider.
Turn towards the white water and set up your roll! . The further you are into the white water in this circumstance the less likely you will be involved in their cutback or wipeout.

pmcaero wrote:
My main issue with duck-diving is not being able to open my eyes underwater lest a 50/50 chance of losing a contact.
I have found that it is harder for me to perform the duckdive sequence with my eyes shut even on my board with less volume. Success rate with eyes shut does not warrant relying on this maneuver.
Turtle-roll is comparatively simple kinetically and can be done with eyes shut so to speak.

Hi pmcaero

Interested to know where in the duck dive not having eyes open is causing a problem. Reason for asking is that I have the same issue, but found that the split second spent wiping water away from my eyes after surfacing meant I wasn’t properly prepared for the next wave coming up during shorter swell periods. However sounds like you ideally want to be looking out for something during the dive? My dives are fairly crap, in part because I can get away with it at my local break. However if having eyes open underwater helps with understanding when to complete the dive it’s yet another reason for me to start seriously thinking about getting my eyes lasered!!’

Prancing monkey wrote: However if having eyes open underwater helps with understanding when to complete the dive it’s yet another reason for me to start seriously thinking about getting my eyes lasered!!’

Other than using a Carver skateboard, getting lasik surgery done on my eyes made a big deference in leveling up in surfing. Just keeping your vision help to make closeout section and just stay more upright on the board. ( funny thing, i never lost a contact in bigger waves, always in small conditions, guess I let my guard down ). But Yes I would agree being able to look under water up and see the wave cloud pass over to get under helps, but it is not that important if you didn't have proper duck diving technique in the first place.
By the way, get your Lasik surgery down in Japan, it's like half of the American price.

LostAtSea wrote:The turtle roll is an enigma to me.

Basically I am flat on my back on the surface of the water holding my board in the air above me. When the wave rolls over me you can guess what happens.

need to get under water more. Push your body down with your feet. Under the whitewash, your body will act like an anchor.It's amazing how little ground you lose when you get deep enough.

waikikikichan wrote:By the way, get your Lasik surgery down in Japan, it's like half of the American price.

Damn... I have had 5 work trips to Tokyo over the last few years, but that project has finished and no more in the pipeline.

I’m UK based which probably means the cost is even higher. Still probably a good investment though; the last time i lost a lense I had to squint through one eye which made it look like I was winking at the other guys in the line up.....luckily no one took it the wrong way!

waikikikichan wrote:By the way, get your Lasik surgery down in Japan, it's like half of the American price.

Five years ago I was told LASIK was not recommended for me because of thin cornea. Maybe there are other options nowadays, but don't want to completely mess up my eyes.

waikikikichan wrote:Other than using a Carver skateboard, getting lasik surgery done on my eyes made a big deference in leveling up in surfing. Just keeping your vision help to make closeout section and just stay more upright on the board. ( funny thing, i never lost a contact in bigger waves, always in small conditions, guess I let my guard down )

I never lose a contact from a big wave, heavy wipeout, etc. because I always shut my eyes in those moments. It's always some random moment where a bit of spray hits my face as I paddle over a whitecap, or something like that. Somehow the spray hits my eyes and knocks a lens out.

I am more cognizant now of when that might happen and I'm more careful, and it hasn't happened in awhile (knock on wood...) I wear disposables so the lost lens is not the issue, as it is how long I want to keep surfing and risk losing both lenses while I'm out there (I am really nearsighted! )

steveylang wrote:
I never lose a contact from a big wave, heavy wipeout, etc. because I always shut my eyes in those moments. It's always some random moment where a bit of spray hits my face as I paddle over a whitecap, or something like that. Somehow the spray hits my eyes and knocks a lens out.

I would still prefer to be able to open my eyes underwater. I feel like I am missing out sometimes.

I've never opened my eyes underwater doing a duck dive! Had no idea it could be of any benefit! If I'm diving underwater, I'm diving underwater. Are there like literally jets of whitewater I could duck and dodge. Funny all this talk of not seeing, and I clearly have never seen.

Ratfinksurfer wrote:I've never opened my eyes underwater doing a duck dive!

depends what you ride too I guess. My only board that I could duck-dive is still probably around 34L so not that easy to get under without precise weight shifting and pushing.

I can’t see s#!t underwater with my eyes open, so I don’t know if it would help me. I just see a big blue blur.

Tom