Surfing Waves

Hi All,

new to the forum and new to surfing so apologies in advance for any silly questions.

I've recently just moved back to the coast after 5 years and getting back into surfing. I'm 25 now but when i lived by the sea before surfed a bit but never to a good standard. (stand up, ride down the line a bit)

i'd say i can paddle okay although the fitness needs to be built back up and can pop up okay but this is where i become unstuck. Once up i seem to run out of steam straight away. The wave seems to pass me by. I've been practicing in the whitewater rather than unbroken waves although have caught a few unbroken ones on small days and have the same problem.

Not sure what i'm doing wrong, wondered if the waves i'm practicing on aren't the best as i only go in on days that are 4ft ish. I have two boards a 6,7 Shortish board which i haven't touched and a 8ft minimal.

thanks

Just to clarify, you pop up and are standing, but then lose speed?

And for the unbroken waves, are you going straight to the beach or along the wave face?

And finally - how heavy are you

Yeah pop up and stand, unbroken waves more towards the beach as I struggle to turn.

I’m 5,9 ish and 82kg

Cheers

dandyer1995 wrote:before surfed a bit but never to a good standard. (stand up, ride down the line a bit)

What size / type board were you using when you use to ride down the line ?

If you could catch green waves before, why are you back in the whitewater soup ? Get back out to the peak.

waikikikichan wrote:

dandyer1995 wrote:before surfed a bit but never to a good standard. (stand up, ride down the line a bit)

What size / type board were you using when you use to ride down the line ?

If you could catch green waves before, why are you back in the whitewater soup ? Get back out to the peak.

Was using that 6,7 board, was just getting good enough to ride along the line, couldn’t bottom turn though.

I think I’ve just lost my confidence, the 8ft minimal feels good under foot. Maybe I should be aiming to get back to green waves and practicing down the line again.

Just want to make sure I’m covering the basics first

Cheers

dandyer1995 wrote:Was using that 6,7 board, was just getting good enough to ride along the line, couldn’t bottom turn though.

Hmmmmmm ? If you paddle and take off, your pretty much facing the beach. Riding along the line, you are then riding perpendicular to the beach. So how did you go from pointing to the beach then to riding sideways to it ?
You BOTTOM TURNED.

If you are sinking/the white water is going part you, then it’s highly likely you don’t have enough speed.

Two common possibilities (could be a combination of each)

1. Just not enough power in the waves. You are 82kg so need a bit of power in the white water - although you should be able to get enough for at least a little bit on an 8ft

2. Weighting your tail too heavily. Need to make sure the nose of the board stays flat/close to the water. If it’s out of the water you are just putting a brake on; as you slow you will start to sink (boards only hold you up when they are moving fast). This is likely due to your back foot being too far back; or just leaning back too much. The leaning back can be common because it feels like that’s the way to stay level when the board is tilting downwards (down the face). But you want to lean forward, into the slope (like skiiing)

So pick some good white water and keep the nose flat. Weight your front foot. Head over front knee

Oh, of course another possibility is that you are leaning a little bit on the board and it’s turning a bit - which slows it down - but you don’t really notice

dtc wrote:If you are sinking/the white water is going part you, then it’s highly likely you don’t have enough speed.

Two common possibilities (could be a combination of each)

1. Just not enough power in the waves. You are 82kg so need a bit of power in the white water - although you should be able to get enough for at least a little bit on an 8ft

2. Weighting your tail too heavily. Need to make sure the nose of the board stays flat/close to the water. If it’s out of the water you are just putting a brake on; as you slow you will start to sink (boards only hold you up when they are moving fast). This is likely due to your back foot being too far back; or just leaning back too much. The leaning back can be common because it feels like that’s the way to stay level when the board is tilting downwards (down the face). But you want to lean forward, into the slope (like skiiing)

So pick some good white water and keep the nose flat. Weight your front foot. Head over front knee

Oh, of course another possibility is that you are leaning a little bit on the board and it’s turning a bit - which slows it down - but you don’t really notice

I think you could be right with the tail dragging, I’ll try to pay attention to it when I go in next

Cheers