Surfing Waves

i am a beginner surfer, and very in-experienced i have read alot about popping up but when i try it and put my feet on the foot grip i loose balance on the board or when the wave hits the nose of the board goes under any help, suggestions or tips???plz

put yourself forward on the board so the noes is just on the water, then lean back using your back so your back is arched.

when you pop up, if your still trying to lean put your front leg up first and stay low to the board

Practice on land until you are full on confident. Regular practice ie 10 pop-ups on any surface every day will lead to results in the water. With regards to your nose diving, your body will readjust as time goes on, At first it is frustrating but the practice, practice and more practice will pay off in the future. Remember to have fun out there!! IF you are consistently nose diving after 10 more sessions, i will be highly suprised. Good Luck!!

thnx guys the archin back really helped just wana know when do u put ur feet in position??

well as soon as you feel the wave pushing you is best on big waves, but if its a nice mellow wave, do a few extra paddels, or wait 2 or 3 seconds in the prone possition (with your arms straight and some weight on them so your ready to pop up) to make sure youve got the wave, i see so many people paddeling, and then just standing up and going of the back of the wave straight away, so make sure youve got the wave first.

If the wave is steep it won't require much paddling, but a much quicker pop-up. For waves that a less steep and slower, you need to paddle loads, and when you feel that the wave has just got you..paddle once more and pop-up

Right, so, if a wave is big (when i say big i mean all of 3foot! ) then you don't need to do those two extra paddles before the pop up?

iomarti wrote:Right, so, if a wave is big (when i say big i mean all of 3foot! ) then you don't need to do those two extra paddles before the pop up?

right. you should definitely feel it once the wave has got you 'locked in'

I think the key here is steeper faces. Obviously there's a minimum size for a wave to get a steep face too - maybe waist high :D

On steeper faces you need to do less paddling and need to "take the drop" instead.

Oh yeah. The steeper the face is the further back your weight needs to be when you pop up...

-doug

Oooh, this sounds interesting...

Do you think size (of the surfer, not the wave!) affects this too??

My boyfriend and I are beginners, and I've noticed that almost every time he tries to pop-up his board goes backwards, like it slides down the back of the wave, leaving him looking a bit confused! I don't seem to have this problem..could it be because of technique (or, more likely, lack of!), or because of almost non-existant waves not being big enough or steep enough to carry him...not that I'm saying he's a heifer!

Any ideas guys? Ta xx

I would think it's technique...

Maybe being a little too far out
or, not paddling hard enough
or, not giving those last couple paddles when the wave start to pick him up
or, not popping up fast enough

I'd say it's definately a technique thing - pretty much exactly what Driftingalong says, IMO.

Guys tend to rely on muscle to power them through problems. Girls usually seem to focus on proper technique.

At least, that's what I have found so far.

-doug

iomarti wrote:Right, so, if a wave is big (when i say big i mean all of 3foot! ) then you don't need to do those two extra paddles before the pop up?

If the wave is steep (Barrels over instead of crumbling) then those x-tra paddles arent usually required because you will find your face in the sand pretty quick

IoM'..Msn convo cut short so I was going to say rent a shortboard about 6'8 -6'10 to see what it's like.

yeh sorry dec...i do tend to finish msn conversations abruptly...i've normally just forgotten i need to be somewhere else or my computer turns itself off..

but yeh that's a good idea.. i've been thinking about shortboards all evening ....Dec suggested I buy myself a new board smaller than my 7'2 and I'm excited by the prospect...

When the surf is more copable, I'll be straight down to the hire shop..

personaly i would get used to riding the mini mal first before droping to a shortboard

yeh Phil, I know, I know, I know, I know.....

but careful where you walk, because you'll tread on my dreams...

I know... I do know... stick with the minimal.... hmmmm.