Surfing Waves

1st, I wanna say hello to the forum, this is my first post... I became a member here, because the forum I currently in is filled with some jerks that aren't really eager to lend a helping hand... they pretty much don't like beginners.

anyway, I started surfing in late July on a used dinged up 7'2" Byrne short board (LARGE shortboard).... I can catch waves, paddle decently but not great, and I can stand up and keep balance.

here's what I am having trouble doing... I am not gaining enough momentum after I caught the wave.... I loose speed way too fast, that I can't turn or anything.

here's what I think I am doing wrong... when I paddle, I wait till the wave catches me before I stand... but I see some people standing up and then drop down the face before the wave actually "catches" them.

so do I try to stand up before the wave actually "catches" me... or what is it?.... basically what is an in depth description of a good take-off?

thx guys

A very warm welcome to the forum bruddah. You will find that this forum is also filled with jerks, but they're tolerable..... look out especially for el_timmo... he's only after one thing - gold to build his magical golden see saw so that he can create a new cure for the smell of old people.

But really, I don't think there are any jerks here. When I catch a wave, I always wait to feel the wave surge below me, cause that's when I know I've got enough speed to ride the wave. If I try to stand up before, sometimes I'll be able to ride the wave, but most of the time, I won't. Maybe you should paddle a bit harder just before the wave hits you, and try to take off on a steeper section of the wave.

thx for the input...

ill try that man..

but I guess what I am trying to say is that when I catch a wave, I wait till I feel a definate pull on my board, and then by the time i stand up the board is leveled out already... meaning I didn't exactly go down the face of the wave at all.... it kinda just pulls me first to where I am riding with the board flat on the water, and then I stand

should I instead try to stand up first, and then ride down the face of the wave while it pulls me, like i'm going down a slope... or should I wait till I feel a definate pull first and then stand up (ie: the way I have been doing it)

or am I not making any sense? lol

the way I do it, it wait till you feel the wave picks you up, then (try in my case) to popup and drop down the face.

try popping up earlier. do you snap up or use your knee?

its something that comes with experience, some waves let you get up on them early and cruise into them, some you have to take off late at the top and drop in when their at their steepest. In general the sooner you can get to your feet (and quicker) the better.

^ i go straight to my feet in a low stance..... and by the time i try to turn back into the wave, I've lost speed...

no knees... i think I just have to pop up sooner i guess... but thx for the advice man

ok try this - use yor board to bodyboard a few times i.e. paddle for the wave and ride the wave in on your stomach (notice I said stomach.. this means raise your chest while padding, and before standing up) Try to see if you can notice when the wave starts to surge you forward. Keep doing this until you know the moment you start getting surged forward. When you think you can recognise the moment the wave pushes you, try going back to stand up surfing, but this time, as soon as that wave pushes your forward, pop up quickly. You should be able to fly down the face now and do your bottom turn with more style and pizzazz than a stylish piaazaaerie on acid and you'll be riding like a pro.

I wish I could do stylish bottom turns with more style and pizazz than a stylish pizazzerie on acid and be able to ride like a pro *sigh* oh well, one day Tim

It helps to start on an angle.. so point in the direction you want to be, as opposed to straight at shore.

I tend to have the same problem, especially on the small waves i've been surfing.

try popping up earlier. do you snap up or use your knee?

I've found that working on the 'snap' and popping up quickly, rather than dragging my back foot, means i'm able to take the drop, which gives me enough speed to turn along the wave.

It feels great when it works.... Good luck mate!

rich r wrote:It helps to start on an angle.. so point in the direction you want to be, as opposed to straight at shore.

it sure does, try taking off on an angle, and pump your board to generate speed, also, concentrate your weight on your front foot by leaning forward..goodluck!!

thx alot for the pointers guys.. it's much appreciated especially considering that pretty much everyone who surfs in my area, with exceptions of few, are asses and get attitudes when i ask questions.

im going to try the body board thing definately (never thought of that, and it makes total sense).... looks like there might be some swell soon too!

thx alot for the pointers guys.. it's much appreciated especially considering that pretty much everyone who surfs in my area, with exceptions of few, are asses and get attitudes when i ask questions.

Thats not unusaul almost everyone hates learner surfers in the line up sad i know

I find leaning forward helps a lot if the wave feels like it is going to pass you by. Its also got a lot to do with how the waves are forming and how much power is behind it. I also reccomend the bodyboard bit cause i never have had the above problem because i used to bodyboard a lot it will give you the feel of how the wave grabs you.

GL

GOOD LUCK and don't forget to let us know how things work!!

Thats not unusaul almost everyone hates learner surfers in the line up Confused sad i know

Funny thing is, when I try to give advice to someone who is obviously a newbie, the majority of time, they just scoff and ignore me.

Though, when that happens, I get to laugh while they pearl for the sixth time in a row.

rich r wrote:

Thats not unusaul almost everyone hates learner surfers in the line up Confused sad i know

Funny thing is, when I try to give advice to someone who is obviously a newbie, the majority of time, they just scoff and ignore me.

Though, when that happens, I get to laugh while they pearl for the sixth time in a row.

rich, your advice among the other forum members has been invaluable to *us* newbs who really appreciate the experience of learned surfer. at least, that's why i frequent the forum so much. if i can't be at surf, i'd read as much as i can to get better at it

--cheeziness aside--

the whole taking off thing. makes sense to be popping up early and dropping down the face of the wave (sure beats surfing the white water after a wave breaks), so i feel like the crucial time is to be popping up when you feel like your board is angling up behind you, and as gower said, depending on the steepness of the wave, sometimes you have to pop up faster/earlier. does that sum it up?

and...a popping up question-- when you all pop up, do you land on your toes or the flat of your feet?

Thanks, surfish.

I think newbs don't want to seem like they don't know what they're doing, so they put on this act all "Man, I know what I'm doing, fleshin' off" so they don't seem uncool.

But the thing is.. if I can tell that you need to adjust something because you look like a kook, then, well, all pretense of looking cool is already out the window.


Anyway - on popping up - you don't want to be flat footed, but you do want to be flat on your feet. Make sense? Sometimes you have to adjust your feet after your initial placement, and sometimes just a little twist of the foot, leaning it from one side to the other is all that's needed for a turn or adjustment versus any big hip or knee move.

The way I know when to pop up is when I pretty much believe that I can stop paddling and the wave with still carry me forward a couple more feet without any effort. It might not totally have me, but once I pop up, I can lean forward a bit to compensate, depending on the wave.

rich r wrote:Thanks, surfish.

I think newbs don't want to seem like they don't know what they're doing, so they put on this act all "Man, I know what I'm doing, fleshin' off" so they don't seem uncool.

But the thing is.. if I can tell that you need to adjust something because you look like a kook, then, well, all pretense of looking cool is already out the window.


Anyway - on popping up - you don't want to be flat footed, but you do want to be flat on your feet. Make sense? Sometimes you have to adjust your feet after your initial placement, and sometimes just a little twist of the foot, leaning it from one side to the other is all that's needed for a turn or adjustment versus any big hip or knee move.

The way I know when to pop up is when I pretty much believe that I can stop paddling and the wave with still carry me forward a couple more feet without any effort. It might not totally have me, but once I pop up, I can lean forward a bit to compensate, depending on the wave.

pleasure is all mine, rich.

mm...i've been practicing pop ups in my bedroom floor, and i always seem to be landing on the balls of my feet- i suppose as you say it will take some more practice and conscious effort to adjust.

thanks!

hey guys,

just wanna say my take-off has gotten A LOT better....not the greatest.... but better nonetheless..

i have found that coming in at a proper angle... plus arching my back while paddling.... plus proper timing with the pop-up has realllllly helped.

thx for the pointers

You might be standing up to fast, wait until the board is stable, even if you pop up and accidently stomp the board into a stall, if the board is stable and you actually did 'catch' the wave, you can always lean into the line and pick back up the waves energy.

What I am trying to say is don't try to pop up right when the wave catches you, give yourself a couple extra seconds to make sure the board is stable and you are ready.

If you are lying on your stomach you can turn the board like it is a body board into the line, before you stand up and at least you will get to feel what it feels like to actually ride the line, rather than just catching white water, which is basically a slower weaker ride, since the wave already exhausted its energy.

The guys who are popping up (what looks like before the wave even caught them) and sliding down the face of the wave are the better surfers that have put in thier time doing the Grom work to get good enough to do that.

Don't try to take take off running before you can walk, right on bro? hope I didn't just repeat something that someone else already said.

cj wrote:You might be standing up to fast, wait until the board is stable, even if you pop up and accidently stomp the board into a stall, if the board is stable and you actually did 'catch' the wave, you can always lean into the line and pick back up the waves energy.

What I am trying to say is don't try to pop up right when the wave catches you, give yourself a couple extra seconds to make sure the board is stable and you are ready.

hey cj. thanks for putting the time in to reply.

soo...my timing is horrible still, and out of the number of times i've been out in the water, i feel like the wave caught me on my board once. i could feel it tugging up behind me, and i was cruisin. of course, my pop-up ability was very weak, so i ended up just surfing in on the whitewater.

i totally know what you mean, when you watch pro surfers drop down the face of the wave...so, for us kooks, at what point is it right to be popping up? at the moment split seconds away from the wave breaking? or longer before then?