Surfing Waves

So, I've been surfing once or twice a week for about 3 months now. I have gotten to the point where I am comfortable popping up and riding waves but only when I'm on the shoulder with a clear lane.

If it's a bigger wave and rolling over too quick I can't seem to force myself to pop up. I see everyone else having no problem popping up when it's closing out and then doing a bottom turn to get in front of it. I don't know what it is. I went out today and was positioned perfectly on the shoulder a few times, but it was peeling off pretty quick. By the time I went to pop up, it was already curling over and I just bailed off when I should have just stood up and took it. For some reason I just see a wipe out in my future on waves like that and can't force myself to take it.

Anyway, I just wanted to see if anyone else had this problem when starting out and if so, how you got over it.

Not unusual to be a bit scared of a massive wipe out when your first starting out.

Think of surfing like fighting, your never gonna learn how, without getting your ass kicked a few times.

Not every wave is rideable ya know some of those super fast closeouts are death traps - always makes me laugh watching the groms go for them (at low negative tides here its just awfull had a session like that today, its always a laugh getting pummeled by every wave ) the quicker the wave closes out the quicker you ahve to poup and initiate a bottom turn - in fact you should innitiate the turn almost instantly if its closing out that quick. Put fear out of your mind and charge it

klhoskins wrote: I just see a wipe out in my future on waves like that and can't force myself to take it.

not just A wipeout, lots of em. You just gotta go man, if you get nailed you get nailed, but then youll realise that your still alive and it wasnt that bad after all and youll lose some of that fear, you just have to confront it. Remember, pain is temporary, glory is forever

Even now I sometimes look down the drop and pull back. But you have to get in there and not psych yourself out.

Just know you're going to go, and hell be damned.

mate, sounds like the best thing is for you to just think about people like me who still have trouble getting out back in waves bigger than 2ft.