How long do you surf a wave?

[Knightshift]

I'm just wondering when you catch a wave how long you get to surf it. I'm in Florida and the beaches around here are reef points and when I have actually seen waves they seem to be pretty close to the shore and the only surfer I have seen was a longboarder and al he did was ride the wave straight into the shore. So what then, you can't cut down them in Florida or were they just crappy waves? I've been spongin' it till I can get a surfboard and learn to surf. I've had this sponge for like 10 years since I lived back in Cali YEARS ago. It's an old old Muray Boggie, and the waves i catch on it, you know it's like maybe 10 second till i'm hitting shore. I know it's the wrong season here for waves but I'm just wondering like the length of time your usually on a wave. I remember catching one once since i've been here that had to of been a 4 ft. I mean my dad was right next to me and the water as like below his waiste when the waves came up and it was a good foot over his head, being he's 6 foot....is that a 7 foot wave or merely a uh 4 ft. wave casue the water level was about 3 ft?? Ok enough blabbing...lemme know whats up :D. Sorry if my question seem fragmented and disorganized. It's the way my brain works...you know ADD and all :P

[L0v3S0ng4n01]

I'm just learning too so i'm guessing how long you ride a wave depends on your skill level, the type of break and the type of board. Longboards are usually more for hanging ten and riding straight and short boards are for carving and air tricks.. where you can pretty much stay on the board as long as the wave is moving..

[Knightshift]

So what you are saying is, that longboarders merely catch the rave and ride it in, while walking up and down thier surfboard?!? I know this is going to seriously cause some uh....retaliation, but what the point in that. It's like Spongin' cept standing up, heck even with a sponge you can carve good waves.... wah.. eh...anywho, I'm looking into shortboarding for sure!!

[kieran]

The amount of time you can ride a wave for is based on your skill and the quality of the surf.

When you catch a wave and go down the line you usually go faster than the wave breaks, so you have to cutback into the power zone. Otherwise you will reach the end of the wave and sink. The strength of your cutback and wave qualilty will determine how long you can ride for

Both longboards and shortboards can carve
Longboard carves tend to take longer and are more graceful but the principle is the same as with a shortboard

air tricks

dont want to offend but id doubt if many people on here can bust one of these

unless taj burrows is on here under a different name
taj are you out there?

[roxyroxyzd,]

i have a 7'6 and i can turn really good on it so dont say longboards are fo straight only.....
i live in florida go to cocoa beach and sebastian waves suck but eh its something...go around winter

[Guest]

lol i didnt think so, just wanted to give a discriptive explanation.

[jethro-bodine]

There is alot to learn with this subject. As I can tell you havene't really been behind the power of a real wave. Anyway, There is alot that will factor in on how long you can ride the wave for.

1. Power: Every wave has a different kind of power to it. Since you in florida and I have surfed here for 14 years i know how this happends here.

2. What gives the wave Power: Swell conditions, wind, sandbar, tides, alot more.

3. Swell conditions: first you have wind swells from fronts and what'not. take for instance you see a good 30kt wind brewin your going to get a bit of chop. well if this happends for quite a few day's then you might get a 2-4 foot wind swell that will pull through. You will be able to surf these but the waves will be really weak so you can only ride so long before they die off. GROUND SWELLS. These are nice. this for instince is when you get a nice low preasure to pull a storm through it will cause a swell under the water wich has power to it. these waves will break alot longer and have more power to them so you can just scream down the face. Most good ground swells in florida will give you a good 6ft swell for a day or 2 then start to die off.

4. Sandbars/tides: here in florida we only have beach break. unlike what you said about reefs (except in south florida where it breaks 3 times a year) sandbars and the tide mix in with eachother. Depending on your break and weather it's low or high tide the wave can break along the sand bar and give you a great fast ride or it can give you a quick to second ride ending in a painfull closeout that slams you on the bottom if you ride wrong.

this is just my two cents with i bet alot of spelling errors. there is so much more but I just can't get into it right now. have a good day and lisen to the words of people that know what there doing in this sport or youl get hurt.

[Jake]

[quote]Quote:
air tricks

dont want to offend but id doubt if many people on here can bust one of these .............................................. I can ive surfed pipe in oahu and all over the world im good

[Guest]

When I'm on a wave I've alot more to think about than '1...2....3' :wink: