Surfing Waves

ive been out surfing 4 times now in the past week and its been great fun. unfortunately the only board i can use is a short 5'11 that im borrowing long term and its been really tough learning on it. i'm 5'8 140lbs. i've been able to stand several times and i realized i always look straight down at my feet and the board instead of looking forward or ahead? i grew up skating, and i think the habit comes from that, looking down at my feet when im about to do a trick. but i feel like its just not something i should be doing on a surfboard. it is something i want to avoid doing on a surfboard right? i hate to analyze so much little acts in surfing but its all thats been on my mind since i started, trying to figure out what i did wrong and what i can improve on my next time out.

I found I was doing the same thing(looking at my feet and board). I think the whole thing with me is that it was everything at the beginning was just going fast in my brain. Once everything slowed down I got past looking at my fee and board. I don't know if that is the same thing for you but it will come to where your looking down the line and where your position is on the wave.

yea you shouldn't look at your foot/ board, should look where you are heading instead.

You should take a look down the line and be thinking about whats ahead, maybe you can spot a steep spot thats going to section or a lip that you may think is going to pitch out. Don't look at your feet, surfing is a very fast sport and if you take your eyes off of the wave in front of you then it's can be hard to refocus especially for a beginner.

always watch the wave. the sea is unpredictable and if you stop paying attention you might just get smashed by the lip or something.