Paddling?!

[Bwgan]

Hi guys,

I finally blew the cobwebs off my kit and dragged my ass down to Abersoch on sunday. 1st time since Oct! Lovely waves with off shoreish wind, blueish sky. The wife came down to watch with the dog. I surfed like a pr1ck!!! I couldn't paddle fast enough to catch anything. After about an hour and a bit of paddling I was near death and cold so I ended a rather crap session and came in.

My question is why can't I paddle fast enough? Is it the last time I surfed was in a summer suit and now here I am with winter belly with winter suit, gloves and thick rashy on coupled with lack of match practice or could there be something more sinister a foot?

ANy advice would be appreciated as at the moment I'd rather go mountain biking, at least after and hour and a bit I know I'm going to have a smile on my face!

[surferdude_scarborough]

nope its just you havent surf for ages and. get out there and the fitness will come back. also winter suits are a little heavier and more restraining.

[Kabazz]

Read this http://surfhow.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/paddling/

[pkbum]

Surf more.

[Sillysausage]

all about gettin in the water, i feel really tired just paddling outback on a 4ft day if i havn't surfed for about 2 weeks so can't imagine after a long couple of months

[Aloha]

If you aren't surfing then get down to the pool and swim full laps non-stop for at least half an hour. You want to do about 1.5 Km in that time. Keep this up and when you hit the surf you'll find you get into it more easily.

[Bub]

If your using the same board as in Oct, and if you don't think it was fitness issues, do you think you may have been laying down to far back on your board in your paddling? That would create too much drag and waves will pass under you. Usually lack of fitness or low cardio endurance is more noticeable in your struggle to get outback (or instantly turn aroun to catch a wave after paddling outback. That probably isn't the case though if you rested outback for a while. If you've taken a few minutes rest, recovered your muscle fatigue and cardio fatigue and then tried to catch a wave, its probably not fitness issues, it would be something else.

[garbarrage]

can't say what the waves were like in Wales but if they were anything like over here I'm not surprised you didn't catch any. surf was feeble to say the least. watched 10 or so people for an hour and only saw 1 person up on a wave.

[parrysurf]

Surf more.

yup

[niallhills]

i had the same problem after 2 months...id been gin to the gym, but i hand tbeen doin enough cardio!