Bad Times :(

[Jc]

Sometimes I feel like advancing to a a shortboard is years away. I go out and have sessions where I catch about 2 waves, usually they are whitewater before I am even up.

And when you can't catch anything makes you frustrated, which makes you even less likely to catch a good green wave.

Anyone else have bad days?

heres hoping it is just a temporary thing

In other news, anyone ever make the contection between stoke, and the city stoke ?

despite the name It is probably pretty xxxxx xD

[joem]

yep every one has them i dont know what the waves have been like at your end of the north sea but theyve been pretty bad up here for ages

[surferdude_scarborough]

yup everyone has bad days. just try and keep the stoke you'll get there.

[BoarderDave]

Yeah.. just keep chuggin along. You'll get some good days soon hopefully.

Watch some surf films.. get that stoke back up.

[isaluteyou]

even experienced surfers have bad days makes the good ones even better

[pkbum]

You ain't a surfer till you are stoked! keep it up!

[billie_morini]

"Sometimes I feel like advancing to a a shortboard is years away."

This amuses me because I have no aspiration to migrate from long board to short board.

[RJD]

We all have bad days, otherwise there wouldnt be good days eh.

[Mirx]

Feel your pain Jc.

After surfing a 7'6" Minimal for less than 6 months I felt 'ready' for a shortboard.
So, ... what did I do? Got myself a 6'0" Retro Twinny Fish.

A typical over-enthusiastic beginner surfer mistake!

I spent the next THREE months (twice a week) trying to pop-on properly. Much like you, I too only just about managed to stand briefly on a wave or two per session and only in the white water. The concept of a quick, smooth, knee/feet free pop-on was entirely alien to me and it took an INTENSE amount of frustration until I finally grasped it.

Thinking about it now, BOY WAS IT WORTH IT!! I discovered a different style of surfing with manouvers and SPEEEED never possible on a Minimal!!
I have now been surfing exclusively shortboards for over a year and not a single enjoyable session goes by without me remembering those painful THREE months of struggle - with a smile on my face!

Keep on wrestling with it bro and once you nail it you will never look back!

[justloafing]

Ohh I hate those bad days. I had plenty. What really helped me......When not in the water. I just pictured what I was supposed to be doing in my mind over and over. I think it really helped. I don't know if it etched in my brain but it really worked. As said above look at some surfing movies. Check out how they pop up. Yeah they make it look easy but look at the technique. You will get there. Keep the stoke.