I'm a terrible surfer, and there are no waves to improve on

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I'm a terrible surfer, and there are no waves to improve on

Postby LOLRuss » Mon Jun 09, 2008 6:57 am

June - 11% ridable days
July - 6% ridable days
August - 11% ridable days

I've been surfing since... I dunno, for like 4 months and I still suck. I can't consistently pop up. Now the waves have just fallen off to nothing here. I went to LA to surf last weekend. Now I'm dying to go some place else.

For someone that stinks so bad, I sure do have the stoke though.

I'm going to go broke buying plane tickets and renting boards and cars. Now I want to go to Costa Rica. Looks like they have a lot of good surf and its not much more than to get to california.
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Postby drowningbitbybit » Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:02 am

I've been surfing years, I live right next door to awesome waves... and I still suck :wink:
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Postby LOLRuss » Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:32 am

hahahaha
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Postby libby » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:12 am

I've been surfing for 3.5 years and im in pretty much the same place as you :? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Its all about water time, or in my case lack of it! But bought a car so hopefully soon that will improve, if your that stoked you'll get there in the end :D
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Re: I'm a terrible surfer, and there are no waves to improve

Postby RJD » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:27 am

LOLRuss wrote:June - 11% ridable days
July - 6% ridable days
August - 11% ridable days


Am I missing something or are you predicting bad days? It being only June.

As a learner you dont need clean 2-3ft days, just a mal and 1ft+ of not to blown out. Get out more.
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Re: I'm a terrible surfer, and there are no waves to improve

Postby flyingvee » Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:11 am

RJD wrote:
LOLRuss wrote:June - 11% ridable days
July - 6% ridable days
August - 11% ridable days


Am I missing something or are you predicting bad days? It being only June.

As a learner you dont need clean 2-3ft days, just a mal and 1ft+ of not to blown out. Get out more.


+1 - this forum keeps me reasonably sane 'tween surfs - when I'm out, I have to tell myself not to be fussy over wave quality etc, just make the most of it - it's all 'money in the bank' :lol:
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Re: I'm a terrible surfer, and there are no waves to improve

Postby justloafing » Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:26 pm

RJD wrote:
LOLRuss wrote:June - 11% ridable days
July - 6% ridable days
August - 11% ridable days


Am I missing something or are you predicting bad days? It being only June.

As a learner you dont need clean 2-3ft days, just a mal and 1ft+ of not to blown out. Get out more.


Agreed,

It maybe pretty flat in Fla but if you have a correct board I bet you can double or triple those numbers.
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Postby justloafing » Mon Jun 09, 2008 1:04 pm

Just went to http://www.swellinfo.com/surf-forecast/ ... orida.html

and you have knee high through Tues. then knee to waist high starting Wed. You should have waves, perfect for a beginner. Get that longboard and have fun.
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Postby garbarrage » Mon Jun 09, 2008 4:48 pm

also... nothing like paddling through whitewash for an hour or so to help your conditioning. if i make a trip and find no decent waves i always make a point of getting wet... it can only be good for you.
unless its big storm surf or something.
think 90% of surfing is just about being comfortable on you board
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Postby isaluteyou » Mon Jun 09, 2008 5:41 pm

actually the factb that you are griping about poor waves is a sign of improvement :wink:
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Re: I'm a terrible surfer, and there are no waves to improve

Postby LOLRuss » Mon Jun 09, 2008 6:24 pm

RJD wrote:
LOLRuss wrote:June - 11% ridable days
July - 6% ridable days
August - 11% ridable days


Am I missing something or are you predicting bad days? It being only June.

As a learner you dont need clean 2-3ft days, just a mal and 1ft+ of not to blown out. Get out more.


The problem being that in Florida... the way the beach breaks work... 1ft+ gets you about a 3 second ride max. The waves don't carry through all the way to the beach. :(
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Postby LOLRuss » Mon Jun 09, 2008 6:25 pm

garbarrage wrote:also... nothing like paddling through whitewash for an hour or so to help your conditioning. if i make a trip and find no decent waves i always make a point of getting wet... it can only be good for you.
unless its big storm surf or something.
think 90% of surfing is just about being comfortable on you board


Compared to my actual wave riding, I've gotten really comfortable on the board.
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Re: I'm a terrible surfer, and there are no waves to improve

Postby RJD » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:01 pm

LOLRuss wrote:The problem being that in Florida... the way the beach breaks work... 1ft+ gets you about a 3 second ride max. The waves don't carry through all the way to the beach. :(


Excelent time to work on your popup and paddling then.

Dont worry about the ride till you can paddle like a bugger & get clean popups and start thinking about the bottom turn.

Rides will come later.

And when the waves turn up, you'll be ready.
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Re: I'm a terrible surfer, and there are no waves to improve

Postby LOLRuss » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:20 pm

RJD wrote:
LOLRuss wrote:The problem being that in Florida... the way the beach breaks work... 1ft+ gets you about a 3 second ride max. The waves don't carry through all the way to the beach. :(


Excelent time to work on your popup and paddling then.

Dont worry about the ride till you can paddle like a bugger & get clean popups and start thinking about the bottom turn.

Rides will come later.

And when the waves turn up, you'll be ready.


Thing is... I can pop up ok if its a decent wave and I catch it early. But on 3 seconds of white water, not so much - the board never stabilizes and glides. In fact, I spent like 2 months trying to learn to pop up on whitewater like most people here recommend before paddling outside and learning to catch waves in the green and - that really doesn't work here. It would work out west or something, but not here - you just don't have long enough to accomplish much catching whitewater.

Other thing is - most days its soupy. There are no waves to be caught, period. There is no bottom turn to be had. There are just no waves. On a 'bigger day' you got 1 foot faces, that last for about 10-20 feet. Thats it. How you gonna bottom turn that? A 1 foot face here won't even carry you here. Most days there is no surfing possible, period. Thats just how it is in the Summer.

I've been doing the paddling with crap waves thing for a while and... man it gets old. Its nice to keep the shoulders in, but I'm already pretty good at the paddling. I try to get out at least once a week even if its placid.

I found a fare to Costa Rica from Miami for $213 though... can you rent a board in Costa Rica?
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Postby justloafing » Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:02 pm

I really don't want to sound like I am an a-hole but why don't you move? Buy a one way ticket some place. If for some reason you can't move be thankful you don;t live in Kansas

Two choices if you want to surf and you are totally frustrated and need to stay in Fla. Don't gripe because there aint crap you can do and when you can get out of town enjoy.

No one here can help if the waves are crappy even if it is a 3 second ride.

It seems it is either to tough for you to get out back or nothing for you to surf. I bet the kahoona you took your lessons from would be just shaking his head. Just man up and go surfing
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Postby teaweed » Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:29 am

Just keep doing it. I've been surfing for almost 1 year, and I'm at the part where all I need to work on is the bottom turn. The waves get better late August
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Postby LOLRuss » Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:18 am

justloafing wrote:I really don't want to sound like I am an a-hole but why don't you move? Buy a one way ticket some place. If for some reason you can't move be thankful you don;t live in Kansas

Two choices if you want to surf and you are totally frustrated and need to stay in Fla. Don't gripe because there aint crap you can do and when you can get out of town enjoy.

No one here can help if the waves are crappy even if it is a 3 second ride.

It seems it is either to tough for you to get out back or nothing for you to surf. I bet the kahoona you took your lessons from would be just shaking his head. Just man up and go surfing


I am thinking of moving. In the meantime, I'm buying round trip, and not one-way tickets ;) And I would go surfing - if there were waves. A 3 second ride hasn't been possible for at least a week.
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Postby justloafing » Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:37 pm

Looks like a nice little wave at Flagler Beach yesterday. Copied from Swell Info . com

Image

Image
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Postby justloafing » Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:54 pm

...........and today. Dude you have some waves.
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Postby LOLRuss » Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:57 pm

Yeah, there were waves this morning. I freaking missed them. I'm going to shut up now. :) I just got a Z-Pak to kill this never-ending cold I've had so I shall surf in the morning.
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