help help help

[yesmate]

Sometimes when i duckdive it feels like the board is hitting rocks but i know there aren't rocks where i surf.?
do you think the board is hitting the bottom? im worried that im going to damage my board! what could this be?
also, any tips for intermediate surfer..can paddle out back, catch green waves..wanting to get into comps?

thanks a lot!!

[isaluteyou]

well duckdiving in really shallow water is an art form in itself. If you are hitting reef/sand then yeah that can damage your board. Easy to find out if you are duckdiving in knee high water then aybe you should wade out a bit further/wait for break in the action.

I wouldn't worry about surfing comps just yet wait a few years. Although i do believe some clubs run intermediate/ beginner comps for fun. But in all seriousness i wouldnt even look at comps untill you are pretty darn good.

[darcy]

Have a look around for beginners competitions. They will force you to think about how you surf. Just don't take it too seriously. Find out what the judges are scoring on, turn up early, surf the break before hand and have fun.

Reference your duck diving question. What?! If you're hitting the bottom then isaluteyou has it right. It should feel like a smooth pendulum motion. The more buoyant your board is, the harder it will be to get down and the faster it'll come back up. Does that answer your question?

[yesmate]

ok thanks guys. yeah, im not really sure i think it may be the sheer force of the wave. my board is fairly buoyant so maybe thats whats doing it. i never duckdive when im waist high, only when i am over my depth. strange but your answers are much appreciated. thank you

[esonscar]

The feeling might well be due to the wave landing on the tail of your board during the duck dive.

Try going under a bit sooner or later if it happens all the time at the moment, otherwise you just aren’t getting the ‘board deep due to its buoyancy - not your fault.

Enjoy.