Take-off - looking down - Help

[Johno]

Hi all it has come to my knolage due to a photographer that when I pop up and take off I look at the deck instead of looking up and were I want to go.

I naterly walk around looking at the floor does any one have any tips how to over come this bad habbit??? (i must have been doin it for the last 3 years)

Any tips would be appreciated

[jaffa1949]

Hi all it has come to my knolage due to a photographer that when I pop up and take off I look at the deck instead of looking up and were I want to go.

I naterly walk around looking at the floor does any one have any tips how to over come this bad habbit??? (i must have been doin it for the last 3 years)

Any tips would be appreciated

Are you surfing OK? If you are then why worry. I hope things start looking up for you.

[Johno]

No matey surfing plop - ok when am on my long board but i have been trying short boarding for ages, some times i make the pop / take off most the time i wipe out

[garbarrage]

Just don't do it anymore. Looking down the line when you take off is vital, especially on steeper waves. If you are looking down the line it doesn't seem as fast. Kind of like the difference between looking at the road while driving or looking out the side window. If making more waves isn't incentive enough I don't know what is.

You could try writing "Look Down the Line" or "What are you looking here for?" in permanent marker on a piece of Duck Tape and putting it on your board right where you normally look while taking off.

[esonscar]

If you do it enough you can literally take off with your eyes closed. The feel of the wave is as important as looking where you are going – How do you think we night surf !

You can look at the deck and tilt your head in the direction of the angled take off – on a short board this might be enough to compliment the take off and see you doing better or, look at the line you want, pop up looking at the board, the look down the line again. Should not be too difficult as you are aware of your slight inefficiency.

[cbfmercado]

garbarrage' tip i about putting a reminder on your board is perfect!

my advice? dont look down. more often thatn not you'll wipe out. i used to look down after taking off and even i get the ride right, i still wipe out. get that reminder on your board, look up = less wipeouts

[Kaaimans]

Look up to the world around you, keep your chin up. Looking at my board was a big problem for me, and then I realized I came into the habit while learning flip tricks on my skateboard. Look at the sky while you walk, really look around you, live. You'll be a happier person and find more photos.

[Johno]

Cheers for the advise all - I have been luking up more when skating and at the weekend looked down the line and kept my chin up and I scored about 20 waves on my short board rather than the normal 2 ish

keep ya chin up all!

[garbarrage]

Glad to hear it mate. Really does make the world of difference. Nothing in the world like 20 waves to keep the stoke up!

If you do it enough you can literally take off with your eyes closed. The feel of the wave is as important as looking where you are going – How do you think we night surf !

Agree that this is the case with enough practice, but as your take off requires quite a bit of faith in your muscle memory, I think it's a good idea to look down the line as you take off until you are doing it with 90% consistency. That way you are more familiar with what feels right. Don't think night surfing is a great idea though, but definitely helps with blind take offs on a really windy day.