improving balance

[Dead_One]

hi all,
haven't surfed much before, just a few hours in total, but loved every second
recently back from tenerife, where i had a lesson from k16 surf, managed to leave a part of my skin on the reef there, but still enjoyed it, however i found a bit of a problem.
last time i surfed i managed to balance a little, even stood at one point:-)
this time, i think i was on a slightly shorter board, a foam one still, but a little shorter, and i found i was having real difficulties even balancing when lying on the board, fell off every time i tried to sit, although i did manage to ride some waves in, didn't manage to stand, just kneel.
Anyone any advice on how to improve my balance, or could it just have been down to the different board?
cheers

[RonG]

Lots of time in the water helps, but you can also try balance boards. Google "Goof Board" - it's challenging for sure and designed specifically for surfing balance. All in all I'd say it's considerably harder than actually balancing on a surfboard, but if you can master it should do a lot for your surfing.

[tony g]

I would make sure you start on a wide and thick longboard. The basic rule for beginners is the bigger the guy the bigger the board should be. I would also add that we see a huge difference in how beginners do, when they start on a 10' board, compared to a 9' board. Bigger boards are much more stable and easier to catch waves with. RonG's balance board suggestion is a great idea as well. They improve your balance through muscle memory.

[dtc]

Obviously the more stable the board, the easier it is to balance. My personal experience (from a few years ago) is that foam boards are actually less stable than 'normal' boards, particularly side to side stability. So moving to a different (long)board may be all that you need, plus some attention to where you are placed on the board. All boards will have a good spot and a bunch of bad spots to sit, so make sure you are on the former!

Also sitting technique - squeeze the board a little bit with your knees and keep your body upright or leaning just a little bit forward, but with shoulders square to the board. I find putting my feet a little bit under the board (closer together) also helps, but that may just be me. You can put your hands onto the board as well, if that helps. Relax your core and let your hips rock back and forth with the waves, keeping your upper body (eg head, shoulders) fairly still - you actually want to move as little of your upper body as possible (in fact, keeping your whole body still, but rocking/moving your hips, is easiest - its easier to balance the less you are moving around).

You may have weak or stiff hips/core/lower back - this part of your body is used when you are sitting on the board and if you are weak or stiff then it can throw you off balance. If you have sore stomach muscles after surfing, its a good sign of weakness! Surfing will improve the weaknesses (as, of course, will other exercises); if you are stiff then stretching etc.

[Dead_One]

hmm, i was struggling to balance lying on the board, sitting was a step too far..... dunno if it is relevant, but had been diving a couple of days before, and my ears were still struggling with balancing the pressure, i found myself stumbling a little a few times... might be the all inclusive beer causing that though:-)

[Wherry]

i've been surfing for 7 weeks gonig every Saturday and few other days so have been in the water a total of 9 time at aroud 2 hours each time. I started out on a board much smaller then people would recommend, a 7'6" minimal. I found that if you spent a good time paddling around and sitting up trying to find the balance of the board it made catching waves a lot easier. i am now catching waves consistantly in white water and standing up 85% of that time. Time in the water and getting a feel of the board was the key for me.

[dtc]

hmm, i was struggling to balance lying on the board, sitting was a step too far.....

Are you falling off paddling out (through the white water etc) or are you falling off once you are past the white water?

If in white water, then that is an issue with some foamie boards because they are so bouyant that they just get thrown around. That said, some tips (for any kind of board):

- always hit the white water nose first. If you are side on, even by a small amount, you will probably be thrown off

- paddle fast toward the wave and hit nose on, then do a push up on the board as the water hits you, so you are up with your arms fully stretched and on your toes. The water goes between you and your board - the less surface area for the white water to hit, the less it can throw you off balance. If you can get the nose of the board just a little bit under water, thats even better.

- as an alternative (not as preferred but can work) paddle fast into the white water and then, just as it hits you, grab the rails to the front of the board, slide down the board very slightly to raise the nose of your board (hopefully above the level of the white water) and spread your legs, so your feet are in the water. This spreads your weight over a larger area and makes you more stable. But you need to paddle fast at the start, if you hit the water and are going too slow, you may be wave carnage. If you raise the nose of your board too much into the white water, you may also be tumbled. Its just a slight weight transfer (This technique also works if you are punching through the lip of a wave, except that you dont put your weight back and raise the nose of your board, rather you grab the rails and push the nose through the lip while spreading your legs. You still need to paddle fast for this to work)

If you are falling off in 'flat' water, I dont know. You can do the 'feet in the water' thing, which does increase stability, but its terrible for paddling (its good if you just want to lay on your board in the sun out the back). Maybe it was the beer.

edited to say: these are not tips to improve balance, but to stop you being thrown off balance, which may achieve the same thing. Bit if you cannot lie on a board out the back, surfing may not be your sport...

[Dead_One]

well, i managed to fall off in the line up, lying on the board waiting for the waves..... not sure if its relevant, but i found myself getting turned round a little by the current, not at 90 degrees to the waves/ beach, and everytime i got moved the board seemed to rock a little, and i struggled balancing then, usually ended up in what would be described as a tank slapper if it was a bike... over correcting each side and making it worse, until splash...
once i caught a wave i found myself taking off to the side as well, which i tried to correct, usually badly...
i'm thinking i needed a larger or wider board, im not skinny, 6' and 200lbs, and think i was on an 8'4 foam board.

[RonG]

i'm thinking i needed a larger or wider board, im not skinny, 6' and 200lbs, and think i was on an 8'4 foam board.

Sounds like you're on the right track. Long (9'6+), wide (23"+), and thick (3"+) - you won't get a much more stable platform than that without going to an SUP

I don't think anyone has mentioned surf conditions, but those play a big role as well until you've got your basic balance worked out. A choppy day is going to make it much harder to lie or sit stably on the board than a nice glassy day. I don't know what the conditions were like in Tenerife, or where you plan to surf now, but judging conditions is one of the most important skills to develop in surfing.

[Johnabbey]

Coaching against inertia is generally more fun versus other areas. Basically, it will involve adjusting your balance when each you whilst your base connected with support is actually moving. The most common form connected with training of this type is the application of skateboards.

[leonshoner]

Thanks for this tips.