Tail sinking

[peazz]

Hey Guys,

Managed to get out an have a surf today, out back were some overhead to double overhead barrels rolling through and reforming into 4 footers closer to the beach, With my back i decided to stay on the inside.

Anyhow, Made some progression today, I finally mastered my short board paddle.

Anyhow, By the time im popping up my tail is sinking, I dont feel like im to back foot heavy (when i am my board has some amazing drive) any ideas?

- Andy

[pandarturo]

You're weight placement is crucial on a smaller board. A lot of people think you surf off your back for rather than adjusting your weight as you need throughout your movements. For example, when I pump for speed my back foot is at the front of my pad, even I hit a turn, I move my back foot to the bank of my pad in order to guide my board through the turn.

[peazz]

Thanks, Panda! going back out in a bit and shall try to adjust me feet a little

[IB_Surfer]

What size is your board and what size and make are your fins?

[peazz]

5"9 / FCS PC-5s with GX-Q Backs...

Sometimes i swap out the GX-Qs for A M5 Thruster fin IB

[IB_Surfer]

hm, I had the same problem when I bought a board that was just too small for me, it felt like I was doing wheelies and putting on the break. I ended up buying K3.0 fins which are smaller, and it seemed to fix the problem, but then I lost the tail too often, ended up selling the board.

So, if you want to try something, see if a buddy has a smaller center fin and try it, if it feels better than you maybe need a smaller fin size, if it feels the same then it's something else. I use PC5's on my 6'5 and I'm 200lbs

[peazz]

I bought me some am-2 thruster's IB, Tail is not sinking on pop ups no more (unless i didnt generate enough speed on the drop), board feels loser and gets into waves alot better.

Just come home to change, go grab some lunch / coffee and them im going to try am-2 fronts with gx-q backs see how it goes, but at this rate I think i found 'my fins' at last!

EDIT: I got a m-5 back fin as well, am-2s have a slightly smaller back fin from what i can see, i believe the m5 is slightly bigger

[IB_Surfer]

you using side or center GX-Q fins?

[peazz]

im using center / back GX-Q with my PC-5 at the front / outside, did i do it wrong :O?

[IB_Surfer]

Not at all, I use centers too. The sides do give you more grip on big nasty waves but I dig the huge paddle advantage of the centers in back. Good deal!!!

[peazz]

Not touched my quads since getting my am-2's, they seem perfect for punchy beach break waves with a bit of a lip (but work in mush to)

Ive caught more waves since getting them, then the whole 3-4 weeks before hand!

totally stoked, racking up some gopro footage and can see some real progression, only thing i can see wrong is my front foot position.

anyone have any ideas for dry land training for front foot position?

[IB_Surfer]

Nah, front foot will correct itself, just keep surfing

[peazz]

So just switched to my am2 fronts with gx-q backs..

the waves today have been more mushy and really struggled with the am-2 thruster setup, so this evening i switched to the above set up and all i can say is holy s*&t.

Ive just come back from taking the biggest drop of my life, Pure downward face time for around 2-3 seconds feeling pure speed and drive down the face no manouvers yet, but i did get cheers from the beach! so freaking stoked, that feeling when you know you took a beast wave, I just celebrated right there and then on the spot, must of been at least overhead and the biggest wave of the evening.

So it seems, Clean conditions, with a bit of a throwing lip i need my fcs am2 thrusters. For more mushy waves i need my quad setup with am2 fronts and gx-q backs regardless how big they are.

EDIT: did i mention im stoked?!

[jaffa1949]