Longboard to Shortboard - Like starting over

[jaffa1949]

I'm 5"10 and 189 pounds. I've been using a 7"6 mini mal for the last year and a half. It's a great board and I love using it but it's frustrating in bigger conditions, as it's a pain rolling waves to get to the line out constantly. So I've now bought a 6"8 shortboard as felt like I'm now ready. Tried it for the first time last week but it was choppy conditions so only caught a couple but it was blown out so no legs in the waves. I've done this to move up to going for the bigger waves, but I will admit there is something about looking at the sharp nose of the shortboard and the extra speed which makes it a bit more intimdating, but fear is a surfers worst enemy!!

Dicky let us know when you get going in better conditions ,duckdiving is a learned and practiced skill keep at it, you want to surf bigger conditions you need to get both your turtles and ducks working!

[Dicky]

Thanks jaffa1949. I moved back to the coast two years ago. I used to surf as a kid but made the error which is the topic of his thread I.e. I bought a cool looking 6ft shortboard and never got any good. It did teach me duck diving and all the fundamentals though, so the last 18 months with a mal has been perfect as its moved me to the next level. I'm comfortable on my mal with anything up to four foot and can make the most out of waves front and back handed. But anything over four foot is a mission as rolling constantly is time consuming and by the end of a surf I feel like I've been in some kind of salt water snorting competition :/
The time was right to transition and I can't wait to get out in some decent waves on the new board. We have an eight foot swell this Saturday, offshore. A bit of a big step but I'm going to go for it. Fingers crossed.

[jaffa1949]

The time was right to transition and I can't wait to get out in some decent waves on the new board. We have an eight foot swell this Saturday, offshore. A bit of a big step but I'm going to go for it. Fingers crossed.

eeew nice dicky let us know a couple of things how did the swell translate at your local break ( where is that BTW) and how did you go obviously these questions are before the fact. Oh and take care of yourself most important and post pictures as well.

[Dicky]

Hi Jaffa, my local break is Llangenith in South Wales. It's got a reputation of being a really tough line out (i.e. when it's pumping there is very little interval between sets and it's a really meaty break) hence why I was beginning to get a bit frustrated with the Mal. My younger brother is a lot better than me (never moved away and has stuck at it since a kid) so I'm going with him. It's a bit of a 'step up to the plate' moment, and I will let you know. Thanks for your interest

[jaffa1949]

I'm in New South Wales and I have just got over a cold so I can say the welsh double ell well at the moment
Yep that is ahard beach to break through to get out. The Gower look more likely to present the sort of waves I'd be interested in.
One day there be a Jaffa surf tour of the UK. If it stays United?

[dtc]

Hey Jaffa, talking of hard breaks, how was the past few days down your way? 150mm in 24hrs a bit further northwards plus the 100km/h winds. Lots of beach erosion already before hand, could be an odd Christmas at high tide with no sand left.

[jaffa1949]

Huge and blunderous muddy water racing out through the bar from the lakes. Several had to be opened or burst out. I had a stinking cold and snuffle brain for the great surf today so it was a no go. Well over head and perfect .
Full tradie crew as most work sites washed out. Gentleman's latte kiosk was doing a brisk trade.

Some orcas came in close, must have been the drowned cows and kangaroos being washed out.

Good day today

[Dicky]

Haha Jaffa, I like your comment about Wales. I'm impressed you know the Gower, which is where I'm from.
To be honest I've not much interest in being a shredder either, I just want to make the most out of all conditions, and I've always been a bit of an adrenalin junkie so I'm trying to make it a goal to go for big surf. Do you have any tips on rolling or ducking my Mal?

[drowningbitbybit]

my local break is Llangenith in South Wales.

*shudders at memory of trying to paddle out (and not making it) at Llangenith*

[jaffa1949]

Dicky Llangenith is a really difficult beach to get out to the back of the line up in a big swell most long sand beaches like that take the swell head on and relentlessly. Depending on the angle of the swell and the winds I would be looking at other more sheltered spots on the Gower.
Surfing big swells is not just about size but getting size in a way that is manageable. Take a look at Sumpter's heading back to Port Eynon there will be a crew on it but there is a defined deep water paddle out, something that is not at Llangenith.

On a beach that generates few rips on a big swell the rips that do exist are going to be monsterous.
Duck diving and turtle rolling are not going to cut it wave after wave after wave.

[Dicky]

Llangenith has always been my stomping ground. To be honest I'm a decent swimmer, swam for Wales as a kid, so the fitness is there I just need to get better. There are a couple of guys I always see who are always out there on longboards so I know it's down to determination and technique. Up to four foot I have no probs it's just when it's bigger really don't know where her to take my shortboard or mal on Saturday when it's 8 foot, ok completely torn :/

[jaffa1949]

OK then it comes down to timing , positioning and technique.
Find a rip near where you want to go out it may be down the beach and there is always one at either end of a beach near a headland or point. I f the break is near a point there may be a rock off.
Watch the breaks and get the timing of sets in your mind.
Are there breaks in the number of waves?
Are there clean up sets?
Now watch the rip
Is it fast enough and present a clear spot between the waves coming in?
How many waves do you think you are going to have to duck dive / turtle roll under?

A lot of time all this can be answered by watching those guys( who are always out there) go out.
I always ask myself, is what they are riding worth it?
There is an upper limit to what you can turtle roll . also the less time between each incoming wave the harder it is.

Paddle strongly straight at the wave at the last minute but giving yourself enough time to rollover grab the board rails up toward the nose roll off the board rolling yourself under the board ( which is upside down) you should be hang down like a sea anchor and the nose of the board is pulled right down.
Get the board right and the white water pushes you deeper rather than back, get it wrong you get washed back.
When the wave has passed you roll back onto you board and resume paddling out.
Paddle positioning, paddle fitness and ability to vary your speed between waves to hit the roll at speed is important.
It is a form of interval training too.
Another statement,
If you can't get out it is natures way of saying you are not ready for that sort of surf.
BTW I like riding up to about double overhead but only in stable and accessible conditions, unless it was epic and classic I rarely hit hard to get out beach breaks.

[Dicky]

Jaffa, many thanks for the tips. I didn't go Saturday as my bro was unwell. He was still unwell on Sunday but I thought sod it and braved it on my own. After much deliberation I took the mal not the shortboard, as I figured better the devil I know whilst on my own. It was 7-9 foot. I got out once, caught one big one and came straight off. From there I struggled to get back out and resigned myself to catching some middle distance sets when they came about. It was near enough impossible for me with my mal basically, and to be honest I came out feeling pretty annoyed. Ah well, what I love about surfing is every time is different, and therefore you learn something new all the time. Fitness wasn't the issue so much, more just found it impossible not to get dragged back when rolling. I was put in my place in other words

[dtc]

My only tip to add to Jaffa's is that if there is no clear way out, sometimes the best spot to enter is where the waves are breaking close to the shore. Naturally you want to pick the calmest spot and start walking out, but this means you are fighting waves all the way - its calm near shore because the waves are breaking further out.

So go where the waves are breaking (usually where the surfers are ending their rides), get a few on the head and go straight out and through the waves and you then might be in clear water. Paddle out and around to where you want to be.

Not always feasible; but sometimes the spots that look the worst from shore are actually the easiest (relatively speaking)

[Dicky]

dtc, that sounds like an excellent tip and will certainly be trying that next time out in bigger waves.