offshore winds and popping up

[pmcaero]

The few times I managed to catch a wave today, the offshore wind pushed me back off the board as soon as I popped up. Yet some guys were able to get ride down the face.
I'm thinking, paddle more, delay pop up, and stay crouched. But I couldn't get myself to delay popping up for some reason.
Any other tips?

[oldmansurfer]

Lean forward more.

[waikikikichan]

What were the other guys doing that you weren't ?

Where were they sitting in the line-up compared to you ?

What type of boards were they riding compared to yours ?

You said " But I couldn't get myself to delay popping up for some reason. " The reason is your too anxious to rip. Be patient. Surfing like most sports is about timing. Catch the ball, then run with the ball. But your already thinking about the touchdown/goal line. You need to Catch the wave first, then stand up.

[drowningbitbybit]

I'm thinking, paddle more, delay pop up, and stay crouched.

That about covers it

In strong offshores, you need to be further forward on your board, and paddle a stroke or two more than you normally would. And once you're up, weight the front foot and drive forward with your leading arm and head/shoulders.

[jaffa1949]

The steeper or more offshore wind effected the wave is the more you have to commit to catching the wave.
Half arsed just won't cut it. Harder extra strokes and timing. If you are getting blown off the back of the wave you simply haven't caught it. All th above suggestions are exactly right!
In any situation FIRST CATCH YOUR. WAVE!

[pmcaero]

thanks for the tips.

so, commitment is key

[waikikikichan]

"Commitment" to what ? You were already committed to catching the wave. You paddled, you thought you should pop-up, but it was too early, you got blown off the back. So next time you might think to "commit" to stay down longer. Then you might stay down too long and the wave breaks quick and runs away , leaving you in the flats flailing in the soup. Every wave changes, winds change, current changes, sand bottom changes. The pitcher doesn't throw the batter the same ball. Learn about Waves, Learn Timing. Watch what the better surfers are doing right. They're using their Brains not their Brawn.

[jaffa1949]

PM , you surf mainly at Jenness beach? If so it is not a good beach for learning other than small days or white water learning.
If you look at your own blog the pictures show long shallow shoaling hard sand banks Very difficult to get a wave that runs off into a decent face, mostly weak crumbling white water. If it gets bigger the wave just moves further out.
Usual beginner event is catch something ride at little way and then just falter. The distance between takeoff and falter is directly related to loss of power, longer boards keep going just a bit longer.

Watch the other guys the good one first, then watch the strugglers, notice what they do differently!
This is the important bit copy the good guys. Watch their time and where they stand up in their catching a wave .

Venture down to Rye on the rocks and watch the surfers there on a good day.

You are still very much a beginner, you are enthusiastic persist watch what works and what doesn't. Do DA Does!

[jaffa1949]

thanks for this post oldman, i noticed on some of the other threads you posted you mention to first turn with your ankles, by that, do you mean pressing down with your toes or lifting your toes up to put pressure on your heels? like pressing and releasing a gas pedal.

[oldmansurfer]

I press with my toes on frontside drops and press the heels down on backside drops. It's kind of difficult to explain but the board is going straight down the face of a steep wave as in almost 90 degrees to the bottom. In a steep wave if you drop straight down you may get hit by the lip as you start to turn so I push the inside rail into the wave with my ankles. The board continues straight down but as it nears the bottom the kick in the nose pushes the board to the side starting to turn it so when you reach the bottom you are already turning and can quickly get back up on to the wave before the lip gets a chance of hitting you. Sometimes what happens is the wave will drop out below you and you do an air drop. If you have done as I said then when you land the board will lurch sideways and you will fall but if you are going straight down you have a chance to pull off an air drop. You have to make a judgment of what to do in that split second as you popup. I also move my front foot to an inside position (toward the wave) on really steep drops. For beginners it's probably not useful to try unless you are getting hit by the lip as you turn or the wave is passing you by after you popup. An easier thing to do is to take off at an angle so you paddle at a slight angle toward the direction you want to go. It requires that you paddle a little faster than a straight down the face takeoff but it seems easier than a vertical takeoff with an ankle turn. This way you are pointed down the line and can coast if the wave isn't too fast. But this doesn't work on a really big steep face, because the board will get caught at the top and you will airdrop sideways (tailslide)