Chain of Progression? Skateboard to surf. Help!

[Marty]

Hi guys. Bear with me on this as I am new to surfing and haven´t got a clue what I´m on about!

So a month or so ago I ended up trying surfing and I am hooked big time. I´m over here in Spain, near Torrevieja and there´s a break a bike ride from my house that I didn´t even know was here in the years I´ve live here! So one day after trying a SUP for a few hours out at sea a bit the guy took me into the surf for a lash and I loved it, obviously this thing was a monster of a board. So anyway I was looking for a surfboard later that night and decided to go for a 9footer which catches loads of waves. It doesn´t often get too big here. So anyway. When it did get big. No on mentioned to me that I was a madman going out on a longboard in it (this maybe a matter of opinion haha) and I discovered the nightmare of trying to get out back with a church door in your hands. So I found myself staying further inside than the experienced lads, I guess because I was quite happy with getting a ride from there without having to compete with anyone as I could take the waves the lads pulled out of. This was fine and dandy until one day after numerous pearls, I broke the nose on the log. Not completely off but a mountain range former from rail to rail on the top. I pearled a lot of times. Now I was focussing solely on body position on the board. I feel any further back would have pulled the brakes and I´d be left. I was taking off perpendicular to the wave face. Now I made the assumption that it was because the longboard was too long and the wave too steep to take off forward. Do you guys think this is the case? I really had no idea when I should be catching a wave. The older guys stayed further out. So maybe I´m being too keen and catching every wave instead of waiting for the right wave that can be caught further out. Am I wanting a wave that puches me or am I looking merely for a shape (a transition) that I can pump to make my own speed? So I ask you. What is the right wave? What do those older guys see in a wave that they know in an instant if it´s worth the paddle. One thing a friend mentioned was that maybe I was too close to where it was gonna break so it broke on top of me pretty much. I found this area to be the best place to *feel* the power of the wave push me and so catch the beast. So if someone could explain what to look for that would be great. I noticed today that when the bigger swell came in nobody bothered with white water. When the wave had no face left they bailed out.

Secondly (and I know this has endless answers) but what am I supposed to do after I catch the wave in order to get into the flow and ride the facealong. Have a longer ride. Right now I just head straight forwards. I caught a couple of waves the let me ride the face but I read about bottom turns and all this stuff and I dont really get it. Where does the friction (for want of a better word) come from so that you can turn the board sharply or fast. I have been skateboarding for over ten years mostly street but I´ve skated vert and mini ramps too so I get the idea of pumping (that is if it´s the same idea) Obviously my wheels stick to the ground when I carve up a bowl. Is a surfboard turn like a kick turn on a skateboard? I was thinking maybe this longboard is just too big to turn fast. Anyway I put it in to be repaired and I got myself a 7 foot 2 mini mal. Unfortunately I haven´t even got it wet yet cause I broke a rib so I´m stuck on land for now. From what I seem to get from the things I read online. People say to learn on a longboard then progress to smaller boards. Learn what? To catch waves and stand. Or the basic maneuveurs too. Other people seem to say longboard is a bad idea because it´s a completely different style to the short. The mini mal has more nose rocker which is great cause the longboard had none. So hopefully my pearling days are numbered.

One more question. My shoulder feels like crap the one that I guide the board out with when I walk. I actually stand in the water more than sit on my board. That would be cause I always fall off it and I´m tall enough that I don´t need to on most days. So my arm rests on it a lot. Or is this something I should be training for on land? I am a pro guitarist so I was thinking perhaps the joint is worn from strumming. I hope not! But it feels loose and clicky since I started to surf. Thoughts would be appreciated.

So basically how do I choose a wave, what do I do when I´m on it. I have to say that I am having the best time just riding that power into the shore and snapping my fins hahahaaa I could do that all day. So yeah cheers for listening to my baloney. It´s beeen great thrapy while I´m stuck here healing haha! Merci!

[waikikikichan]

Your problem wasn't skateboard to surf. It was skate to SUP to surf. That makes problems.

When asking for advice the more info you give the better informed/advice can be given. What is your height , weight , etc. ?

My question for you. How are you at hitting a baseball ?

[billie_morini]

Q2. Secondly (and I know this has endless answers) but what am I supposed to do after I catch the wave in order to get into the flow and ride the facealong
A. Do one or the other: 1) take off at angle that is oblique to wave. Some Hawaiians call it "Going la la." Point nose down the line instead of perpendicular to wave & shore; 2) bottom turn. Friction comes from placing weight on rear foot and rotating with hips and legs. Weighting the tail raises the nose off the water. It can help to dig part of the rail into the wave behind you. Make bottom turn at lowest point in drop. Get ready about 3/4 of way through the drop.

[oldmansurfer]

I used to surf long ago and restarted recently using a 9'6" longboard. I rode waves with up to 20 foot faces with that board so long boards can ride bigger waves, that's not an issue. I learned to take steep drops on waves with the long board so that isn't the issue either. There are several methods. Pearling on takeoff is a newbie thing regardless of the length of the board. To avoid it you can learn to paddle better and get into the wave before it gets steep. You can also paddle at an angle so that you aren't going straight down the wave on the takeoff but you have to paddle better than what it takes to go straight. If it is steep then you can use your ankles to push the inside rail of the board down and this will allow you to turn quicker when you get to the bottom. On takeoff you put pressure on your front foot and as you get into the wave you switch it to your back foot. Newbies often try to stand on the tail immediately which makes the board go too slow and you end up pearling. There is a third way to avoid pearling which is to paddle straight down the wave but before you takeoff push your shoulder into the board making it turn right before you popup. When I drop down a wave with a steep face I watch the tip of my board to be sure what it is doing and be ready to adjust my weight or stomp on the tail if the nose seems to be going under. So when to do what? It comes with wave knowledge, knowing what the wave is going to do and what your board is going to do on the wave. As far as turning there are a few types of turns that you can do. The basic turn is called trimming which is just using your ankles to push down one side or the other but your body remains upright. Then there is a carving turn where you lean into the turn and then there is a sliding turn where you push the tail really hard and push the fins through the water making the tail slide. Also learn to sit on the board. Most of the places I surf you can't stand on the bottom. I understand it may be difficult at first. I had problems when I restarted with my 9'6" longboard and then again when I went to a 8 foot board. It's a necessary skill to learn. The learning on a shortboard or a longboard question really depends you your athleticism and your determination. If you are athletic and determined and you want to shortboard then do that. There are a large number of people who try to learn to surf on a shortboard and give up so if you think switching to a shortboard will make things easier it won't and in fact it will make it more difficult. But if you want to shortboard and you are determined enough then go for it but it won't be easy.

[oldmansurfer]

Learning to sit on a board is much easier on a longboard also and even more necessary of a skill on a shortboard since a shortboard requires a more exact lineup to takeoff. With a longboard you have a much longer area in which you can takeoff on a wave but the shorter the board the more precise you need to be in positioning in order to takeoff. So with a shortboard you need to adjust your positioning carefully which means you have to sit on the board and be able to paddle and turn quickly which is to sit up and rotate so you need to be able to sit on the board. It only takes a little while to learn to sit on a board. Once you get it down it is second nature.

[Marty]

Your problem wasn't skateboard to surf. It was skate to SUP to surf. That makes problems.

When asking for advice the more info you give the better informed/advice can be given. What is your height , weight , etc. ?

My question for you. How are you at hitting a baseball ?

Hey man That´s interesting. That been said I was only on the sup for a couple of hours. Well I´m 81 Kilos at the moment 6 foot 3. I can´t say I remember hitting a baseball. I´m from Liverpool, UK. We don´t use baseball bats for that there haha! I´m alright at cricket if that helps :p

To billi morini. When you say to bottom turn at the lowest point in the drop. Do you mean like if the wave was a solid ramp then turn at the bottom of the transition and head back up to the top? I was thinking about it a lot lastnight. Is it like you paddle in to the wave, you stand up and give a big pump down to get the speed to get you down and back up? I was watching a bit and thinking maybe I was keeping my board too flat to turn. Is it that say going front side ( which i assume is with my belly to the wave, I´m regular btw.) that I dig my toeside rail in and use the wall it makes to pump a curve back towards the wave fave thus getting the most out of the momentum I have?

To oldmansurfer everything you said there is a great help. A great idea about initiating the turn as you go to pop up to prevent pearling. I remember a few waves I caught and I was able to take off angled and start heading along the face but then i didnt have a clue what to do to keep the speed! It´s gonna be a few weeks until I can heal and get out in the water again unfortunately and there was a super strorm weather bomb or something here in Europe so there were some great waves here this week! It was great to see the Spanish guys shred. My Spanish is not so fluent so I can´t really ask anyone here these questions so thanks alot for the advice guys!

[billie_morini]

Hi Marty,
"Yes," to your most recent question to me.

Just thought of something. There are some notes right here that may help fill in the gaps:
https://surfing-waves.com/bottom-turns.htm

keep the stoke, Bra!

[waikikikichan]

I don't know Cricket terms, so I hope I don't offend you. When is the best time to hit the ball thrown from the pitcher ? If you swing after it hits the sticks, you're too late. If you swing right when it hits the ground, you'll be too early. You need to make contact with the ball at the exact right time. Same for catching a wave. You need to catch it at a given moment at a given place. You need Power, Position and Timing to catch a wave. Of the 3 , Position and Timing are most important. Staying to far inside is like swing to early. If your too far out, you can paddle further in to meet the wave. Being too far in, you can't really back up.

Waiting for waves off the side of your board is not good. Learn to sit on your board, so you can feel the motion of the ocean. Sit on your board and let your legs drape down. Do not hook your feet, you'll end up flipping over. Face out to the ocean. Spinning around your board will be hard at first, but it's an essential technique you must do.

" what am I supposed to do after I catch the wave in order to get into the flow and ride the face along. Have a longer ride. Right now I just head straight forwards." - it's a bit early to give advise on bottom turning until you comfortable catching waves. But, If you are catching and going straight confidently, try looking at a distant landmark to the right like a building, house, flag pole. Starting looking after you feet contacts the board but before your hands start push off the deck ( remember to explode off the deck ). Where you look is where you GO. It won't happen immediately, but slowly your feel the board begin to follow.

[Marty]

Cheers lads. I really appreciate that advice! Can´t wait for my ribs to heal now and get back out in the water. Good luck!