Back to basics - who'd've thought?

[drowningbitbybit]

Due to resting my wonky shoulders, I've not been surfing much recently. I went out this morning, and was all over the place, not only with fitness but also technique

So time for some old-fashioned surf exercises. I got one of my old boards, which by chance had clean wax on it, and did some pop ups on the floor... well, who'd've thought? My dirty feet marks on the clean wax showed me that every time I pop up, my leading foot is slightly to the left of the stringer
I was completely unaware of this*. The ball of my foot is bang smack in the middle, but the heel of my foot is way over to the left.
No wonder that I've always preferred lefts and that I was failing to go down the line on the rights off the point this morning

Good, right, problem identified and easily fixable. Amazing what going back to basics achieves





* Granted, it could be completely different on a wave, but thinking about it, I think it's also true in the water.

[dtc]

Good thing you had dirty feet!

[Jester]

Did you see bianca buitendag at Fiji I think it was, her front foot was always waaaay off centre, I started watching for it and quite a few do it actually, maybe it helps set your rail going left.

[oldmansurfer]

Yeah Jester.... lots of pro surfers adjust their front foot to the waves. You know I haven't heard if Bianca has a boyfreind
DBB I find myself doing that either on takeoff or during an insanely steep drop. Which way I put my foot depends on the direction but I can see if you like going left then maybe you developed a habit

[drowningbitbybit]

Which way I put my foot depends on the direction but I can see if you like going left then maybe you developed a habit

Don't know whether it's cause or effect, as I've always found steep waves easier on my left.
I do set my foot on one side of the stringer or the other when I'm up and riding, but I didn't realise that it started off 2 or 3 inches further to the left than it should be. It does explain why, on lefts, my line remains nice and high, while on rights, I sometimes get bogged down mid-face.

Repeat to self: foot in the middle, foot in the middle, etc etc

[Jester]

Gosh that Bianca is one fine figure of a woman, proper size an all! Still.. Lakey Peterson, coco ho, etc. Ah I can't pick anymore.

[oldmansurfer]

Repeat to self: foot in the middle, foot in the middle, etc etc

Maybe get a narrower board? When I surfed before all my boards were 18 inches wide, well ok so my last one was 18.5 inches but it seemed like I never had to move my front foot. I am going to eventually test that theory .....................unless I get used to wider boards before then.