Larger Waves getting tossed

[BP61]

I have been surfing a good amount recently. On my longboard I can grab waves, ride the line with no probs. When I use my shorter board 6'6 when the waves are above 3 foot I always feel like I am on the verge of getting tossed and I back out last minute. I know 3 + foot aren't big by any means but I can't seem to see why I always feel like I am on the lip of the wave and about to just get shot over. Is there any advice for me? I try to watch other people and learn but they all seem to be popping up later then I would anticipate. Most of the guys look like there doing a lot less and just grabbing them left and right.

Any advice would be great. I am really starting to get frustrated and feel like I will never step up to larger days.

[oldmansurfer]

Sounds like you aren't paddling hard enough to get into the wave. You have to be lined up better and paddle stronger in a short fast burst with a shorter board. Sometimes a surfer with a shortboard or even a long board although it's more difficult can be in exactly the right place and pop up without paddling usually using a scissors kick. So you need to paddle more and start to go down the wave before you popup and probably you also need to lineup better. It's a common problem switching from long to short. Also you may be standing on the back of the board too much. It's almost instinctive to lean away from the drop because you have spent your whole life trying not to fall so you have to overcome that and lean forward with presure on your front foot changing to your back foot as you dropto the bottom.

[BP61]

Sounds like you aren't paddling hard enough to get into the wave. You have to be lined up better and paddle stronger in a short fast burst with a shorter board. Sometimes a surfer with a shortboard or even a long board although it's more difficult can be in exactly the right place and pop up without paddling usually using a scissors kick. So you need to paddle more and start to go down the wave before you popup and probably you also need to lineup better. It's a common problem switching from long to short. Also you may be standing on the back of the board too much. It's almost instinctive to lean away from the drop because you have spent your whole life trying not to fall so you have to overcome that and lean forward with presure on your front foot changing to your back foot as you dropto the bottom.

That makes sense. I see that a lot people take a few kicks and pop right up but like you said they seem to be in the perfect spot. Any advice on how to line up differently with the shorter board?? I will try the harder paddles too. I think I am taking my longboard cruising habits on the shorter board.
Thanks!

[oldmansurfer]

A longboard is easier to paddle into waves with. With a longboard you can lineup over a large area to catch a wave. A short board needs to be more exactly lined up so on the inside of where a longbaord goes, pretty much right where the wave breaks. You need to get up to the speed of the wave so initially maybe just a little out from where the waves breaks and paddle before the wave gets to you. There are parts of the wave that are easier to catch and usually beginners are afraid to go deeper in the lineup but often you need to go deeper to easily catch the wave with a shortboard. This becomes very obvious on bigger waves. Certain parts of the wave are just really difficult to get power from and you have to supply it with the board and paddling or try somewhere else. It takes some trial and error. I still have waves where I have trouble catching them and need to try different parts to see where it will let me in. Some waves just aren't meant to be ridden or you have to tow in surf them. But in your case others are catching the waves so you might watch closer and see where they are going and what they are doing.

[pmcaero]

When I use my shorter board 6'6 when the waves are above 3 foot I always feel like I am on the verge of getting tossed and I back out last minute.

Having the same issue with a 6'3" board. It's not easy though some make it look so.

[yumyumyellow]

In order to catch a wave, and not simply have it catch you, you need to come close to matching the speed of the wave at the time it comes up under you. If you're going significantly slower than the wave at this time, you basically get sucked up the face and thrown out with with the lip. So basically, you need to paddle a lot harder (or get better at paddling) and get better at positioning.

[Big H]

The advice not yet offered is the same as given to a boxer that doesn't want to get hit.....

....learn to take your beatings (relative; it's not that big a wave and practice somewhere other than a shallow reef) and get over the fear of being "hit"....then adjust forward and back, paddling harder, deeper in the wave, etc until you find that "spot"....but you'll never commit to taking the wave like you need to until you are really familiar with the "worst" that can happen....

....and it hurts less when you're on your feet so try popping up when you feel like you're about to get pitched....you might surprise yourself and ride the wave out....

[Big H]

One other thing....alot of long boarders that I see sit outside of their planned catch area....they see the wave coming then get a running start, trying to time their building paddle speed to meet the wave at the planned point....whereas on a short board I see and have had more success hunting down waves by sitting inside and paddling out to meet them, spinning and then paddling hard....to get a shortboard up to speed is only a couple few paddles while a longboard takes a few more....catch areas for shortboards are, well, shorter and that running start isn't necessary since you are able to accelerate much faster and not wanted because it unnecessarily complicates positioning in that you have to figure how many strokes it will take to meet the wave at a precise point and not paddle right through then get tossed because you are too far inside when the wave catches up to you....I barely paddle until the wave is almost on top of me then about three sometimes four deep strokes and that's it...if it takes more than that I'm too far outside and probably won't make the wave....

[Big H]

One more thing.....if this seems like a problem only with bigger waves then gradually expand your comfort zone....Hahahahaha, read that in a book today on learning big wave surfing....seems to be good advice and common sense....work your way up to it and what you consider big will constantly be changing definition.....I know that waves that I thought intimidating only 6 months ago are not so anymore for me....gradual expansions....

[oldmansurfer]

Bigger boards can catch waves well before the wave breaks whereas the shorter boards need to be right where it is breaking. The shortboard is lighter so can be brought up to speed faster but it also loses speed faster if you don't paddle. Some waves require that you paddle before they get to you or you can't catch them depending on the board but there are waves that can be hard to catch with both long and shortboards. I surf in a short period of time and work waves that are breaking over a large area and on my funguns I can catch some waves that break further inside than others are able to catch with shorter boards but longboarders and Sups can catch the same wave outside of me. I think knowing which waves you can catch is constantly changing unless you aren't learning but you don't want to waste too much time and energy trying to catch waves you can't catch.

[Big H]

True....those slower building waves that you CAN get into early are waves where a longer, higher volume board can have an advantage as you can get in and riding earlier before the shape becomes critical....faster jacking waves like so many around here offer a smaller catch zone regardless of board size....I personally like these waves (good thing too, the island is filled with fast jacking waves!) because they don't require much to catch if you have the positioning right....biggest mistake would be to paddle too early and get out in front of the wave and miss meeting the part of the wave that is catchable and instead getting tossed or having the lip hammer you down....conversely, I was at B. Bolong the other day and had to paddle 30m before finally getting into the wave....I was halfway to the beach at that point! High tide, smaller swell and super fat....not much of a drop at all, just a forward lean more than anything.....

[Tudeo]

The more experience u build surfing the less energy u need to catch the wave. This is because the trained eye of the experienced surfer can see from far how the wave will develop. That gives him time to get to the right spot for takeoff.

If u see the pro's they almost don't need to paddle to catch because they are in the exact right spot in the right time.

For learning it's just a matter of putting time in, and not be too afraid to wipeout, there is a lesson hidden in every wipeout

[Big H]

But then again at some points in a heat a pro might chase down a wave that he was well outside of....that is as amazing as any of their skills, their wave catching range/ the amount of distance they can cover to get into position and make a wave....I see some of the Indo guys here paddle for waves when they are out of position that I would never even start for but they manage to kick and fight their way into it....helps to be 52kg as well....

Yeah....paying attention to what happened when you #$@%&@% up is a big part of learning; permanent marks left behind that remind you what NOT to do.... But in all seriousness, I never make a breakthrough without some near epic failures.....had water draining from my sinuses and ears for 5 hours the other day after getting rolled a bunch of times....the end of that sesh I'd sorted a few things though so it's all good.....

[Tudeo]

had water draining from my sinuses and ears for 5 hours the other day after getting rolled a bunch of times....the end of that sesh I'd sorted a few things though so it's all good.....

Time to pour the wonder solution in the ears

[Big H]

Every time....

Still never had an ear/sinus infection from surfing (50% rubbing isopropyl alcohol and 50% white vinegar).

[Tudeo]

Same here.

But now I need to find some wood to knock off my bad luck call. Last time I said on this forum I had no ear infection for a long time, next surf was bingo!

Sh*t, I need a Timbertek Firewire to knock on the Paulownia deck!

[yoba]

The advice not yet offered is the same as given to a boxer that doesn't want to get hit.....

that's exactly my problem. Same as OP, I've downsized from 9.6 to 7.2 addvance and the waves which weren't scary on bigger board became sometimes frightening on a smaller one. It is partially due to the fact that now I have to make steeper drops, catch the wave when it had walled up more. So when I lean forward on order to take a wave it feels like I'm falling down into the void!

[pmcaero]

....and it hurts less when you're on your feet so try popping up when you feel like you're about to get pitched....you might surprise yourself and ride the wave out....

I tried that and I the wave passes me, I think I don't have enough speed.

[oldmansurfer]

So when I lean forward on order to take a wave it feels like I'm falling down into the void!

This is actually one of the things I love about surfing. That feeling of dropping in on a steep wave. It is so exhilarating......what a rush!