How often do you surf?

[dtc]

After surfing shorter boards, you might find switching to a longboard (9ft+) actually takes a few sessions to figure out. Esp if you are only doing it once every 5 surfs. You wont be a kook, you will catch waves and stand up, but it will just 'feel wrong' for a while. Different positioning, timing, turning, all the rest.

Hence I support DBBs and suggest a mini mal - 7ft6, wider, lots of volume. Easier to control, lighter etc.

Also, while a LB offers easier paddling, its not that much easier - maybe 15% (?). So its not like you can exhaust yourself on a shortboard and then hop onto the LB and get another 2 hours of surfing. Also, if you have a hard paddle out through the waves, the LB can be much worse (and in windy or choppy days, I find my pointy nose board, despite being 6inchs shorter, much easier to paddle than my round nose mini mal).

Not saying don't get a longer board, but yeah do try them out first if you can. You may realise you have become a 'shortboarder' (or 'mid length boarder')

[oldmansurfer]

I surf with a guy who has a 10 foot longboard and he is more out of shape then me but can take off on waves 5 yards out from where I can with my 8 foot fungun which is 5 yards outside of where the fit shortboarders take off.

I have a theory about learning to surf and surfing frequency. If you surf regularly (like once a week at least) then you build skill regularly but if you don't surf for 2 weeks or longer then the first part of your next session is spent catching up to where you were the last time you surfed. In addition you may get tired during this time and once you are tired then you learn at a slower rate because it's harder to catch waves. If you switch boards then that is probably better than not surfing but makes for slower learning than using the same board because you also have to get used to the board and learn to use the board.

[dtc]

I have a theory about learning to surf and surfing frequency. If you surf regularly (like once a week at least) then you build skill regularly but if you don't surf for 2 weeks or longer then the first part of your next session is spent catching up to where you were the last time you surfed. In addition you may get tired during this time and once you are tired then you learn at a slower rate because it's harder to catch waves. If you switch boards then that is probably better than not surfing but makes for slower learning than using the same board because you also have to get used to the board and learn to use the board.

Totally agree with that. As someone who can go a bit of time between surfs or (given current injury) I'm up to almost 3 months since my last surf...well, the first two or three sessions are a bit of a disaster. I find its the positioning and wave catching that is the problem - I can pop up and stay standing, but just got to catch the wave in the first place. Re-train my mind to accept all those things in surfing that seem wrong.

I'm hoping to hit some small try out waves in about 3 weeks, fingers crossed. Could be a nightmare.

[drowningbitbybit]

I'm up to almost 3 months since my last surf...

I'll stop moaning about the current GC flat spell then...

[Tudeo]

Honestly, I got an 8ft board because it's easier to carry, store and lug out and it performs better than my longboard, though the longboard catches more waves. It's up to you, but a minimal is cheaper and easier for me, but if you go to a longboard beach (unlike mine) the guys with the 10ft boards will get all your waves LOL

I agree, it would be nice if the big board will fit inside the car, I did some measuring and think I can go up to 8'7". So that will be a factor to consider too.

I'm already turned off from the Firewire Submoon, it's a great looker but my overal impresion from the postings on the Firewire forum is that it is not the board I'm looking for. It has so much rocker u need to sit with the shortboards to take off. That is in contrast with the easy paddler/ wave catcher I'm after. Maybe a 8'6" Malibu then?

Sure, I still got the BIC 7'9", but that board feels heavy about 6.6kg on my inaccurate scale. Also it feels too flexible. I served me well, but now I want something better. What that better is, I don't know yet..

I have a theory about learning to surf and surfing frequency. If you surf regularly (like once a week at least) then you build skill regularly but if you don't surf for 2 weeks or longer then the first part of your next session is spent catching up to where you were the last time you surfed. In addition you may get tired during this time and once you are tired then you learn at a slower rate because it's harder to catch waves. If you switch boards then that is probably better than not surfing but makes for slower learning than using the same board because you also have to get used to the board and learn to use the board.

I think your theory is correct.

I've been surfing the same board but switching a lot different waves recently, trying to escape the crowds and finding my wave. If I surf my regular waves at Batu Bolong and Oldmans I'm much more in control and can catch waves with much less effort.

Yesterday I surfed a great wave but there was a lot of backwash water moving around, made it hard to predict the wave. If u fully commit cos the wave looks right and then some backwash makes u miss it, u loose a lot of energy and get not much in return, exept the knowledge to try and deal with backwash..

[Big H]

See if you can take one out....Rip Curl on Sunset had one as a rental....I saw one in the water this afternoon and thought of you....it is a good looking board and oddly enough I was admiring the nose and rocker in particular.....looks like it would do well on waves around here and from my angle watching a middle aged newbie Japanese tourist flop around on it, it didn't look too rockered at all, although she didn't catch a wave so I couldn't say if she could catch outside of where the short boards were getting in....moot anyway, the only people on shortboards who actually could catch waves were Balinese and they can catch from outside longboards .....she actually fell off while sitting out there in the lineup with her instructor, saw the whole thing....just lost her balance in a hurry and flopped off the board when sitting on it.....wouldn't put that on the board though.

Put it this way, the board looked so good in the water I wanted to ask to try it....second thought was that you might be on to something....

I wouldn't listen to the Fwire forum; that board could definitely catch outside of shortboards apple to apple with a rider who had an idea about things.....anywhow, Rp250 for a day and you can find out on your own....

[Tudeo]

See if you can take one out....Rip Curl on Sunset had one as a rental

Hmm, ya maybe I'll do that. The guys there gave me a good deal last time, bought both my last boards there. I bought the Addvance after a very successful testride. Maybe I can try an 8'2" or 8'7".

[oldmansurfer]

Yesterday I surfed a great wave but there was a lot of backwash water moving around, made it hard to predict the wave. If u fully commit cos the wave looks right and then some backwash makes u miss it, u loose a lot of energy and get not much in return, exept the knowledge to try and deal with backwash..

I surf a break that has lots of backwash regularly. While it isn't often bad at the takeoff spot sometimes it is. I try to keep an eye open for backwash coming out and figure out the timing of it. The other thing I do is catch the first wave of a set if it isn't breaking consitently. That wave will make backwash for the next one but no backwash on it. The worst trouble I have had with backwash is where it makes the wave suddenly steep and I am not prepared to take a steep drop and end up pearling. What I did in that situation was to treat each drop in the area of the backwash as a steep drop by pushing the inside rail into the wave to have minimal friction on the drop.

[Tudeo]

The other thing I do is catch the first wave of a set if it isn't breaking consistently. That wave will make backwash for the next one but no backwash on it.

Great tip!

Yes, this wave can suddenly jump up and make a pitching takeoff or suddenly flatten the peak, just when u give it all you've got..

I try to learn about tides, maybe in- or outgoing tide has a big effect on the intensity of the backwash?

Anyway this particulair wave needs higher tides. It has a perfect A-frame but the Left only runs over the reef with enough water and the Right is another story. (Almost) nobody takes the Right cos there is a scary looking reef sticking out, so that only looks good on the highest tides. But it is doable with less water if the wave breaks in the right place.

The right knowledge will give u an uncrowded great wave, the wrong will put u in the hospital

[oldmansurfer]

The tides don't vary much over here but what affects backwash is swell direction and the shape of the shoreline at the time. I bet tides affect backwash elsewhere though.

[James white]

Recently I started to surf about once every month or two because I live in London so it about a hour and 40 mins to where I can surf