Early takeoff on bigger waves

[waikikikichan]

I suspect that an angled takeoff on a shoulder section is probably the best bet for a newbie longboarder in higher surf.

NO. YES. It depends. Sometimes you need to angle in before the pop. Sometimes you need to go straight down into a bottom turn. You have to adjust to what's happening. The ocean/wave is ever changing. Wind, tide, swell direction. Your first wave, your wave 2 hours later.

And taking off on the shoulder might mean there are short boarders sitting deeper inside you, that you'll be dropping in on. As a newbie you might not be aware of them or how fast they can catch up to you.

[BoMan]

Hey bo man, r u in NZ? If so, where do u live and surf?

No. I live in the Napa Valley and surf at BOlinas on the Marin County coast.
New Zealand is on my bucket list. Can you recommend a longboard break?

[RinkyDink]

And taking off on the shoulder might mean there are short boarders sitting deeper inside you, that you'll be dropping in on. As a newbie you might not be aware of them or how fast they can catch up to you.

That makes sense. I pretty much always check for anybody even remotely near me before I take off. I'm perfectly content to sit outside, enjoy the view, and get my second wind going rather than take off on a wave that might interfere with somebody. I consider my surfing at this stage as simply a workout. I'm doing pushups, lunges, and squats and the ocean is my gym.

[Big H]

Yesterday I was in a crowd; each wave had a minimum of two other people to paddle battle so you had to keep your eyes open and be ready to pull the trigger last minute go or pull off. Good group; no drop ins at all but hotly contested.

[oldmansurfer]

I sometimes surf outside the small boarders and will catch a wave to the inside but further out of where the small boarders are. Now I would take off deeper if they weren't there but they are in my way so I have to make sure no one takes off behind me but I have a feeling they figure they need to watch out for me because they have no idea what I might do. They are probably like "Watch out! There is that crazy old man"

[dtc]

The downside of taking off earlier is having to weave between the short boarders right at the worst time (just after you have popped up and are trying to find balance and sort things out). On crowded biggish waves I sometimes give up and just run over them...huh, not really. I just don't bother surfing there or do move to the outside of the peak (except you then miss too much)

Maybe I should adopt the crazy old man persona and make everyone else stay out of my way...a bright orange wetsuit and a helmet might be the key (inside joke for Jaffa)

[BoMan]

Maybe I should adopt the crazy old man persona and make everyone else stay out of my way...a bright orange wetsuit and a helmet might be the key

and don't forget this.....

[Big H]

What you can do DTC is surge with a wave and pull off with your large midsize hanging just over their heads....odds are they will make a channel for you the next time you gun right at them.