Oldie wrote:Just for fun some pictures of the conditions we usually face in the North Sea - waves come only with local winds. These are pictures I took on our last trip three weeks ago.
Ha ha ha, yes I know those conditions very good, I'm from Amsterdam and did a lot of windsurfing in Zandvoort and Wijk aan Zee. Even though wave surfing is my big passion, I couldn't bring myself to do it there. For me surfing was only fun on the southwest coasts from say Molliet until Albufeira.. And then I only got serious into it after I moved to Bali at age 48
I think ur problem is basically you don't surf enough. All the great advice I've read in this thread only starts working when you surf with enough frequency. By experience you slowly put all the pieces together, that's my experience anyway.
The wave has a sweetspot for takeoff, sometimes u hit it by accident and you think how is it possible that it can be so easy to takeoff? Other times, and this happens more often unfortunately, you ask yourself how is it even possible to catch a wave?
It's the learning of reading the waves, the timing and positioning that will come with experience. Also the technique of handling the board comes this way, by experience. Putting too much weight to the front and you pearl, countering it by putting more weight on the back and you miss the wave. Finetuning is key.
It's good to experience different boards, more input means more learning. Best is if you can borrow or rent off course.
I own an Addvance 6'6" btw. I'm 6ft 73kg, I like that board a lot for easy catching and dynamic shortboard feel while riding the wave. I took it out for a test ride and had the best waves in a long time and was sold. What the guys say here is true, it's not the board it's technique/experience. But on the other hand there could be a board that's just right for your learning experience, the problem is finding it without throwing insane money at it.
And then after you've found that magical board, it's only magical long enough to get you to the next phase of your surfing live, cos there's always more to learn. I'm moving into the bigger more hollow waves now and found out my Addvance is the perfect board in those circumstances, to break my neck
Doing re-entries or cutbacks the limited rocker just doesn't fit the wave shape, the nose catches and there you go. It's like a catapult in windsurfing
Then this: just yesterday I bought my first longboard and tried it in bigger waves the same day. I was worried about pearling when first paddling by the limited nose rocker, but the board has a decent amount of tail rocker that brings the nose up as in a little miracle when the wave starts lifting and pushing. That and just a bit of angling made for pearl safe drops. Ah ya, and I didn't go for a full bottom turn, just a quick turn while getting to my feet to stay high on the face.
