What should i focus on now? (intermediate)

Questions and answers for those needing help or advice when learning to surf, improving technique or just comparing notes.

What should i focus on now? (intermediate)

Postby Matin » Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:06 am

Thanks for reading! Contrary to my other post I am now able to consistently land foot placement on pop-up and ride down the face. Been having a lot of fun out there lately. Experimenting with moving my board up and down wave face to generate some speed (more effective on frontside). Simple top-turns of fun And on rare occasions, if the wave peels enough to get fat, I can do a basic cutback to the pocket (frontside/backside). By no means is it a flashy cutback but it is a cutback nevertheless. Anyways I need to know what I should focus on in my sessions to progress fast and efficiently, as school just got out so I can surf every day. Board --> 6'1 - 18 1/2 - 2 3/8

Other questions I have:

1. On my backside after I drop-in I turn my head and shoulders toward the wave to bottom-turn then immediately turn my head and shoulders to the beach to even out my board. It seems that after I do this I lose the wave and it slips under me. (when I don't angle my takeoff)

2. Some days I can catch tons of waves while others I will catch lots in the first hour or so then I will have large gaps in between my waves. For example, yesterday it was windy and for the most part trash and I got about 15 waves (I landed 2 of my best cutbacks and was able to generate some good speed, and on my best wave of the day I performed good bottom turn on backside), then this morning it was still windy but it was much better everyone was getting good rides and I got about 3 or 4 good ones as well but then I had a large gap of about 45 minutes then I managed to catch one more and get the hell out. My low wave count was not because of other surfers (small crowd).

The main thing I have been doing to accelerate progression: (as hit a plateau a while back)
All I have been doing lately is focusing solely on wave count. I go for all waves regardless of closeout (those are actually really fun). This has allowed me to pop-up much more and practice dropping in, turning etc. What I used to do is sit around and wait and wait and wait for what I thought was a good wave. And I just simply wasn't getting better. (that was a couple months ago)
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Re: What should i focus on now? (intermediate)

Postby Matin » Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:10 am

I also wanted to add that since overcoming my plateau I have been having an immense amount of fun just catching more waves as that is something that I used to not do.
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Re: What should i focus on now? (intermediate)

Postby oldmansurfer » Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:42 am

There is no reason to turn to face the beach backside. What you need to do is a bottom turn, just plan on it , drop down and bottom turn then top turn then face the beach. Yeah wave count is important I surf slop all the time and have a blast but should I get onto good waves I will do really well usually because I am used to slop. I think it is difficult to know what waves you can catch and ride especially as you are improving your skills. As you learn there are more and more waves that you can catch and ride and if you don't push your limits a bit you wouldn't ever know. I am going to guess you still need to work on your bottom turn frontside as well as backside. Until you an take off deep and make it around the wave that is trying to break in front of you then you still need to work at your bottom turn. It sounds like you need to still work on your cutback as well and I guess there are a number of different top turns to work on. Unfortunately the waves will dictate what you can work on. If you are doing closeouts you might work at getting into the wave quick enough to make a bottom turn then get back up the face for a foam climb or floater. I love doing floaters.
So what is worse.... dying or regretting it for the rest of my life? Obviously I chose not regretting it.
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