duck diving help (bigger waves)

[Wilbaaa]

(i'm 14) So I can duck dive well and everything but sometimes when a big wave maybe 6 foot breaks on top of me or just before me (usually a dumper) I cant duck dive under a large wall of white water, idk what to do it really scares me, can i have some tips (running a short board) I can pop up well and can kinda turn but i get spooked when a big waves is about to smash me as i'm paddling my hardest. I just want to get out the back. Its just when I see it coming at me about to break it looks so big and powerful.

[oldmansurfer]

The best way to avoid getting pounded is to stay out of the way. Try to figure out a route that won't take you right through the breaking surf or if you can't avoid it then timing so that you pass through when it's not breaking. Basically no matter how good you are at duck diving you can't duck dive some waves and the bigger the more difficult.

[Wilbaaa]

at my local beach the side current pulls so strong it pulls you into this section where is massive and dumpy, maybe i just need to get stronger at paddling. because its a long paddle out.

[oldmansurfer]

getting stronger paddling helps. Being capable of strong effective paddling in the face of oxygen deprivation helps. Being able to look at the lineup and see the currents and the waves and understand what that means when you paddle out helps. If you know there is a strong sideshore then you need to start further over to make up for the sweep so you get out before you hit the big section

[waikikikichan]

Sometimes we all make mistakes and end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. You got to take your lickings and pay your dues if you want to stay in this sport.

So I can duck dive well and everything

I can kinda turn

That is not making sense to me. Usually beginners learn how to turn before they learn to duck dive.

[Wilbaaa]

Do turns on the wave,

[waikikikichan]

Do turns on the wave,

Understood that turns should be done on the wave. But you say you "can kinda" turn. So you're learning how to turn but are already good at duck diving. For most, including myself, I learned how to turn BEFORE I could even attempt to duck dive. What size board did you learn on, before getting that shortboard ?

[jaffa1949]

Wilbaa, you are at the beginning of your surf learning and at 14 you are going to learn faster than any old fart!
Things that will improve, your paddle strength, both with body maturing and the amount of muscle toning surfing gives you.
Next you will begin to understand your beach, its moods at different sizes.
You will be able to read the easier paths to the outside (= experience which you don’t get except by having it).
You will start doing small turns and ride the face of the wave, small whitewater isn’t much.
BTW the bigger the white the harder it is to duckdive, timing is everything, technique too, you will get that wired.
Big white water on shallow Sandbank very difficult not depth to get to in the duck dive, learn to use rips and deeper areas to get out.
A safety thought, if you cannot get out, you are not ready for what you will encounter on bigger days.
Have you considered how you will get in?

[jaffa1949]

Another set of skills to practice, swimming, if you are not a strong swimmer, become one.
Swim in an area where there are life guards, learn to body surf, go out on some days and bodyboard. All tools to help you become an all water man

[BoMan]

The best way to avoid getting pounded is to stay out of the way. Try to figure out a route that won't take you right through the breaking surf or if you can't avoid it then timing so that you pass through when it's not breaking.

Here are some ideas...

1. Time your entry into the water when there is a lull between sets.

2. Find a break in the sand bar


3. Look for holes

[Millsy82]

I hate it when the wave is just about to break on you. I try and guage it now and work out if I feel I can make it and if not no point paddling out and I paddle for where I think it would already have broken for a few seconds before it gets to me. Also if someone catches it I should be behind them and not ruining there waves.

Of course I do mess up my timing and take a bit of a beating. I generally try to keep calm and keep hold of my board and just go with the flow and come up laugh it off then on to the next. I try to keep hold of my board as I don't want it to hit others I don't want it to hit me and saves putting extra strain on my leash.

[oldmansurfer]

Lately I have avoided any serious poundings. I think that is mostly because there haven't been much of the usual "victory at sea" type of ocean that was frequent in years gone by. But even then I seemed to avoid serious poundings most of the time so maybe it is just the ocean gods are being nice to me. It's either that or I know how to avoid poundings and just and just kind of do it automatically because I sure don't worry or think about it. And by the way I cannot duck dive any of my boards. I can only do a half duck dive where i shove the nose of the board and my head under the wave but the wave hits the lower half of my body and the back half of the board but then this pushes that part down and I pull up at the same time and this results in pulling back up similar to a duck dive except my rear end takes a pounding. We call that a duck dip here on this form. So I would also say practicing duck diving will help