by Naeco78 » Tue Jan 31, 2023 4:56 am
I think he makes some really good points. Especially the first few..
1) Mindset - I usually mentally surf a few waves before paddling out. Having a vision of the lines you plan to draw on certain sections of the waves helps to respond to those situations in the water easier.
2.) Overcoming fear of waves - I do that same exact thing he mentions at the end of that segment.. When I started getting back into surfing, I would just swim in waves that seem too intense for surfing at that stage for me.. and I would just try to get exposure to the energy and steepness of the waves passing over.. without the concerns of having a clunky board attached. It's interesting how the waves seem a lot less intimidating without the concerns of navigating a board through the impact zones and it makes it really easy to visualize the waves and takoff zones that are makeable for your surfing level. Then when you go back in the lineup with a surfboard it seems a lot more clear about wave selection and navigating how the waves are breaking that day. Obviously ya need to be relatively comfortable swimming in those conditions without a surfboard/flotation.. but if not, then you probably shouldnt consider being in those conditions with a surfboard either. Basically know your limits and take small steps to progress in challenging surf.
3) Surf skate training - I used to practice carving on longboard skate back in the day. It helped a lot with learning weight distribution and turning that into momentum in and out of turns. I think i probably became more of a front foot surfer because of the skateboarding influence and keeping my weight forward on the accelerator. Seems very similar to surfing in that way.. especially with generating speed down the line.
4) The right surfboard - While getting back into surfing I would pickup lots of different types of boards on Craigslist and learn what works best for me thru trial and error. When i stopped surfing in my early 20s i was probably riding boards around 27 liters and were probably considered in the non functional zone for my weight at that time, but that was kinda the norm back in the 90s. They didnt really work for the surf we had, but its how most of the boards were made at the time. Then when I got back into surfing in my 40's the last few years, I went with lots of higher volume/groveler boards in the beginning.. probably overcompensating for the paddle power trauma from the 90's boards. Then as i got back into heavier/hurricane surf, i learned that the flat rocker and wide tails on my grovelers create way too much lift on waves that generate more than enough speed on their own. Even hybrid fish/grovelers have their own issues with surfing vertical in steep fast waves.. sometimes the flat rocker just doesnt fit very well into the wave face. I think there's definitely a tradeoff between paddle power and control/maneuverability once you're on a sizable wave. But trying lots of different boards helped me learn what works best for me in different types of surf. It can be a long process but also a fun journey.