Next step?

[scuba steve]

What do you guys think is the next step in surfing a wave after you can confidently ride down the line and do some basic turns up and down the face. I've been doing this for ages and want to try something new but when I'm surfing I seem to always forget and stick to just cruising. Don't get me wrong I love doing that but I would like to progress a little.

I was thinking maybe floaters, or cutbacks is what I should try and learn next and concentrate on doing them.

Any ideas?

[drowningbitbybit]

when I'm surfing I seem to always forget and stick to just cruising.

I find I do this sometimes, particularly if Ive not surfed in a while - and as you're a landlocked londoner I guess you go for a few weeks at a time without surfing too

One thing Ive always found gets me back into it is the 'throwaway' move. Always finish the wave with a turn or move that you dont think you can make - it doesnt matter if you just wipe-out as the wave is over anyway. So just throw your weight into it and see what happens. That way you get your cruise, then you get better at the moves, then you do moves when you're on the face


But Ive had a bit of a rubbish record recently so I'll be back to cruising on the face for a couple of sessions next time Im in

[Beachbum]

Nice, this is where I am around as well. Shouldn't trimming be the next step though?

[Laguna]

Exactly what dbbb said.

Even if im on a rubbish wave and cant do anything, I always try and go out with some crazy manouvere which I may not land.
I love the end of the rides. I think its the best part to surfing a wave. You see the wave infront of you just about to break / close out and then just ramp up it and do whatever you feel.

If I were you I would practice cutbacks and when you see the wave breaking infront of you try a floater. Floaters can feel really good when you pull of a good one.
Also face slashes are good and learn how to pump the board faster and faster.

[Laguna]

Look at that extreme videos website where they show you some tips n tricks (it was posted a few days ago). I thought that was really good. Very well explained.

[scuba steve]

Ive tried that dbbb, its great fun but I never pull them off.
I can never commit to doing things like floaters, its like I just forget about doing them when Im going down the line and see a breaking section ahead, I just try and go round.
I might work on that a bit.

Like you said dbbb its true being landlocked really stunts progress.

[miamisurfer]

if you go around the section then you should bottom turn and go for a snap or try to remember about floaters
if you go down the line wait for it to closeout and crank a turn off the whitewash

[GowerCharger]

id go for cutbacks and snaps, these will help you on slower waves and help you stay in the steep powerful part of the wave, so will help your cruising.

Another thing is work on really driving out of your bottom turn, if your just cruising along then i imagine your not coming that hard off the bottom? when you make a really commited bottom turn you dont really have any option but to go big to come back down, try and get as close to vertical as you can, thats gonna commit you into a sharper top turn.

[scuba steve]

Yeah maybe I should work on getting a powerful bottom turn going.