Steep Drops

"Also, for learning, it may be a lot easier dropping in on the shoulder rather than at the peak.[/QUOTE]

For learning maybe, not sure. Its easier to gain speed from the peak so you wont have to make a steep drop. Shoulder drops on fast waves can get quite steep since the wave is hitting the sand and beginning to dump. Specially during winter when we have freight train barrels. commit to the peak, it will be the best thing for your surfing.

take off at an angle so that it is easier to get down the line and avoid being taken over the falls

Again, really good discussion here. Started out as one fairly newbie looking for advice and now it's an interesting discussion of techniques, even for the more experienced.

As for a lower volume board helping, I haven't found that. My board for these types of waves was a narrow semi-gun but I found I wasn't getting enough speed when I tried to paddle into overhead winter freight trains. I started riding a 6'10" single fin Merrick G2 (narrower pintail than the G1) and found it helped a TON. (although the lack of rocker is a problem). the thing is 3" thick and the float helped me get in so much earlier, almost like a longboard. So I found that having more volume actually helped. Again, it depends a lot on ability and style.

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Originally Posted by surfman

I was doing just fine on the steep chest-shoulder high wave on my fun 8'2" the other day. Sitting farther out and paddling early is of big help: With the large volume board you can gain speed, stand up and ride the wave well before it starts curling. Paddle at an angle. Angle your board even more to direct it down the line after you popped up to gain speed. Once you are up and gained decent speed you are ready for the ride on that wave that becomes steep and hollow. If you can't catch the wave though, you are either too far out or not paddling fast enough.

The evening of the same day I took my 6'7" and it needed a whole different approach. You can't gain as much speed paddling a short board as a long board, but it slides down the steep surface much faster. So you have to be right at the line-up, where 2-3 paddles put you on the wave. To me, it also natural aiming at an angle rather than directly to the shore.

Also, for learning, it may be a lot easier dropping in on the shoulder rather than at the peak.

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this could be part of my problem. i'm a bigger guy, 6'3" 240lbs, on a bigger board, 8'4" x 24" x 3.25 and i'm catching them too late, i think. i started learning to "surf" on a boogieboard, riding white water. then i moved up to a 7'6" funfish, still riding whitewater. i seem to be catching alot of whitewater now as well, and having trouble catching the green waves.

just need more practice, i guess. i'll try the shoulder trick next time i'm out.

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Originally Posted by kinggargantuan

this could be part of my problem. i'm a bigger guy, 6'3" 240lbs, on a bigger board, 8'4" x 24" x 3.25 and i'm catching them too late, i think.

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You got 25 lbs on me, but I feel your pain. If you're 240 and relatively new, you may want to go with a longboard and get into the wave earlier. Funshapes are an odd bird. Personally, I find them more appropriate for fatter (or flatter), but clean waves. I'm sure they can be worked beyond that description, but not by me.

surfman brought up a good point: If you have enough board to get in the wave earlier, you can being standing up and on your way down the line before it breaks. That's longboarding, though. Your 240 lbs won't be able to get in that early on the board you mentioned.

There's a number of shapers that make big guy boards. Infinity has several models exclusively for bigger guys. I'm a huge fan of my Cluster V. It can turn & cut back like a board 3 feet shorter. It moves out, too. He makes big guy short boards, as well.

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Originally Posted by Ray F.

You got 25 lbs on me, but I feel your pain. If you're 240 and relatively new, you may want to go with a longboard and get into the wave earlier. Funshapes are an odd bird. Personally, I find them more appropriate for fatter (or flatter), but clean waves. I'm sure they can be worked beyond that description, but not by me.

surfman brought up a good point: If you have enough board to get in the wave earlier, you can being standing up and on your way down the line before it breaks. That's longboarding, though. Your 240 lbs won't be able to get in that early on the board you mentioned.

There's a number of shapers that make big guy boards. Infinity has several models exclusively for bigger guys. I'm a huge fan of my Cluster V. It can turn & cut back like a board 3 feet shorter. It moves out, too. He makes big guy short boards, as well.

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yea i'm happy with this board, it's a big boy board. 24" wide and over 3" thick. it floats me better than my buddy's longboard (he's got a 9 footer) i'm on the way to losing some lbs so i'm not super worried about getting another board. i've caught waves and stood up on my 7'6" funfish - i just think i might be trying to ride this more bouyant board like i was the funfish - catching too much whitewater instead of trying to catch the wave earlier.

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Originally Posted by kinggargantuan

yea i'm happy with this board, it's a big boy board. 24" wide and over 3" thick. it floats me better than my buddy's longboard (he's got a 9 footer) i'm on the way to losing some lbs so i'm not super worried about getting another board. i've caught waves and stood up on my 7'6" funfish - i just think i might be trying to ride this more bouyant board like i was the funfish - catching too much whitewater instead of trying to catch the wave earlier.

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Your buddy's long board most-likely has less overall volume than your 8'4"....just a guess. My statement about "enough board" was directed specifically at length (all other dimensions being the same).

Longer boards catch the wave earlier that shorter boards. This is why the standard big wave gun is 9 to 11 feet long. There are smaller guns (and tow-in boards), but when getting in early matters, the longer ones are the design of choice. I'm just applying that principle to this situation.

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Originally Posted by motivated2surf

Thanks for the tips last year everyone. I have some more questions now. I was wondering how people approach steep waves. Most waves in summer crumble and are not very steep. I have no problem riding these. The very vertical steep waves are giving me trouble. I have noticed the past few days have very steep waves including this morning. How do you approach these differently? I've been getting slammed with these types of waves and the nose of my board is practically going right into the sand. If you have any tips I would appreciate it. Thanks.

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Just go practice man. Everyone does it differently, so you need to figure out what works for you. Also, please don't waste waves for people who know how to surf. Unless you are undoubtedly on the peak with no one else in range, don't drop in.

Start at the peak, but grab rail a little bit and start your drop almost horizontal to the flats... Take a really high line and once you get up and maintain your balance, angle back down the face at a 90 degree angle to gain speed and dig in to a bottom turn. But my advice simply put is take a light angle, almost parallel to the beach and then take off on a high line. I find even on air drops, if you free fall a foot or two but are angled almost sideways, you side fin and rail will catch and immediately start propelling you down the line.... you will pearl every time if you try a steep air drop aiming at the beach.

what I do on steep waves.... my backside, I usually pop up to a stance where I am on 1foot (front foot) and knee (back foot), I grab the rail and crank a hard fast turn.
front side steep waves, no issues, I go as normal, but I am turning the board harder into the bottom turn.