The Timing

[wbsurfer]

ahh... the walk of shame.... everyone who has ever surfed macking low tide nags head has done it haha.

1. Observe: Camp out in the general area you want to surf and get a good stretch on. Look for trenches between the sandbars, which side of the pier/jetty is rushing out, where the other surfers are paddling out, where surfers are getting stuck, etc.

2. Act: This part is up to you, your duck dive, your arms, your lungs, and your balls... How well do you hold your ground when a heaver lands six feet in front of you? How many consecutive poundings can you take? How much ground can you cover when you do get that minute between poundings? How long/hard can you paddle before you "need" a break? These are the things that will likely make or break the deal. But after all... "you gotta pay to play"

You can worry about coming in through the overhead shorebreak later...

and thats why folks paddling is the number 1 rule for staying in shape with during flat spells. paddle paddle paddle you butt off.

[RobG]

theres been a few times where it took me a couple attempts to make it out. i would get about halfway then get stuck there for a minute when a set came in before i could get the rest of the way out. i really started to work on my duckdive and finding a rip to take out this fall and it helped a lot, being able to duckdive deep enough so that the wave doesnt drag you back at all makes a huge difference.

i see a lot of people paddling out right next to jetties and piers but that kinda sketches me out being so close to to a pile of rocks when a big set comes through. i think ill just have to try it one day though to get a feel for it

[cresto4]

And this summer, when its get bigger, but its warm and cozy out, spend time on those days picking the absolute worst spot, right in the impact zone, and keep paddling out through the hardest area (As long as you are alone. Dont paddle out in the impact zone of the lineup, or where guys are surfing. But find the closeout section somewhere down the line), and that will get you used to the repetitive struggle of fighting out in the larger surf... it helps. That way when its freezing and you dont even want to duck dive on your way out, you will be ready to struggle if the time comes. .

i like this idea a lot. never even considered it. but it's tough to train for (or even remember) winter when it's big in the summer...

[DaMook]

theres no trick to it, its all training and staying fit. Get in the pool. The difference is night and day. own the water!

[njsurfer42]

i see a lot of people paddling out right next to jetties and piers but that kinda sketches me out being so close to to a pile of rocks when a big set comes through. i think ill just have to try it one day though to get a feel for it

i expressed this same concern to my father when i was just learning, around age 9 or 10. he told me that the pier & rocks don't move. if you know where they are, you'll be ok. they'll still be where you left them.

it took me a while to really "get" what he was talking about, but it has made a big difference in terms of my comfort level around fixed objects like that no matter where i am, be it my local break, another town, or another state.


but to the OP- finding rips & timing sets are all well & good, but being in shape & having the ability to punch thru waves & sets will make all the difference you need.

[zach619]

i see a lot of people paddling out right next to jetties and piers but that kinda sketches me out being so close to to a pile of rocks when a big set comes through. i think ill just have to try it one day though to get a feel for it

Every spot is different, but most "structured" areas act as a safety blanket for a paddle out on large days the closer you get to them. My local pier, when its huge out, has a perfect section that peels through the whole bottom of the pier, and its a giant mushball that never really breaks because the pillars slow the water down... So even when you see an outside set that you think will nail you, just hug the pier as you paddle out, and everytime, that giant wall rolls right under you... If you move 20 yards away from the pier, you are in a giant hollow impact zone and will get destroyed.... If you are on the southside, its a reefy rocky mess that will rolld you, but that 10-20 yards area all the way along the pier, is just the butter spot. Most of the time, it litterally drags you out to sea. So, look for the soft spot, get to know it, and it will make yours days SOOO much brighter. Half the time people are intimidated by just the paddle alone. Once you get that out of the way, the surfing is easy. Surfing big waves is MUCH easier than small ones... Its just paddling in and out and staying alive in the water that is the hard part....

[Mooseknuckle]

I'm not really sure what you mean by the rocks don't move? The water moves and therefore you are definitely at risk paddling near such objects if you don't know what you are doing or what you are looking for....

[njsurfer42]

Surfing big waves is MUCH easier than small ones... Its just paddling in and out and staying alive in the water that is the hard part....

there isn't a smiley available to us here that accurately conveys my amusement at this statement!

[njsurfer42]

I'm not really sure what you mean by the rocks don't move? The water moves and therefore you are definitely at risk paddling near such objects if you don't know what you are doing or what you are looking for....

i mean exactly what i said. rocks do not move. they are stationary. if you pay attention to your surroundings & where you are in relation to the non-moving objects around you, you'll be fine.

[zach619]

Here is an even easier fix if you dont want to paddle next to the jetty... Walk out on said Jetty. Walk past the break... Jump off jetty into lineup. Surf wave. Exit water, Walk back up the jetty... Repeat over and over.