So I've been surfing for 5 years now and go out every swell no matter the conditions and have caught a good amount solid waves when it's going off. But last friday I was in the water (on my shortboard for the first time in awhile) and didn't have much luck taking off. I don't know if I just couldn't position myself right, if the offshore-ness was making the waves seem much easier to catch than they were, or if it was all mental, nonetheless, it discouraged me. Any idea what could have been the issue? I know it's prob weird answering "how to catch a wave" thread, but I'm def not a ****ty surfer and I couldn't draw a line to save my life. Thanks.
Probably need more time paddling around the smaller board. I too have had this issue before, and it usually is when i'm trying to paddle out on a smaller board I haven't been on in a while. I got spoiled by my larger board and how easy it is to paddle that when i finally got back on my smaller board my paddling power diminished slightly enough to where i wasn't getting into the wave. What I do now is swim laps in a pool as much as possible in between sessions along with my full work out routine, and when I hit the water again it's like I haven't really missed a day. Another tip is keep your chin down and focus on keeping the board steady as you paddle for the wave to get as much glide / momentum going as possible.
I've found that once it starts getting a bit bigger it helps to sit forward more on your board. You can really lean forward and paddle less, but you have to counter balance once your up or you going to dip your nose. Try altering your positioning and really paddle as damn hard as you can.
if the wind was really strong offshore like you said, that could be the case. most people sit way too far outside when the wind is blowing hard offshore because it looks like the wave is about to break on you when that really isn't the case. the wind holds the face up for a while before it throws so you have alot of time to get into the wave
So true, i've found that you gotta give it another 2-3 strokes right when you think you've paddled enough on days like this
wave catching Just wondering how strong the current was.Maybe you were paddling against a rip without even knowing it.
When I'm having trouble getting into waves, I usually start paddling with both arms and then progress from there. On a serious note, I have always had a bad habit that resurfaces every once in a while without warning: grabbing my rail instead of keeping my hands flat on the deck while popping up. I often notice when I'm wondering why my takeoff seems slow and my weight/balance feels off. The answer always comes: "Erock, QUIT BEING A FORGETFUL KOOK!"
Thought i was the only one, also... learning to / forcing myself to put my hands under my top of my rib cage rather than under my shoulders was life changing, once i started doing that it was like night and day
Yea... sometimes it looks like it's got more punch than it does. Pretty sure that was the case on Friday. Clean and peeling, but not much juice. Other than maybe picking a different board, I think the problem was not with you. As for leaning forward when paddling into a wave... and this seems to come up a lot... I've never had success with that technique and abandoned it a long time ago. Maybe it works for some people, but my experience, as a surfer and shaper, has been that every board has a sweet spot where it should be paddled from, regardless of the wave type. This has a lot to do with foil and rocker... but also planshape. Without getting into a boring discussion about physics and buoyancy and planing surface... just know that thickness flow... aka "foil"... aka "volume distribution" is the primary factor in where your center of mass has to be on a board when paddling into waves. Changing foil shifts that point fore and aft, which, incidentally, determines where you're feet land when you pop up. Intentionally shifting your chest forward or backward, away from that sweet spot, only makes paddling less efficient, bogging the board by forcing it into a less efficient planing angle.
When i use to put my hands directly under where my shoulders are and try to pop up I would have mixed results getting to my feet, but when i started getting them lower under my chest / rib area I was getting to my feet with much more frequency. Basically you get more power to push up and thus getting to your feet faster and in better position once you are on your feet. Just my experience, do whatever works for you I say.
