Hello all, I come to you seeking advice as I know many of you have a ton more experience than me. After years of bodyboarding I made the switch to surfing and have been trying to cut bodyboarding out all together while I learn. I longboard no problem. I have gone out and caught a few waves on a SB. But on days like today, I paddle out, and when I try to catch a wave, I either miss it, or as I catch it the wave just sucks the board out from under me me and sends me flying, either as I go to pop up or as I stand. I guess you would call this "getting pitched" off the top of the wave. There was another surfer out today with a SB catching waves even further inside then I was with no problem. What am I doing wrong? Do I need a more bouyant shortboard? Is this a technique issue? A board issue? Any help you can offer me would be appreciated.
Making sure you are not too far foward / backward while laying on the board would be the 1st thing i'd make sure of. If you're too close to the nose you'll pearl, if you are too far back you'll miss the wave. Next, when popping up place your hands under your rib cage area just under your pecks, i use to do it where my shoulders are and I had mixed success but once i moved my hands further under me I saw a considerable increase in success getting to my feet and maintaining control throughout the popup. You'll want to make sure you are popping up quickly to your feet, not crawling or, getting one knee than foot or anything like that. Just one quick motion to your feet with you focusing on foward momentum. Sometimes putting your chin to the board in the last few strokes can give you that little extra you may need to get that momentum. Lastly, if you it's a steep wave you'll probably want to try getting in at an angle, this one I struggle with from time to time, but if you can get it at an angle you'll shoot right down the line from the very beginning rather than compensating the rest of the wave.
I have tried moving forward and backward on my board but the result is the same. It happens before I really even start moving down the wave, so pearling the nose is not an issue. The issue is as the wave begins breaking I am always stuck in it and can't just ride it out like I see others doing. Instead of riding down under the break and turning, I go right over with the white water
Could be your A. not paddling hard enough.and or B. Your catching the wave too late and getting rolled up.
I would stay a little closer to the nose and paddle a little harder...since you are okay on a long board, you know how to do it, but some Short boards can be difficult when catching waves. You also may want to be closer to the break instead of paddling further out (like you do on a long board).
I agree its prob your paddling. 3 suggestions: 1) shift your weight forward to get more power per stroke. Shift your body up to the point that the nose is dipping underwater while youre padding around in the lineup…when you start paddling for a wave and your head and shoulders come up off the board (which ideally, they always would be), you will stop dipping and should be getting all the power you’ve got (you’ll know you’re doing it right when your back is fully engaged for an entire session) 2) take 2 or 3 extra strokes to make sure you’ve actually caught the wave (remember you’re on top of the water now, compared to being in the water as a body boarder) gotta make sure you’re moving the same speed as the wave…also concentrate on getting the most output from each stroke, rather than a certain number of strokes 3) wax up the board more than you do already…I wax almost all the way to the logo on my boards to make sure I’m not slipping off
Thank you all for the feedback. If it helps I am using a 6'3 lost mayhem that I got for a really cheap price so it is the only SB I have available to use even on smaller days like today. If I lean more forward, won't that make my flipping issue even worse? I guess I will try that next time I go out
IDK about the leaning more forward part, if you already feel like you're going to flip ass over end than you probably will. If that's the case then try positioning more forward BUT arching your back may help with balancing you out. Also try keeping your feet together while arching your back to stabilize your board. I typically will arch my back as i'm paddling for the approaching wave but as it's getting really close i'll put my chin to the board and give a few good strokes to makes sure i'm in the wave and not on it.
For sure. Important distinction: position yourself forward on the board...don't LEAN forward. Your upper body acts as a weight. If you pull up, your weight shifts back...this is what you need BUT only once you've caught the wave. If your pop up technique is solid (hands under your chest on the rails) and you're sure you've caught the wave (not too late), your weight will shift backwards once you're up and you'll have the board underneath you with more control...you'll also be in front of the wave, which sounded like the issue. If your weight is forward and you're too late for the wave, your flipping will def be worse.
i have to agree with a few of posting predecessors; clearly a paddling issue. you're not generating enough speed and getting hung up at the top. with the longboard you can get on a wave with a few strokes; a boogieboard can drop in late on almost anything without getting pitched; a shortboard needs a few more grunts to travel faster than the wave itself because when you pop up you slow down. paddle as hard as you can then paddle harder. you'll start getting them.
I agree. I was going to say... to think of all those waves he could have had if he was on a bodyboard. : )
speed of paddling also keeps the nose higher. TAil slightly higher than nose, but weight up by arching your back, that advice is good. It sounds to me like you are in late and getting pitched over cuz the wave is already too critical.
I've never had luck shifting my weight fore/aft when paddling into a wave. I suggest... find the sweet spot on your board where you paddle from, so your board paddles most efficiently. Shifting your weight in either direction away from that spot increases drag and reduces paddling efficiency. As you're finding out, timing is more critical on a shortboard than longboard. Practice will improve that. You're board won't catch a wave until it's speed matches the wave's speed. Paddling HARD the last few strokes helps that happen. Then, popping up... it has to be quick and smooth, and it comes from your core. Use your abs to pull your body into a crunch, with both feet hitting the deck at the same time. If your front foot gets planted first, then your back foot, your pop up is too slow, and your probably dragging your back knee, too. Some people explode up from a prone pushup position, some people arch their back, straighten their arms, then pop up from there. Either way BOTH FEET at the same time! Then you shift your weight (front foot/back foot, toe/heel), depending on where you're at at that moment.
