Best wave/location for first barrel?

Could you elaborate on what to do and what not to do? Great topic here...

 

Right? Endless ecstasy. Just for good measure the dude in the gnome colored DC wetty hacked the living krapp outta those South African faces. That's one of my favorite videos of any. Plus, it's set to an ill track that could just go on and on and on. Kind of like those skeletal tubes. The track is kind of a heavenly symphonic sound. Perf for the pits!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

The backside grab rail aka "Pigdog" stance is the way to roll. Plant your heels, grab the outside rail, drag your inside arm, then pull your fingers out of the face and hang on! If you get sucked up and over the falls, you already have a grip on your board. Hug her tight like you mean it.

 

lmao that's classic.most spots barrel,just wait for a day with some solid swell and try not to drown.if u cant ride a simple musher wave,i wouldn't recommend trying to go out when its barreling.if u don't know what ur doin,u can die.barrels are nice until u don't come out,and if u do come out then u weren't deep enough

 

Getting barreled and tube riding are very different. getting barreled for a few seconds can me achieved anywhere with the right tide and offshore conditions. Tube riding is possible only at certain break that break hard, steep, and have a pitching lip. For a person committed on getting tube rides I would suggest Puerto Rico, Marias beach or gas chambers. When these places are firing you can almost guarantee a tube ride for at least 5 seconds. Mexico offers some heaving waves as well. Here where I surf Long Island/ New Jersey area you can get tube rides but it has to be big I'm talking overhead waves to get that almond shape barrels to open up. Jersey I find pitches harder than Long Island unless your out east and still you need the right combination of winds' tides and swell size. Gas chamber tubes are insane. Huge oblong shape waves that will get you pitted the second you drop in. Good luck!!!

 

Start small... even on chest high days you can start to look for the pockets. Work on your timing either coming off the bottom by extending your bottom turn and watching the lip, or hooking it up under the lip and sort of stalling it, to put you right in the pocket as it laps over you. Reading the wave and timing will start to get you in the barrel whenever there's a bowly section to be had... if you're putting a conscious effort into finding the pocket and putting yourself in it. It's a deliberate thing, just like working on your hack and carves and airs. You gotta take every opportunity to practice. From there you can work your way up to full on tube rides.

 

hate to say this bro, but the hollower thew barrel, the more powerful the wave...

 

I think not making it out of tubes and pulling into closeouts can be great for learning. When it's hollow just pull in and learn to read the barrel, eventually you will come out of one when the conditions are right for it. Just be prepared to get worked. One of my most memorable days was in Jersey a couple winters ago just pulling into wave after wave for about two hours and not making it out of any. Just getting worked in waist deep water, ragdolling across the bottom. That day really taught me a lot about reading the barrel though and the following week I made it out of my first one.

Damn this thread makes me want to ride some tubes. I haven't pulled into anything legit since the beginning of June!

 

^^^^What these guys have said. You're gonna be eating a lot of sh*t sandwiches before you start making it out of anything, but it's a meal with a view.

 

Question, I find myself dragging my left hand in the face of the wave while dropping in front-side (i'm goofy), haven't had much success getting in the tube as of late, mostly due to conditions, but is this a good way to stall right away and get pitted immediately or is this only going to result in getting closed out on? I've gotten head dips, and I've gotten covered up a couple times by accident / luck, but I too would like more barrels, and I want to do it more intentionally rather than by luck

 

It completely depends on the wave and conditions. Some barrels you don't want to stall at all, you have to race them for an exit, while others that are more peaky you really have to stall hard to not end up on the shoulder. It's all about reading the wave and deciding when the right time is to stall or pump for speed. Watch some videos and see how they play with this fine line depending on the section in front of them.

 

Thanks Rob, if I get this dialed in I think I may surf naked while getting pitted, i'll make sure to Gopro it for all to see me in my glory

 

You're going to find barrels wherever the conditions are right. Usually a good swell ground swell combined with an offshore wind, and a shallow, abrupt seafloor, preferably at an angle.

Course usually where you find this you will also find a crowd of people.

Best time of day to find a good barrel is early in the morning. Tide will depend on location... Some breaks are better at high tide and some are better at low tide.

If you're not a real experienced surfer and just want the experience of a barrel I would recommend trying it on a body board or even just body surfing. There's places in Hawaii and Central America (and I'm sure a lot of other locations) in which you can stand on the beach and get barreled.... and then pummeled!!!

So now that you have discovered your hunger for what it's all about, prepare yourself for the greatest gift of nature..... waves/surfing! Once you have surfed and experienced a sweet tube ride I guarantee you will never stop. Oh yeah, and every barrel will be the best barrel in your life!

 

Sorry DawnPatrol, nudey beach is closed due to our wonderful government!

When it does open back up this is actually a good place to get barreled due to the steep beach, rebound of the wave and shore break. Putting your hand in the wave is going to be more for balance, its really not going to slow you down to much. There are many manuevers in surfing in which you can use your hand in/on the water to either help balance you or even help you recover from a big manuever. You can do a huge lay back turn and literally land on your back but you can use your hand in the water to help push you back up. Comb the internet and I'm sure you'll find tons of picts and vids in which the pros do this.

Anyway..... so you paddle, pop up and are on your way. If its steep and fast as soon as you drop in if you feel the shoulder closing in on you just slightly push down on the tail of your board. When you push down on the tail of your board its basically "pressing the brakes". You only need to do it for a split second because once you do you will want to re-gain your speed or you will just get swallowed up and mowed down. If conditions are epic and you have a manageable barrel you will have to constantly adjust your speed to stay locked in without getting too far back. Like I said, stepping on the tail will slow you and pushing with your forward foot, slightly at the same time pumping your board up and down on the wave will speed you up. No matter what conditions are like in order to gain speed on a wave you must go top to bottom while staying close to the shoulder. The further from the shoulder you get the less energy from the wave you have to work with.

Hope that helps a bit.... now all you need is waves!

 

The rides at the amusement park that are for the midget folk are no fun at all. Pay any price and roll the dice brah!!!!

 

Chopes bro. Just don't be near the lip.

 

a lot of different kinds of barrels u can ride here on the eastcoast.u have some waves that start off mushy offshore,then barrel on the inside.those are perfect if u can find them.at my regular spot,u cant ride anything other than a barrel.its either shorebreak under 3ft,or it gets hollow around 4-5 foot and u have to be right under the lip.timing is everything.i always see people talk about training for surfing and stuff,but the majority of it is can u handle the beating.theres really nothing u can do that will make surfing easier other than going out and gettin ur share of beatings.sometimes u can pierce right through the barrel and not get spun,but most of the time ur getting the under water ride.what i see a lot with the ameuture eastcoast videos of guys not getting barreled is they are going to fast.sometimes u have to pop a wheelie like tom carrol to drop ur speed and get pitted,then pump ur way out of it.nothing better than a good barrel.on the end of the world swell,there were so many unridden barrels with 100 guys out,it was insane.u dont go out on a day like that if ur not planning on getting barreled.u just have to know what u can handle.when u wipeout early,or kick out early and not make it to the shoulder,the next few sets are going to detonate right on your head.certain angles its impossible to duckdive so u have to ditch ur board,dive deep and exhale underwater so u dont pop back up as the white wash takes u to the beach.on some days when its solid and barreling,its a mission just to get out.i see plenty of kids come,paddle for 10minutes and not make it out past the shorebreak,turn around and call it a day.again timing is everything.everything is slow motion in the videos,but when ur out in sea,time doesnt slow down.bodysurfing is great training when its under 3ft,u can sneak into a few barrels but never come out.idk i love bodysurfing,the underwater rides,its all perfect.u get to know how powerful the ocean is,and its safer because u dont have to worry about getting hit with a board,aslong as u can swim good.everytime i bodysurf,u take the drop,ur cruising,then u get pulled underwater with no control in waist deep water and then it lets u go and its like a high from outerspace.