" Harness your fears, and passage shall be granted.".....was an ad quote from the mags not too long ago. If you don't fear the ocean's power, you will be humble. Period. ...."Ace of Spades is a great one"... so is "Wasted Years"
Can anybody give me some tips on dropping in on steeper waves? I feel like summer surfing is so much easier than winter/spring surf.
It's all a state of mind. Honestly, the best advice I can give you is to tell you to focus on the wave after you stand up; in other words don't think, just go. The more you think about it the more hesistant you are - and every second counts in steep waves. A psychical tip I can give you is to take an extra paddle, in small mush you can catch a wave with one paddle and pump your way into it. So pretty much the steeper the wave the faster you have to paddle and the longer you have to paddle to gain speed as fast as the wave that your trying to catch.
The guy is asking how to drop in on steep waves. You tell him to "focus" then don't think? I'm confused.... I agree though....commiting is the only way you will progress. What i see a lot of beginners do is drop too late. There is a sweet spot. Dropping late can have it benifets though....like getting shacked. But, generally getting the correct board for steep waves would be a good start. Try paddling more on an angle when preparing to drop. Get up fast! Practice your pop up time....get fast...get it dialed. What I tend to do is as soon as I make my drop I bring my knees up to my chest, which brings me up the face of the wave.... setting me up for a pump or 2 and hopefully a nice cutback
yeah sorry i wrote that while in class on my itouch due to boredom... What I mean is to put all your focus on the actual wave itself after the drop, and with that, for me at least, I don't think about the actual drop itself. For example, if I'm paddling for a good wave and I see a long wall or a good section ahead of me, I put all my focus on that section, and in turn i dropping in doesn't even come to mind. This is all relative though, and I'm doing just a horrible job explaining myself.. If you got anything out of this than good, otherwise ignore everything...ha
don't buy a board off the rack thats made in California by a California-based shaper that is made for long period point break waves, instead hook up with a local shaper that understands East Coast beach break -- if that is an option
honest answer? Get your **** packed enough times and you will find ways safely down the face, its human nature. Sometimes on big peaky days with steep but short rides I kick out and say "damn, I bet that was fun" but will have almost no recollection haha. sometimes you have to dial down the thinking and let your mind/body do their own thing. Instinct, motor skills, and the human ability to adapt are amazing things.
Check me on this: Usually the steeper the face, the more weight you put on your back foot. Air dropping the face is usually a bad thing. So is nose diving. But once your ability and confidence increases, steeper faces equal bigger barrels.
Hells yeah....and don't forget airs. Steep waves are perfect for boosts...even if you don't land them..... there still fun
I call that a "zen moment of perfection." I'm no buddhist, and I know it sounds corny... but that's the ultimate feeling for me... that out-of-body experience where time disappears. People say in the tube time slows down. For me, it disappears. I'll be paddling back out after a wave like that and be, like, "what just happened?" It is the opposite of fear, where all your senses and cognitive powers are focused and the physical challenge that confronts you is rapidly thought through... processed in detail and with purpose and clarity. But those zen moments are when you just let things happen. That's when mind and body, space and time, the physical and metaphysical... become one perfect entity. It's like another plane of existence. Maybe it's what heaven is like...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnwR89o02tQ Hes the best and hes talking about barrels which applies to steep waves.
Watch these podcasts - http://www.surfsimply.com/podcast/ They are awesome, and will give you lots of practical advice on taking off, finding the right spot, and a bunch of other all-around useful stuff.
If your skeert dont go out.. i wish there were more of you. Stay afeared.. very afeared.. you know there are big nasty grey suited sharks that just want to rip and tear you into shreded wheat dont you... oh yeah stay afraid..please please...
