What's happening everyone? To introduce myself, I'm Scott. Call me Sherm if you like. I'm 47, an air ambulance helicopter pilot and army vet. I live in Ventura county, California, and my 14 year old daughter and I have been surfing every chance we get unless it's totally flat, beginning in the spring. With the first overhead conditions of the year being bigger than what I can currently do on my surfboard, and since I really wanted to get out in the bigger waves, I started bodyboarding a week ago. I had a blast bodyboarding in the bigger swell, and paddled into the biggest waves I've been in. That's what I love the most! I'm 6'3" 220 lbs, riding a 44" Custom X Evo double stringer, and I use Hydro fins on my feet. I'm having difficulty carving a bottom turn or going down the line of the wave. Instead, I end up sliding sideways and skipping forward out in front of the wave. When trying to turn, I keep my inside hand on the inside corner of the nose and pull up with the outside hand about halfway down the rail like I'm supposed to. I move forward on my board and get good speed down the face after catching the wave, but the best turning I've done results in me skipping and sliding sideways while maybe going 45 degrees in the direction I'm trying for, rather than being able to track parallel with the wave. Would you guys think I should try placing more of my weight on the inside rail, dragging my fins harder to keep me going in the direction I'm pointed, or something else? Dragging my fins to keep my feet behind me seems to slow me down. Any thoughts and tips from when you started bodyboarding would be appreciated! Thanks ahead of time! -Sherm
Hey crindlefish- Thanks for your guidance. I edited my original post to include an introduction. Thanks for the advice, too. Do you think it's important to drag the tips of your fins for direction control, or will digging your inside rail in keep you tracking ahead without that? Also, when turning, would you say your inside hip is even with the edge of your board, while your inside shoulder is hanging past the inside edge of your board? Thanks again! Sherm
Hey sherm. Welcome. I dont have any advice for bbing. Just keep doing what your doing show respect to others in the line up and keep enjoying any waves as much as possible. Theres been a trend lately of posting pics of your girlfriend or wife. It seems to help get you past the intro process a little quicker
Pull the cyclic into the wave face while bottoming the collective. Add pedal as appropriate and don't forget to fxxx some whores. Dew.
Hahahaha, Ronnie, always! Scouts out and AirCav!!! And 5446- Here's my b*tch nearly naked on the beach! -Sherm
Really make sure your getting leverage off your board using the forearm thats holding the nose. The more you pull your rail into the wave the harder you turn, you may be moving your body sideways and not pulling your rail up enough to match it.......combined with being too low to the board going, going sideways is definitely possible. Its good to watch pros and look at their posture / rail movement.
That sounds like good info, Nick, thanks. I believe I probably haven't been digging my inside rail in enough to get a good carve. Looking at photos of others carving, I think my inside shoulder needs to go further toward the turn. How important do you think it is to drag the toes of your fins to keep tracking ahead? Thanks again, Sherm
sweet intro welcome to the team. pics of your daughter or wife or girlfriend is obligatory hazing. and of course, kill yourself at your earliest convenience. save a few bucks and come here for medical advice before going to the er. simod667 can accept Anthem and Aetna, but due to a backlash of fourum conservatives we are no longer accepting medicare or medicaid...
She's cuter than some! Seriously, though, do you guys find dragging of the fins is necessary to keep tracking ahead? -Sherm
I do find dragging the inside fin (whichever side your turning, if its a bottom turn then whichever leg is closest to the wave) does help. Do so proportionately, don't dig in deep if the wave is weak/small, dig in deeper as it gains power, etc. Dig in as hard or as soft as you feel helps best, just take more waves to figure that out. The only way to find it out is to try it repeatedly.
That's the answer I need, thanks, Crindlefish! Not to beat a dead horse, but would you say when turning hard, your body's center of gravity is pretty much over your inside rail? Thanks again! Sherm
You need a good scoop Keep your legs spread and pull them together as you slide or glide down the face..oh and don't slide up on the board yet As you get to the bottom use your elbow and the hand on the nose to flex the board as you pull on the rail and put yo wait on your inside hip dawg 101 Scooping You owe me tree fiddy..I'll PM you the address which you can mail the payment
Welcomme big Perm, I mean big Sherm! I don't boogie board, but your 2nd intro threade was on point, good job! Do you sand reconne before you go out? Your b_tch is hot, thanks for sharing!
Trimming vs. Carving turns [video=youtube;8B7kpAliIB4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B7kpAliIB4[/video]
metard- I have a few surfboards already. Thanks! JohnDoeski- With all this info, I have no more excuses and better be slicing and carving all over the wave face when I get back to the beach in a few days! Thanks for the help! ZeroEvol- I believe you're asking if I check for rocks, and the water depth before I head out? Yes I do! FunkySpec- Thanks for that video. I like the SurfSimply guys! They have a great podcast every couple weeks, too. Thanks again! -Sherm
Nope, asking if you check for holes in the sand along the shoreline so you don't fall in one and drown