Question about learning to surf

Not sure I'm qualified to answer since I learned in head high surf in Costa Rica -- six days of surfing and only caught one wave. Maybe it was the 9'6" board they had me on . . . Seriously, I don't know what kind of board you are on for the size of wave you are encountering, but summer surf isn't usually that bad on the east coast (never surfed Long Island, OK . . .) You are ready NOW. Go out, get pounded fifteen times, then give up and quit surfing altogether, leave the waves to others! ;-) Just kidding.

It sounds more like you are having trouble with getting outside. You need to learn how to time it so you can get past the impact zone, and for whatever kind of board you have, how to handle it when the wave is breaking on your head. If you have a long board, you need to turtle or eskimo roll. SEarch the forum, there are a couple of threads on technique for getting a longboard through the ikmpact zone. A shorter board should be easier, duck dive (not as easy to as it is to write). But the big issue is getting outside. Once you are there -- you have to live with getting pounded a bunch of times until you learn your timing and positioning on the wave. I started late in my lefe, and for the first couple of YEARS surfing NJ every weekend including January, I was lucky to have a day where I got two or three waves, and got my head handed to me five times for every measly one I caught. Then a few good tips, lots of watching, and lots of trial and error, I started getting myself into better position . . . timing better . . . knowing when to run away like a sissy and when to go for it . . . now the ratio is flipped, I catch more than I miss. I am now messing it all up by moving down to a shorter board . . . Basically, learn to paddle out, and then just keep trying and don't give up.

 

I started surfing 6 months ago so I can relate. My second month surfing, I went out on when the waves were 6 feet, short intervals. I had the same issues as you-- getting out was a nightmare, then once out, waves were above my ability to ride. Wound up wiping out a couple of times and getting pounded in the impact zone before calling it a day.

It gets better. 3 months after that, I was able to pull off 4-5 really good rides on 5ft+ waves, short invervals, choppy conditions. What made the difference was that I had a few months of smaller waves to build skills on. You may feel like you are going no where for a couple of months and then one day things will click and it will start getting rapidly easier.

The surf is probably too heavy for where you are at right now. Don't get discouraged. Most of the time on the east coast, conditions are small. In fact, a lot of the days the experts don't think are worth surfing are perfect for you. Build some success on the small days and then test your limits when a bigger day comes along every once in a while.

I'm assuming you're on a longer board at this point. In terms of specific advice for getting out, I've found that the best method is to wade out to about waist deep and then wait for a lull. Be patient-- it will come. When it comes, paddle like a MF and go farther out than you think you need to be. It is a lot easier to paddle back in a bit than to get caught inside when a set comes at you. People will tell you to turtle roll or whatever, but I've found that to be a pretty poor technique in comparison to the above method. Keep in mind that every time you roll, you have to get back on your board and start paddling again. Save the turtling for when it is an emergency and you just can't make it over the top of a wave. It's not a winning strategy in general.

Good luck and stick with it!

 

practice... time... and getting worked.... then you will get it! it take lots and lots and lots of time. DONT GIVE UP! buy a wetsuit for the fall. continue to surf. then get a winter suit. continue to surf. hopefully by winter you will start to feel better. keep an eye on the forecast, go when its good for you (2-3ft and off shore). AND KEEP IT GOING!!!! It takes alot of time to learn the conditions and how the waves break ect.. unless your a little kid- kids seem to pick it up in a matter of days. us older ppl take longer. keep it up! dont give up!

 

And one other thing.... GET A LONGBOARD if you want to learn quicker! a 9ft board! seriously.... don't worry about duck diving... just take it on the head for a while... its hard to duck dive a 3 inch thick 7ft board anyways....

keep it up man!!!!

 

Exactly...you definitely have to pay your dues. This late in life it will be more difficult for you also so hang in there. If your just going to surf during the summers where you don't need a wetsuit you will have a even harder time picking it up. I started when I was around 8 so I cant even remember when I knew I was good enough to go out with the big boys. At a young age my balls where bigger also so I probably just didnt care.

 

When in doubt, don't paddle out. Know your limits, if you aren't riding 2-3ft waves with regular success, than going for anyting larger isn't going to be any easier. You'll know when you are ready, it usually happens when you are catching every wave that is coming through and you are frothing for more.

 

I started this year at 34. Think of it this way, but the time you are my age, you will be awesome. People who have been surfing all of their lives some times make it seem like it is impossible to learn. It's not. It just takes practice. I still suck, but I can look back at me just a couple of months ago and see a real difference between then and now. You might only be a month or two away from really starting to link it up. In a way, I think it's pretty cool to learn this sport later in life because you can really see and appreciate the progress you make without peer pressure or anything else you might experience as a kid that could blur the picture.

 

i spent my 1st year learning to surf on a shortboard which wasnt good.duckdiving is easy on a shortboard,longboard,id say ur safest bet is ditch ur board n dive for the bottom.i spent a lot of time paddling into closeouts since i didnt know better.i went for a surf lesson one day and i stood up on my very first wave,and then i got to ride unbroken wavs on the outside.its all about the board.u have to work ur way up theladder.i know everyone sees the pros on 5'11s n they make it look easy.theres been times i wanted to give upand try spongin,since its way easier.what u should do is practice swimming to the outside,dive under the waves and they roll right over u.it sucks when u try to paddle over a wave and it sends u spinning on the bottom.i still consider myself a beginner n still have fears getting caught on the inside.u justhave to keep at it!

 

Just keep at it! I have a seven footer and it duck dives fine. I always try to push down on my board on the smaller waves. Also I travel some so when I get to a hotel with a pool I swim as much as possible. It helps. Paddling strength is key for me.

 

Lol..you'll get it. Like anything else in life, it takes work to learn. Try to go out on smaller days with an offshore wind, or light wind, on an incoming tide. While you're learning ,try to learn to read the wave. At your level, you don't want the peak, and would be better off paddling for a shoulder. Learn to identify if the wave is breaking left or right. You can paddle at an angle to the direction you wish to go. Get up quickly. Stay out of more experienced surfers way, while you're learning, and be cool to those that surf that break. Sit on the beach and WATCH. Those boys are that good, because they've put in countless hours. You're going to have trouble duck diving that board,and one trick is to grab the nose and dive under the whitewater, pulling the nose down. It don't come easy, but when it does, you're hooked. I'm 59 years old, and I still surf just about everyday. Good luck.

 

Ironically, all I wanted for the past three months was to get my a55 handed to me by waves of substance. Getting drilled is part of the game and part of the fun. You have to pay to play and good waves or rides are totally worth it. I'm not going to regurgitate some of the good advice already in this thread except; check the older threads on getting up, paddling, and so on. Patience! It's not that easy, but if you really want it and persist, you’re in.

 

I learned to surf on a short board...not the way to go... but hey I only weighed in at 135. A long board floats so much better you really can get worked over harder. When you have the oh sh** moment and see your gonna get worked.... ditching and swimming for the bottom is the best...just make sure you have a really good leash not a thin wimpy comp style.

Now for learning... probably the hardest thing I have ever learned to do well. If you have some talent you will revel in the fact that you can with time, be better than even the people that helped you learn to surf. Good luck.

 

Being that I have only been at this about a year, starting in my early 50's, riding a SUP, and thus still gleaning tid bits of surfing knowledge from the bro's around me, all I can say is that I concur with all that has been said, especially with regard to staying at it and the fact that you will "get worked." In late spring, I was happy if I rode one wave in a sesh, straight in (w/ uncountable "failures"), but by mid summer, on smaller waves (knee/thigh), I was losing count and starting to learn to go right or left. However, I paid some dues "going for it", (getting "wacked on the paddle out", pearled and tossed, side tumbled, lose the board forward, etc.). All these things were part of the process, and one thing that was very helpful that was shared with me by a bro' this summer were these 4 basic keys:
1. Find the Sweet Spot of your board
2. Paddle Deep
3. Pop up in one motion
4. Get into the low surfing stance
1 & 4 (& 2 somewhat -- different paddle in my case, 3 is irrelevant since I'm on a SUP) really helped, especially when I needed to maneuver or handle when the wave was breaking down, getting dicey, or whitewater.

As already said by others, your time and work (& getting worked) will pay off. This is also important-- learning from the failures. I was out in much bigger surf than I had previously experienced the last 2 days and there was new things to learn and apply. Each time I got worked, it was an opportunity to reflect and make "an adjustment" for the next wave or sesh. First few takeoffs did not turn out so good, but when I finally caught one and survived and rode the beast all the way in, as everyone here knows, there is nothing like it. That's why we keeping paddling out, knowing that a great ride lies ahead in spite of the eminent wipe outs that also lie ahead.

Be encouraged: Stick with it, be smart, be safe, and respect others and honor the code of surf etiquette.

 

Learn the turtle.. Love the turtle.. Sure you can ditch and dive if you don't have time for a proper turtle roll but I wouldn't recommend making a habit of it. Coming back up to find out that your board is speeding back to the beach without you because your leash plug broke or popped out well... Sucks. ( happened to me during the Isaac swell) Thats a lot of force on a small area and over time can weaken the bond holding the plug in.
Good luck and don't get discouraged, everybody sucks at first.

 

I would agree with the longboard equation. It is sooooooo much easier to pop up on the longboard. It is how I learned. However, I wpould recommend getting some kick ass lessons from either a professionally trained surf instructor or at the very least a good and trusted surfing friend. You can learn a lot on your own but getting some tips and lessons from someone who is experienced is well worth it. My friend (who never surfed before) and I just booked a trip through the guys at Sportbay and found a whole bunch of surf lessons. I am going to take an advanced course and he is going to do the beginning course. Should be sweet. If you have the time and money for a surf trip to a famous surf spot, I would recommend it. That way when you come back, you will know a bit more! Good luck dude!

 

The best advice I could give is, like everyone here said, don't get discouraged and don't give up. Stay out of more experienced surfers way (for your own safety and theirs) and go as often as you possibly can.

In my opinion, standing up and riding the surfboard is the easy part of surfing - the hard part, and the part that really separates the good from the inexperienced is knowledge of the ocean... wave selection, knowing where to paddle out, where to sit, etc. This is something that can only be developed with a lot of time in the water - as all breaks are generally different and even change day by day, you must develop a distinct ability to read what has changed and how to work with it when you go out. The only way to do that is to get out there and take a pounding a couple of times... lol

 

I like what this guy has to say as I am going through that now.Learning how to surf when a lot of other guys are around me in the water plus reading the conditions that sometimes change mid session is hard work at times.Sometimes Ill only catch 5 waves in a session then get pounded in the break zone and be in the wrong spots the rest of the time..I have been surfing a year minus the winter and I am 45. Getting frustrated out there is a result of my unrealistic expectation but of course it happens. On days that the conditions are hard I need to work on duck dives and paddling out. Catching smaller ones in between sets I have started doing also.Nice to see all the encouraging words on here.The Northeast is friendly and glad to surf here.