Reading the break

There is a rhythm to every swell. Don't want to sound all mystic and spiritual here but...you have to get a feel for what is happening.Some days are just going to be hard to read.
One of my favorite places to go can be completely different from one week to the next.I seem to have my best days when I don't try to over think it.

 

Some of my best days have been when I didn't check the forecast, accidentally slept in, missed the tide, forgot a glove, etc... no pressure!!

 

OP >> some of these articles may be of some help

http://www.surfingaustralia.com/surfcoach/category/blog/

and some of these links will give you some background of the wave knowledge that nothing but time in the water will help you accomplish

http://www.surfline.com/surf-science/bathymetry

 

Just make sure when you drop in your prepared to throw down. That's my philosophical part.

 

if i have to explain it you wouldn't understand.there are no shortcuts,there is no trick to surfing.surfing is not an instant gratification thing.it is a lifetime commitment you make because you have to,something deep inside has you obsessed with it.you have to wake up in the dark,check it at first light,and go surfing,spending as much time as possible in the water, all the while watching the best guys,trying to learn from what they do.if you really love surfing,you know you are going to do it forever,and you wouldn't be looking for our advice in words,you'd just keep at it and get better and learn more each time.

 

+1 and the right board. Some beginner on an undersized potato chip is not going to have much fun.

 

Amen brah!!

 

I am like you in a way. when I surf I am in the moment and just enjoy surfing but in between sessions I tend to think about my last session and surfing in general, some times from a technical point of view. I don't benefit from it to much because once I paddle out again my mind clears and im surfing. After 13 years of doing this iv found my ability to read the waves and poise in the water came naturally. If you keep having fun and going back for more your skills will improve. After 13 years im still improving ad learning every day.

one thing I don't do any more but have done before is keeping a surf log. I think I actually got the idea while on this forum way before I ever joined. basically id write down the tide, wind/swell direction and speed, what break I was surfing, a quick description in my own words of waves (waist high, slightly textured, lots of power....) and a few words on my session its self (had a lot of fun and felt I surfed well or had trouble with blah blah blah today). Then when checking the forecast id look back in the log for a similar day. I don't know if it really helped me to much because id paddle out anyway regardless of what my log said but I did find it made me pay more attention to the water. This wont make you an expert but it might help you to improve.

good luck and have fun

 

While the waves of Hilton Head Island, Maryland and Southern California are all very different, the same rule of thumb and instincts apply to them all. its all the same. I mean, a point or a reef will break differently, but beach breaks in CA and the east coast really arent that different. Only differences are the swell period, bottom contours etc... But a 3 foot beach break in San Diego, as far as the "takeoff" goes is the same thing as one in South Carolina... Now, what happens to the waves shortly after the take off is very different. Much shorted rides etc, but as far as watching sets and knowing where to take off... Its all the same... You look for a wedge or a shoulder, try and get in early and deep and choose your angle... As far as going left or right, you will know what you are paddling in...

I just wouldnt put too much though into the whole "we live on the east coast" so its harder to read... On a big day at any CA beach break (Blacks excluded) waves are breaking all over the dang place... Of course if there are sand bars, it will give you a little heads up, but all in all, beach breaks worldwide act about the same when you are eyeing them up.... Like I said, the difference is the overall wave power and length once you get going... That is whats different about the east coast. You have to get your line quick and usually get one or two hits in before it craps out... But every dog has its day and you will get 6-8 turns in...

 

Do not do the double paddle at the end of your drop in. It slows you down, and if you misjudge when your last paddle is, you are not in a position to continue paddling. just keep practicing a normal paddling stroke. you will get stronger over time, and more in sync with the waves (most important part), to the point where 2-3 paddles and you're in. If you're paddling furiously you're doing something wrong. Even in bigger waves, if you have the right board, you should get in fine if you are in-sync with the waves. Same with steeper waves. that's all about getting to your feet quickly and getting the board on its rail.

There is no advice for what you are asking. Just keep putting your time in. And of course, you do get gradually better, BUT the real advances come when things just "click". You'll know it when it happens, and your surfing instantly progresses. Whether its learning to drop in late, taking the high line for speed, or wrapping that roundhouse cutback around, it usually doesn't happen over time. You just do it. And then you say, "oh, that's how to do that", and you move on.

and not ignoring the PM you sent regarding your first thread, just been too busy with work and stuff at home to respond. will get to it though.