not sure if anyone cares, but i've had a great experience and wanted to share with others (in case they are going through the same thing). the first years of my surfing were the ones when i had the most fun. this is pretty common i think, because over time you start to expect more of yourself. and if you're like me, you start comparing yourself to other people. don't get me wrong, a little competition can be a great thing, helps make you better and get in the water more. i've always considered myself an average surfer, like my username says. over the past couple of years i started to get a bit better, nothing extraordinary, just better. anyways i found that nothing in the water was ever good enough. there was always a better wave coming. i started to be the grumpy guy, started to think i deserved a wave more than someone else. i was still surfing good, getting more waves, but i wasn't having fun and it was ruining surfing for me. so i bought a 7 foot single fin the other day. its pretty wide and pretty thick, but it has the feel of a longboard just with a lot more control. it trims and glides around sections with ease, catches a ton of waves and bounces off the top effortlessly. what it doesn't do is tight turns in the pocket, vertical snaps and airs. but with all of those more advanced moves taken away, there suddenly isn't the same pressure to perform, or out-perform everyone else in the water. it's limitations are a great thing and it's gotten me to focus more on riding the wave, not tearing it apart because i think its what good surfing should be. anyways, this may be a bit dramatic. but i plan on surfing this board all winter here in jersey, unless it's really not appropriate because of size. so far i've had more fun and am smiling more in the water. hopefully it lasts!
Good stuff Average Joe. It's all about having fun, so if you aren't having fun, then why do it right? Do whatever makes you smile at the end of your sessions, who cares what anybody else thinks or for that matter what you think about your surfing compared to others. Unless you're an aspiring pro, it should all be about fun. Even aspiring pros should make it fun too, I can't imagine Kelly Slater not having fun in the water, I have to think he has a blast every time out. Then again, being better than everybody else at something probably is fun HAHA
Joe, the best surfer is the one who is smiling the most. That is fact. Also, it helps to be able to surf many different types of surf craft WITH STYLE. I did just about the same thing as you last winter, and may repeat the process all over again. I rode my single-fin (6'6" blunt-nosed, 2-5/8" thick, pintailed) whenever the waves were good. If you try to rely on athleticism to make you look good on a board like you describe, you will fail and look like a kook. A single-fin almost slows down time on a wave. I find I stay in the pocket easier, and can draw a line easier without worrying about generating speed. Pure fun. Enjoy.
i think you'll find that, barring those hard offshore days, YOU will be more of a limitation than the board will. good on ya for broadening your horizons!
