The Timing

gotta spot the rips, bra!

 

dont forget to use the current. even though the currents are a pain they help alot to get out when its big.

 

Are there Jetty's where you surf?

If so, read the current and jump in on the side where the current is coming from. It will hit the rocks then suck out around them. if you get in there you will have better chances of getting out.

I usually paddle out when I see the first wave of the set. That way, by the time you get halfway out, you are ducking the whitewater from the set. That gives you a window to get out once you are about half to three quarters the way out. If you wait until the last wave, yeah you dont have to duck heavy whitewater but by the time you are almost out, the next set is about to break.

it really depends on the swell. I can say that I haven't gotten completely denied in probly the last 5 years and I've surfed all the biggest swells even when it's still rough. There have been times when I tried to go then realized I wasn't going to make it so I tried a different tactic like paddle out in the middle or timing it differently. I have always made it on at least my second attempt.

If it's breaking all over the place, it's just going to take detrmination and stamina. Wade out as far as you can without getting pushed around by the whitewater, wait for a time when you think you might see a window like the second or third set wave just broke, then just get yourself pumped and tell yourself you are just going to keep paddling and diving until you get out there and nothing is going to stop you.

 

Everybody has to get out, walk back up the beach, and re-assess once in a while. But eventually, you'll get out.

All good tips... look for rips or at least spots where it's deeper and fewer waves are breaking... account for the current so you drift into those spots when you get out to them.... and time the sets. If there's long lulls between them, wait till the set passes. If there's short lulls, jump in when the last wave is breaking. Also, paddle steadily until you see your shot at getting to the outside, then paddle like crazy. In other words, conserve your energy 'till the right moment, then go for it. And... practice duck diving cleanly. You don't want to be popping up too soon and get dragged backwards. Go deep and come up BEHIND the wave. Make your duck dive part of your rhythm of your paddle. No flailing and wasted motions.

Hitting the gym helps, too.

 

for me, its all about momentum. think like a shark. if you stop moving, you die. When you duckdive, or rollover, or whatever, start paddling again as soon as you possibly can. Also, it isn't a rush. Steady, even, paddles. You'll get there. Don't try to get timing down to a rule or a science. There are so many factors that will affect your paddle out. Just watch on the beach for a while before you go out. Watch what other surfers do. Look for rips. consider jumping the jetty like wally said

 

I think that's normal. For everybody, there's always going to be a day that's just "too big" to paddle out. There's a reason a lot of us are not big wave surfers. What I don't like is the fact that big days are too seldom and rare around here, and when they do arrive, we're not conditioned for it. I find myself a little freaked out by the size since it could be 3-4 months since I've been in those type of conditions, and that mental/psychological issue adds to my fatigue, and I think it reduces my willpower to make it outside.

 

yeah, find the rips and start when you see the first set wave. You will have better timing...

And this summer, when its get bigger, but its warm and cozy out, spend time on those days picking the absolute worst spot, right in the impact zone, and keep paddling out through the hardest area (As long as you are alone. Dont paddle out in the impact zone of the lineup, or where guys are surfing. But find the closeout section somewhere down the line), and that will get you used to the repetitive struggle of fighting out in the larger surf... it helps. That way when its freezing and you dont even want to duck dive on your way out, you will be ready to struggle if the time comes. but yeah, at most beach breaks, when its big, if you get a good long ride, chances are its a terrible idea to paddle straight back out. It will save you energy to walk back down the beach... Its different everywhere, but there is always a rip right next to my pier, so even when its huge out, the thing sucks you out super fast. You just have to paddle like 10 feet off the pillars. Everywhere is different, but structured areas, piers jetties etc will more likely have a rip and channel. Random beach breaks will move all over the place. You will end up 5 blocks from where you started sometimes.

 

Look for a rip current or channel of any sort that might take you out. Avoid the area where there is significantly more whitewash. Even if a channel is 50 yards from the peak, once you're out past the white wash, it's (usually) easier to paddle down to the take off zone.

UPDATE: Also, learning how to properly duckdive makes all the difference in the world. I'm not saying you are doing it improperly, but check out a few demonstrations on how to do it on surf websites just to make sure you have the technique down. Personally, I didn't learn how to properly duck dive till years after I started and was amazed at how much of a difference it made and how much energy I was saving executing it the proper way.

FYI -- I use my knee on the tail to push down the board, some people use their foot. Whatever works.

 

ahh... the walk of shame.... everyone who has ever surfed macking low tide nags head has done it haha.

1. Observe: Camp out in the general area you want to surf and get a good stretch on. Look for trenches between the sandbars, which side of the pier/jetty is rushing out, where the other surfers are paddling out, where surfers are getting stuck, etc.

2. Act: This part is up to you, your duck dive, your arms, your lungs, and your balls... How well do you hold your ground when a heaver lands six feet in front of you? How many consecutive poundings can you take? How much ground can you cover when you do get that minute between poundings? How long/hard can you paddle before you "need" a break? These are the things that will likely make or break the deal. But after all... "you gotta pay to play"

You can worry about coming in through the overhead shorebreak later...

 

and thats why folks paddling is the number 1 rule for staying in shape with during flat spells. paddle paddle paddle you butt off.

 

theres been a few times where it took me a couple attempts to make it out. i would get about halfway then get stuck there for a minute when a set came in before i could get the rest of the way out. i really started to work on my duckdive and finding a rip to take out this fall and it helped a lot, being able to duckdive deep enough so that the wave doesnt drag you back at all makes a huge difference.

i see a lot of people paddling out right next to jetties and piers but that kinda sketches me out being so close to to a pile of rocks when a big set comes through. i think ill just have to try it one day though to get a feel for it

 

i like this idea a lot. never even considered it. but it's tough to train for (or even remember) winter when it's big in the summer...

 

theres no trick to it, its all training and staying fit. Get in the pool. The difference is night and day. own the water!

 

i expressed this same concern to my father when i was just learning, around age 9 or 10. he told me that the pier & rocks don't move. if you know where they are, you'll be ok. they'll still be where you left them.

it took me a while to really "get" what he was talking about, but it has made a big difference in terms of my comfort level around fixed objects like that no matter where i am, be it my local break, another town, or another state.


but to the OP- finding rips & timing sets are all well & good, but being in shape & having the ability to punch thru waves & sets will make all the difference you need.

 

Every spot is different, but most "structured" areas act as a safety blanket for a paddle out on large days the closer you get to them. My local pier, when its huge out, has a perfect section that peels through the whole bottom of the pier, and its a giant mushball that never really breaks because the pillars slow the water down... So even when you see an outside set that you think will nail you, just hug the pier as you paddle out, and everytime, that giant wall rolls right under you... If you move 20 yards away from the pier, you are in a giant hollow impact zone and will get destroyed.... If you are on the southside, its a reefy rocky mess that will rolld you, but that 10-20 yards area all the way along the pier, is just the butter spot. Most of the time, it litterally drags you out to sea. So, look for the soft spot, get to know it, and it will make yours days SOOO much brighter. Half the time people are intimidated by just the paddle alone. Once you get that out of the way, the surfing is easy. Surfing big waves is MUCH easier than small ones... Its just paddling in and out and staying alive in the water that is the hard part....

 

I'm not really sure what you mean by the rocks don't move? The water moves and therefore you are definitely at risk paddling near such objects if you don't know what you are doing or what you are looking for....

 

there isn't a smiley available to us here that accurately conveys my amusement at this statement!

 

i mean exactly what i said. rocks do not move. they are stationary. if you pay attention to your surroundings & where you are in relation to the non-moving objects around you, you'll be fine.

 

Here is an even easier fix if you dont want to paddle next to the jetty... Walk out on said Jetty. Walk past the break... Jump off jetty into lineup. Surf wave. Exit water, Walk back up the jetty... Repeat over and over.