I've been facing this dilemma: I need to buff up to prevent injuries and improve my performance, but at the same time, I want to surf 2 or 3 times a week, and I realized it's pretty bad to get into the water when I'm sore from gym on the day before.
How do you guys/gals handle that? I'm trying to go to the gym *after* surf days, but's a chaotic schedule to handle, because we can never know when the good swell comes in
Been surfing for about a year now and for the past few weeks I feel as I’ve hit a setback in terms of my performance. I can’t find my rhythm, feel awkward on the board, find myself struggling to position myself correctly in the lineup and fully commit to waves. I find myself fearful of waves that I was super comfortable with a few months ago. In short, I find myself in a rut where I don’t feel so great surfing and my performance has been affected. Wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar.
Edit for clarity- these were issues in my first times surfing. Since then I’ve gotten much more comfortable in a variety of conditions, size, break etc. That’s why I’m frustrated, i feel like I went back in every aspect.
Hey guys! I LOVED boogie-boarding as a kid that grew up in san diego & still have a board I take out sometimes for fun. But, after taking two surf lessons, I decided to take an 8ft foamie(Costco one) out by myself for the first time to practice paddling, getting on and off the board by myself, etc.
Mostly, I really struggled with just staying on the board. I probably fell off like 20 or 30 times, i keep falling off sideways over the rails, or paddling over a wave I would loose my balance and tip right over to the side. It got easier as time went on, but damn it felt super embarrassing to not even be able to stay on the board lying down, forget even getting to my knees or standing up.
Also, I struggled to sit on my board, I would sit for like 10 seconds and fall off over the side. I didn't even think about catching a wave i was just trying to stay on.
I guess my balance really is that bad? Maybe I need a balance board? Should i have gotten a 9 ft instead?(Bummer if so since i just bought the 8ft)
Did everyone else struggle with this? Everyone else at the beach made it look so easy, even people who were also out on their first day.
I am 5ft 3 and 200lbs(down from 260 a few ago before anyone decides to be rude) and I swim, hike, kayack, garden, camp & backpack & am a very active person, Im wondering if picking up yoga this summer might help?
Edit: Thanks! Gonna rent a 9ft, see you guys out there :)
This year at the age of 34, I learned to surf. On my off days, I will wake up at dawn and drive 3 hrs to go surf in my nearest break, then get beat up in a 4 hr. sesh wherein nothing else comes in mind, just me, my board and the waves. safe to say its like tunnel vision to get better and have fun at the end. Though i sucked, I drive back home to my family with a sored, sun toasted body and a big smile.Thank you God for giving me the opportunity to get spent by doing an activity I once dreamed of!
clip from the documentary “San Francisco Rising”
And, is it true that we should steer with our front foot when performing a drop knee turn?
I’ve been building an app called Quiver and trying to not be a boring surf forecasting app.
The idea is answering the question:
“Should I paddling out?”
It gives conditions a personalized score based on the forecast, your experience level, and eventually what you’ve logged from your own sessions, so the app can get better at knowing what kinds of days actually work for you.
I’d love any honest feedback on it:
- Does the forecasting feel useful?
- Does the “worth it ” idea make sense?
- Is the look and feel clear, or does anything feel confusing?
Mostly looking for feedback on whether the forecasting feels right and whether the app feels approachable for someone still learning.
Hoping to spend lots of time in the water this summer. What is your bulletproof sunscreen regime for hours in the water?
30F severe beginner - I can only surf a couple (1-3) times a year but wanting to continue learning. went solo to tamarindo 2x this year and want to branch out to Nica but would like the same ease of access to beach and food if possible (without car).
wondering the best options for a beginner surfer in nica in sept / october (and pros / cons of where to stay)
thanks!
Not too sure how to explain the situation o was in, but basically where the waves were breaking kept going down the line and I couldn’t keep up. I’m assuming I was in the worst position, I kept getting hit with the broke waves and couldn’t get further out (cause I kept being pushed to shore). Meanwhile more experienced surfers seemed to be getting out no problem and as if it was no effort. Where they were paddling had no breaking waves, so I thought maybe it’s a small rip or something? I tried to paddle to that spot but it kept moving further down the beach and I couldn’t keep up.
I eventually gave up and used the white water to push me back to shore. I then paddled back out to a different spot where I had a small break to myself.
What do I do in that situation?
Wanting to put a tail pad on my board, but not sure I can get it back far enough whilst still giving the leash plug enough clearance. How does the placement look in the photos? Ideally I would want to have it a bit further back, but I fear it is already too close to the leash plug and at risk of being ripped off. What do you guys think?
Edit: thanks for feedback, I will shorten the leash string (it came like this don't kill me!) and see if I can find a good tutorial before taking a knife to the tail pad
Edit 2: it's really not a fish, it's 6'10" with thruster fin configuration and the swallow tail is tiny compared to a real fish
Edit 3: to the "it's a 6'10" you don't need a tail pad" guys I respect your opinion, but I respect a professional surf coach's opinion more. I agree that it doesn't *need* a tail pad, but no one has claimed that it'll make it harder to surf.
Hi guys I moved to Huntington recently and want to get into surfing but don’t know what’s a good place to start for adults! Or like what boards or anything either I’m 5’4 female idk if that helps for board sizes or anything? Have seen a lot of confusing info
I’m at that awkward beginner stage where I can catch waves and stand up sometimes, but still feel super inconsistent.
I’ve been looking at surf camps in Lombok because part of me thinks being around coaches every day would help a lot more than random lessons here and there. A few people recommended LMBK Surf House since they keep groups small and do video feedback, which honestly sounds useful because half the time I have no idea what I’m doing wrong. Did you actually improve faster or not really?
Hi yall! Newbie surfer here. I’ve done a few lessons and solo sessions renting a board and looking to get my own now as I live an hour from the ocean and wanna make it a point to get in the water a lot this summer. I’m going to be using either a 8 ft or 9 ft board. What are your thoughts on buying a new board or something used on FB marketplace? I just got a new wetsuit as I’m in NJ and will need one. Is it sketchy to buy a board on FB marketplace or quite common? I have the money to buy new but I’m also on a budget so would like to cut cost where possible but not if it’ll bite me in the butt by buying something water boarded or not great condition. I just wouldn’t even know what to look for.
Just checking to see if I’m a sucker for buying a new board and if most people are getting second hand? Or what’s everyone’s opinions?
Title
Hello everyone!
Quick context:
Landlocked surfer that has been surfing for 2 years now (I have done 6 week-long trips so far, as well as 5 surf pool sessions). I can bottom turn, ride down the line and manage to go a bit up and down the wave. According to the coaches, I have a good takeoff and good paddling speed. I am still struggling with maneuvers, like going back down the wave to go back in the pocket and up again, and with paddling fitness. I do downhill skateboarding for 10 years now, so I have a pretty good balance. ~63-65kg for 1m78, I do quite a lot of sport on the side too.
So far, I have ridden only foam board (my latest trip in Morocco May 26' I was on a 7' foamy with 54L and I was catching waves quite easily, even on weak waves, probably at a 80% success rate). In February, I bought a hardtop from Decathlon (https://www.decathlon.ch/fr/p/planche-de-surf-7-4-900-mid-length-blanc/348211/c4m8810718) without knowing enough about it, and I was struggling quite a bit, especially with the paddling. Note that it was before several sessions in the wave pool so I could have improved since.
My question is: I really want to have my own board for travelling and surf pool sessions (renting is very expensive). I was thinking about selling the Decathlon (or keeping it as a single fin midlength for when I'll be a better surfer), and buy a 7'4 Torq V+ Tec instead (https://www.hawaiisurf.com/products/m2-v-tec-planche-de-surf-funboard-7). My entire surfing inspiration is based on the surfing of pros like Mikey Feb and Torren Martyn, I'm really not interested in downsizing ever to a shortboard.
Would getting the Torq be a wise choice, should I stick with the Decathlon board anyway, or am I going too far and should stick to renting foamies?
Thanks ❤️
I took a few lessons inconsistently starting last august, and now I am 2 weeks into a month long stint in Portugal, 3 weeks of which I have scheduled surf lessons every weekday morning. I've learned a lot in the past 2 weeks, started to catch my own waves in the white water and even a couple of green waves if the conditions are *just right*.
But that's the thing, even after doing my research to find a town with waves that are supposed to be mellow and appropriate for beginners (Baleal) many a morning I've gone out for class and it's so windy the board keeps flying away from me even on land and the waves are slam dunking me back to the shore.
I am 4'10" currently using an 8'0" foamie and I am still struggling to hold the board. It's easiest when there's no wind so I can hold it "upside down" with the handle closest to me, since my arms are too short to reach it the "right" way where I would ideally tuck it into my armpit and have more space between me and the handle. But if it's super windy, I don't carry the board, the board carries me.
Once in the water I feel like I spend more time wrestling the waves than catching them. I've gotten much better at paddling out and going over the waves the last couple of weeks but I feel like every time I start to reach about where the instructor wants us to paddle out to where the instructor wants us, a wave that is simply too big for me to go over blows me back to where I started. I've spoken to one of the instructors about if maybe there's a way I can try going under the wave and pushing the board down with me but he told me "you weigh maybe 20 kilos, you won't be able to push it down". And honestly given my experiences so far he's most likely right but I feel at a loss and frustrated with my inability to hold down my own weight, especially as I'm going into my my last week of guaranteed consistent surf time for the near future. I want to stay safe and I want to make progress by I feel like I'm failing at both.
Does anyone have any advice to help me make the most of this last week? Or even for the long haul? Anything would be greatly appreciated.
I have hair like a surfer, dress like a surfer, act like a surfer, I wear a puka shell necklace.
I am NOT a poser, just a guy who dresses, I don’t pretend to be something i’m not
I want to learn but don’t want to go on my crowded east coast jersey beach and fail, any suggestion to get started. I used to play hockey so I have good balance and I Jet-ski so i have the lack of fear of the water.
Hello everyone! I have arrived in Sydney within the last week from the US I am 20m, and I am really interested in learning to surf. At home I snowboard and have since I was young, so I hope some of the fundamentals will translate 😂. I am making this post because I am super new to surfing and I don’t really know anything about it as far as technique/board styles goes, and I am hoping that someone on here would be interested in going out with me tomorrow (19/05) to allow me to use a board and show me the ropes.
I know renting and lessons are an option, but I am a traveler and if it’s possible to save the money and make a new friend, I think that would be super awesome! I hope to learn and purchase a cheaper beater board so I can get after it but I feel I shouldn’t do that before I’ve tried a couple of different boards.
I am 5ft 9in, 145lbs (175cm, 65kg) if that is important information to have.
If anyone is interested in going out with me please comment your instagram or shoot me a DM and we can connect!! I would really appreciate the opportunity to learn something new :)
Hey there, im a website developer and as the title suggests I’m looking to see if there is demand for any AI coaching Apps for beginner/intermediate surfers. This app would allow you to upload your surfing clips, and have a side by side comparison with a pro’s similar clip of your choice. All you have to do is upload your clips and it does the rest. It then gives cues and tips to improve on, and what “not to do”. Looking to see interest before I invest any more $$$ into the project. Any feel on what you would pay per month? If interested in beta testing feel free to let me know. Thanks!