This guy I mean.
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This guy I mean.
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Ott, thanks for weighing in! I feel so vindicated in my choice on the longboard. The fin is not glassed in, but it's set pretty far back and I'm leaving it there. Still spastic though. :tongue:
Aw your boy is so cute, yes they know how to have fun. :)
Little guy is chillin! Love it. Babblin's cool but I tend to ramble, wish I could pull off the 1 liners every post like some of the chosen few
After reading this again, I didn't realize you weren't having as much fun in the lineups before. I would have offered more help had I known, just thought you had your routine down and were enjoying it. My fault, just realized it after reading that post.Quote:
Yesterday was different. It was fun. Surfing is supposed to be fun, right?
I think I'm over the hump now. I can paddle for a long time, try for a lot of waves. And I met a bunch of people yesterday that are as bad as me. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Piggity
I put a post on the main forum, a roll call for San Diego maggots http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...-Diego-maggots!
I don't know if you people ever hang out in real life the way we do in CO but I sure would hate to leave San Diego at the end of the summer and never meet a single maggot here. Please post up over there and consider getting together as a group for some beers, just one time.
How many maggots live in San Diego anyway? jtan, pig, who else?
I'd be down to get a drink/group surf/whatever sometime
to my knowledge it's you, me, pig and liv2ski..maybe more that don't post in the surf forum?
Hottate, Bird Rock, and possibly more? and powerwhore has no obligations so he's down ;) I can't do anything this week though, have to be next week sometime
Ah. Sounds like fun.
Hey, I'm in till Wednesday am. Lemme know.
Arn't ya like technically a SF Maggot? Not sure if your actually invited bro. If I were you I'd crash the thing.
I don't think we have enough SF maggots for there to be SF maggots. I'm trying to organize this thing!!
Well piggity said not this week for the beers.Quote:
Originally Posted by BS720
I pm'ed Hottate and Bird Rock, would you mind sending a linky to the thread on the main ski page to powerwhore? Let's get a day settled stat. Omg, will I need to post a poll? :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggity
Seems that maybe there are some used surfboards around for sale now with the summer ending. I am thinking of a funshape. A pretty long one. Any thoughts? Will I have an easier time in 4-5' (waist-shoulder) waves? Will I have an easier time in hollower waves?
How long can I go?
Soft rails?
Wide?
Thick?
Fin setup?
Nose shape?
How much rocker in the nose? I am pretty sick of perling.
I don't have too much of an eye at this point so any advice appreciated. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtran10
I fugin missed these posts on 8/18, did this happen already? I like to drink beer & surf, I would be down....:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggity
Hi All,
You know how life goes... easy to get sidetracked.
Tore my ACL playing soccer in July. 6 weeks post op today. Gonna be a long, long winter. Sucks.
SheRa - keep surfing. Everyday if possible.
I think she has returned to the hills. Just guessing as this thread has been quiet.
Bummer birdrock. Hope you heal up strong. Have you considered sponging it for the winter? I did a bunch a knee boarding a bunch of years back when I was healing up a tib. Could not stand up, but was able to ride on the knees. And it kept my paddling an wave sense in shape. I had a harder time coming back from a broken shoulder blade.
SheRa, I live in San Diego having moved here 7 years ago from Silverthorne. I moved here and bought a beater 9-6 board, took 1 lesson and was hopelessly gut hooked on surf. It's great to see your stoke and believe me, I empathize with your struggles.
I understand all your questions and hunger for 'answers' to why places, waves, crowds, boards, techniques, etc are and are not working. All I can tell you is . . . . there is no simple answer. Learning to surf is more complex than learning to golf. Every break, wave, moment . . . the rules change. The ocean is dynamic and changes constantly. Tides, swell direction, tides, wind, storms, tides, swell period, tides, wave height, tides and tides are constantly changing. :biggrin:
I can only share a few things that have 'worked' for me and my constant stream of CO ski buddies who crash my couch and try to surf with me.
1 - ignore the noise about single fin vs try-fin. You are learning, and the fin difference will have no impact on your surf success at this level.
2 - Go to iTunes > Podcast> Surf Simply. Download all 9(?) chapters on surfing. Ignore everything else on the internet as far as instruction goes. These are all about 10 minute video/whiteboard instruction modules from a surf school in Costa Rica. I found them clear, accurate and thorough for someone trying to get from Rank Beginner to Intermediate status.
3 - watch them ALL.
4 - watch them again.
5 - pick one for the day, and focus on practicing the point discussed on it, surf, go home and watch it again and evaluate how well you did.
6 - just surf and surf and surf for 5 years and then look back at your progress. Then watch them again.
NOTE - different boards work or don't work at different breaks (and on different days). You seem to have a decent board for the average day at Tourmo, Pipes, Cardiff, and perhaps the Cliffs. But it'll drive you nuts at beach breaks like PB or anywhere you see lots of short boarders catching waves. There's a reason they are on short boards there. And there's a reason why everyone at Tourmo is on loooooooong boards. Because that's the shape that works on that break (usually).
I surf North County mostly. Lower crowd factor. friendlier vibe.
Top Tip - find a group that appreciates your stoke and passion. Surf with them every week. You will have MUCH more fun if you are learning with a few friends. The crowds will be much friendlier to a small group of surfers than to just a single newbie. Strength in numbers.
Now go to iTunes and start downloading. GOOD LUCK!
Hey thanks for the great advice. I'm headed back to Colorado, but I'll be back next summer.
I did get so confused this year. I guess that is learning. I know there is a lot of stuff in my mind now, that my body can't do. :tongue:
Watched those videos repeatedly and will watch them again next summer. They are awesome.
I like my longboard a lot, but I already have another board in mind, an 8' funshape with a lot of nose rocker and a 2+1 setup. Hope that can take me to the next level and handle hollower waves easier.
I plan to continue to surf all the places I was last summer and hopefully add in some more. That's the thing with socal, there are so many breaks, it's def very cool. The only place with beginners like me where I made some friends was up at La Jolla on Saturdays so I'll be doing that again for sure. Crazy crowds but you can drift a little down towards the pier and the waves get bigger and less people.
I'm also gonna start SUP and maybe sailing in the bay, got to expand my horizons.
I wonder if any of you guys ever like to go charter fishing. I enjoy it.
I bet all that works.
I was young (the summer I turned 14) when I learned, but we had no coaching other then Big Wednesday, Tahitian Dreams, Corona Triple Crown and a few Wave Warrriors flicks. The way we learned was to hit the water every possible day and try, try, try. I still think it is the best way to learn how to surf. There is so much that can't be explained and can only be experienced. Sometimes, the best part of the session, is when you tune out of the surf, and just tune into the ocean. You may miss a good wave, but you ended up with a touch of bliss.
After seeing your pics in the 50+meathuckthread, I say get yourself that 8', and maybe even keep an eye out for some retro fatty. I think you would very much like the short board thing.
I don't know if 8' qualifies as a short board, but from what I observed about the wave shape at Tourmaline and La Jolla, I just want to get a board that fits more easily into the waves, ie less likely to perl from a little more inside. For sunset cliffs I think my 9' is perfect because it's slow, mushy and rolling there. I also REALLY want to take that board up to Malibu and relive that era. You know the old footage where there are five people riding a party wave? So cool, so chill. I love the style of the surfers all loose and looking ready to fall over backwards any second.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
Gaw it almost sounds like I know what I am talking about, but like I said there is a lot of stuff in my mind, a lot of analysis, that is not matched by what I can do...yet anyway. And a lot of this summer was mental overload, so much input. Hopefully I'll come in next summer with less mental clutter and more zen.
I'm in Taos right now and it's slushy half rain/half snow. Different world altogether.
So SheRa are you back in SD yet?
I'm heading out of Colorado tomorrow morning. Looking forward to being in the ocean, paddle paddle. :)
It will be nice to have the Princess back in SD for awhile. This summer the SD maggots do need to get together and maybe even, wait for it, all surf together. I am off to Canada for a few weeks mid June, but hope to see you guys and girl in July before I start working hard in August.
Hi everybody,
Sorry for not posting sooner, but I've just been so busy. Trying to do some remodeling in my condo and a bunch of other random stuff happening. I've been on a running binge, at least in part because I'm volunteering at a German Shepherd Rescue and I'm taking out the most energetic dogs that need the most exercise. I've got my truck emptied out and the surfboard loaded and maybe I'll head into the water tomorrow, it could happen! I stopped by La Jolla Shores (no parking) and at Tourmaline and at Garbage which is by my place, just to scout it out. Went down the stairs and scrambled around the rocks, so at least I've gotten my feet wet. Been swimming in the pool several times, trying to cure myself of the glaring white skin.
Oh and I watched point break again. :)
I could use a kick in the @ss I guess. Saw a dolphin in the bay this morning, he looked like he was having a good time.
Have you watched Big Wednesday. Way better than Point Break and it had Gary acting all crazy in it as well. Just a much younger, buffer Gary.
Hmmm, seems like I remember seeing Jan Michael Vincent in a surf movie. But thanks for reminding me, I sent for the nexflix dvd.
I finally got in the ocean just this morning. Tourmaline at dawn and not crowded at all. Wrangling on the wetsuit. Tiny waves, so that's perfect. Seeing the water breaking in front of my face paddling out was such a trip. I forgot everything. My board feels so squirrely and I forgot how to pop up. My arms protest. Cold beach shower. Everyone is really nice there.
It was great.
Note to self - need to put qtips in the glove box.
SheRa, glad your back. What GSD Rescue? I got my Gunther from Coastal GSD Rescue.
Shera: try earplugs instead of q-tips...
I transitioned from 'funboard' (7'10"; my first board) to a 5'6" mini simmons at the beginning of this season quite quickly. Took me about 2 or 3 sessions for the first real rides.
Mini Simmons is a cool and forgiving shape: wide (stable), thick (float i.e. catches waves easily) and short (don't pearl* as easy).
*a short board is going to help in preventing pearling a bit. More important is not to take off perpendicular to the wave but at a slight angle and start turning early!
Hahaha if I had a bottom turn or could set out at an angle I wouldn't be worrying about a shorter board! I am sooooo bad at surfing!
I think this summer working on that angled takeoff will be a big focus. Sadly I think I have to forego a lot of rides in through the white and beater myself over and over just changing my popup. I had a bad habit of shifting my weight back on the board instead of just popping up at the right moment last year and I got a lot of fun rides on my knees, but the keikis do it so I don't feel that guilty.
I have it in my mind that if I pop up to my feet with my center further back at just the right moment all will be well. So when I think I'm gonna perl, time to stand up, hope that's right. It's a crazy moment in the water with everything happening with the wave catching and now I have more stuff to do!
But right now I can barely paddle outside through the 2-3' swell. Omg. Will keep going, I know it gets better. Tourmaline at first light is treating me right. :)
As far as length I have my next board in mind, funshape between 8'-8'6' with nose rocker and 2+1. And I decided I also want a SUP. I might not get anything for a long time though. Storage issues. I would have to replace my tonneau with a camper and a surf rack on top of that. It will be nice...someday. Mmmmm toys.
liv2ski, yes! Coastal up in San Marcos. I drive up there once a week. Darling dogs!
Thanks for the movie recommendation, I watched it (again). Jan-Michael Vincent is the hotness. Oh yeah and there was surfing. They did a cool thing switching spots back and forth on the wave, looked like power 8s. I love the style so much from that era - they called is "casual". Edit-Lopez working the big stuff was cool too though.
REI had a decent looking epoxy soft top SUP for less than $700. I think that is cheaper than the costco WaveStorm. Do you want it for wave riding or exploration?
Um just want to start out on the flat water in the bay but eventually get out in the ocean. Not fooling with that right now though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
Oh just remembered there was a guy I knew that used 11' soft top for sup in hawaii. He had good balance though!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using TGR Forums
iSUPs are getting better and work if you have storage issues...
Keep in mind, this is my 3rd season (and the first two were peppered with non-surf related injuries that kept me out of the water for significant spells). Also: I’m a autodidact, so no official lessons. /end disclaimer
The Northsea, where I surf, produces short, windswells most of the time. And we hardly have any piers, and certainly no reefs, so it’s all sandy beach break i.e. shifty peaks, lots of close outs & generally speaking: short rides.
My biggest gain last year was learning to pop up early. Maybe everyone does this but it was an epiphany to me: “see wave, start paddling in and pop up” BEFORE the wave really takes hold and hurtles you down into the pit (and pearls your board). I think I start standing up just after I feel the back of my board start to rise. Then as the wave steepens, I put more pressure on the front foot i.e. gas pedal, feel the board really being caught by the wave and accelerate and then start to ‘bottom’ turn. Super quick, hollow waves are a mystery to me: get cleaned every time…
BTW, went for a dawn patrol session this morning and caught a few really nice rides. I’m starting to do cut backs now (reaaaaally relaxt ones though).
Wow that is interesting about the early popups. I guess I should try.
Welcome back SheRa!
On fast hollow waves, try the opposite. As you're dropping in and the bottom of the waves is falling out from under your feet, put your weight on your back foot to avoid digging the nose and pearlingQuote:
Originally Posted by Tectonically_Neglected
Dont try to pop up too early. When you oh too early, you fall off the back of te wave.
Think of it as you legs lowering, as the board begins to fall down the face. Almost the opposite of the legs contracting as you stomp a huck. Almost.
Obviously you dont want to pop up TOO early. It's all about timing and speed! That said, the opposite doesn't work for me either: especially in short, steep beach break surf, if I don’t pop up quickly I'm at the bottom of the wave before I know it and my board pearls! I can imagine that for waves with longer faces i.e. longboard waves, picking up speed and then popping up can work really well also. Thing is, that’s not the kind of wave we get a lot.
Please keep in mind, I’m not a great surfer and have hardly any experience. Just relating what works for me.
@Piggity: will try that. Thanks!
Thanks for good tips guys.
I ate it on some gravel yesterday running a dog with different shoes on, me not the dog. Took some chunks of flesh out of my hands. Omg it freaking hurts. This is why I'm not the fan of skateboarding. Not sure when I'll get in the water. Although the ocean can be cleansing.
TN, think of it as standing up just as the board begins falling down the wave. It is not so much popping up as popping down. It actually works great in super short period stuff. You do not want to wait until your board is at the bottom of the wave. You begin the pop at the top of the wave, and finish as the board is approaching the bottom. Unless it is OH, and you end up mid wave.
With the method, you never really drop into the wave, rather stand up with the wave. When you get this technique down, you can then begin surfing the wave as soon as you are on your feet.
Almost like paddle, catch wave, pop down, carve turn, surf.
It is not easy to master, but I think it is the best way. I think all agree you don't want to stand up when you are already at the bottom. Besides having little potential energy, you tend to be going fast and that makes it much harder. If OTOH you stand up while still at the top of the wave, you then need to get down that thing and negotiate a drop before you get to begin surfing.
Timing is everything.
When done correctly, this is how guys catch barrel take offs. It is like they stand up as the barrel throws and suddenly you are getting tubed.
Finally, you can do this on a long board as well as a short board. But it is easiest on a short board. Can't speak for a mini Simmons type of board though. It does require decent edge hold.
Sounds interesting Ottime! I think I need to visualise it a bit more but definately worth some time/ energy.
Cheers man.
PS I'm gonna search for a video of that, if I can find it...
SheRa
You might borrow a fish shape before you commit to a fun shape.
A Fish has rocker and is wide and floaty with 4 fins for grip.
CAT