Advanced Surfers Time Real Waves

Mark
April 14, 2021
3:31 pm

Advanced surfers time real waves through experience and judgment. Surfers spend their lives learning how to recognize, time, position, and catch real waves. Along with learning more tricks, catching waves better are the two most popular goals.

Catching waves begins with beginners as they ride foam waves and advance to riding bigger foam waves. Then they try small real waves to build the skill and courage.

Catching Real Waves

Catching real waves is about timing and position. When surfers look at real waves they can see where the line up is located. Even though surfers have different type boards and preferences, they will be in the area where waves form.

Surfers should move into the line up and observe the pecking order for catching waves. Are surfers giving each other turns or is it every man for himself? The surfer closest to the falling lip has the right of way so it is often a race of two or three for that position. Surfers often indicate to others they want the wave by paddling early.

It is important in a line up that you catch and ride the wave you win. If you fall or miss the waves, the line up will not give you much respect. Sometimes it is better to move over a break away from the best surfers to get a better chance at having a wave to yourself.

When you spot a wave forming, you decide if you have to paddle closer, parallel, or further in to allow the wave to roll under your surfboard. Catching real waves is about timing the arc and then paddling down the face as the wave arcs above your head.

The bigger the wave, the faster it is moving. Therefore, you have to be stronger to paddle into bigger waves. Surfers getting towed can’t ride waves that paddlers are catching. There is a limit to how big a wave can be paddled, but Jaws, Pipeline, and Mavericks see surfers paddling into monster waves.

It takes courage to keep stepping up to bigger waves because the crashes are bigger. Waves have weight and push you under water and drag you. It is good to know how to escape with a good bottom turn when the wave is closing out.

Have fun.

Learn More

My New Surfing Course in an E-Book plus Demo Video or Audio Version

Get the 18 Chapter, 7,500 word Course that can prepare you for a lesson or give you the fundamentals if you are going to try it on your own. 10 years of teaching 350 students a year has given me the insights on the most precise measures you must follow for success. This course is what I teach on the dry land and in water instruction. The Course includes a 15 minute video on my dry land and in water demonstration. Only $4.95

See Excerpts

Buy the E-Book and start learning $2.99. Learn to Surf

Buy the Paperback on Amazon $7.95

Get Learn to Surf Course in 29 minute AUDIO. Great prep for a lesson, reviewing after a lesson, learning on your own, refreshing after not having surfed for a while. See Table of Contents. Only $7.95.