Beginner surfers progress from foam to real waves and move from beginner to intermediate status. This is an exciting time for beginners because this is when they feel they are entering the big leagues. If beginners have mastered the fundamentals of catching foam waves and riding them to the beach, the transition is not difficult.
A big difference between foam waves and real waves is timing. The foam wave is identifiable as it rolls to the beach. The real wave opens and shuts quickly. The surfer should first study the beach to see where waves are breaking. He should look at where other surfers are sitting because they know where the waves are breaking.
Learning to Catch Real Surfing Waves
At the beginning, the surfer should look for the smallest real waves of two to three foot if possible. On a sand bar beach, like Oceanside, the small real waves roll in with the foam waves as real waves that have reformed. On a sand bar beach, waves will break on the outside where advanced surfers sit and then roll to the beach reforming at times into more real waves.
The surfer starts with observing where these secondary waves are breaking. Then he paddles to the area where that is happening. At the beginning, the surfer might want to catch real waves at the corners. Here they have already been rolling from the peak and are smaller. He watches the apex form (where the foam first comes over the lip and the paddles toward the unfurling wave and wants to catch it facing the beach at a 45 degree angle. The wave will roll under the board and the surfer is already in the pocket.
Catching Waves Down the Face
Catching a wave down the face causes all new surfers some fear. The board tips down as though it will pearl and the speed is greater than foam waves. Many beginners want to lean back and fall off the back of the board. At this point, a surfer wants a near perfect pop up. He paddles down the face hard three times and places his hands on the surfboard. Then he pops up into the right posture. He needs to be aggressive in balancing on the board. Sometimes he has to put pressure on the rear foot to keep the nose from pearling.
At first, the surfer just rides down the face and after it breaks, he is riding foam to the beach. Then the surfer learns to do a bottom turn into the pocket. A bottom turn is a carve where the surfer turns his upper torso towards the turn and puts a little pressure on the toes or heels (whichever are on the side of the turn) to create the rail digging slightly into the wave. On a soft top, the pressure has to be light because the thick rails will dig into the wave and catch an edge.
The second way a surfer can get into the pocket off the face is to point the nose towards the pocket after he has caught the wave and then pop up. This is especially advantageous on 8′ or 9′ soft tops to prevent pearling down the face. Lots of practice and lots of crashes will get the surfer the right judgment to start catching real waves more consistently.
Learn More
Read Other Posts:
Beginner Surfers Learn on Soft Tops
5 Steps to Improve Surfing Performance
3 Ways to Catch Real Surfing Waves
Training to Ride the Surfing Short Board
Short Board Surfing Techniques
For Surf Lessons in Oceanside, see the Home Page
Visit me on Instagram
For getting in better shape for surfing see GetFittoSurf.com
Sign up for weekly Tips on Losing Weight, Health, and Fitness Newsletter
See my new Health and Lifestyle website Markap Health and Lifestyle
The Surfers Life
Why do surfers surf? What is it about the culture that attracts and holds millions of people in the world? Why is the culture growing and how has it infiltrated our world with clothing, music, fitness, and stoke?
Buy on Amazon in Kindle or Paperback. $2.99 or $6.92
The New Surfing Trilogy. 3 books in 1 E-Book
Lose weight, get fit, and learn to surf. All in one concise summary of 3 books, Combines The 3 Week Plan, Get Fit to Surf, and Learn to Surf Guide.
Buy E Book on Amazon for $6.99
The Perfect Start for losing weight and getting fit is the E Book The 3 Week Plan
Buy on Kindle for $2.99 or Paperback for $6.95
Get my new book Get Fit to Surf
Its time to get back in shape. This book discusses strength, flexibility, stamina, and nutritional needs for getting in shape and losing weight. It is the great guide to get back to fitness for all your recreational desires. If you can surf, you can do most anything.
Buy on Kindle for $2.99 or Paperback on Amazon for $6.95
Get the Learn to Surf Guide Course in Kindle, Paperback or Audio
A great 29 page course on the fundamentals of catching waves, doing beginner and advanced pop ups, riding real waves, how to do maneuvers on real waves, which surfboards to ride, and how to progress. Great for lesson preparation, after lesson review, or learning on your own.
Kindle price $2.99 on Amazon. Paperback price $6.95 on Amazon. Audio download price $6.95
Everybody Can Surf
To read a great book for getting in shape to surf or getting in better surfing shape, read my new book Everybody Can Surf, a Health, Fitness, Nutrition, and Surfing Adventure
Description:
Get healthy and fit to surf or set a goal of surfing to improve weight, fitness, nutrition, and health. This guide by a surf instructor/health coach/personal trainer gives the short version of how to lose weight, get strong, build stamina, develop nutrition, and learn to surf. Surfing is a lifestyle enjoyed by millions and so is fitness. Fitness creates opportunities to enjoy life through lots of different kinds of recreation. No need to stand on the sidelines while others are having a great time. Start your program to health with easy steps and progress at your own pace. That is the secret to maintaining a lifestyle. Do it at your pace. This book will start you on the path.
Buy the E book on Amazon for $2.99
Buy the Paperback on Amazon for $6.95
Seniors Get Fit to Surf
Description:
Seniors often ask if it is too late to learn to surf. Age is functional not chronological. If people have been exercising and maintaining body strength, surfing can be accomplished. If people have not been exercising, then getting in shape to surf could be a life changing move. Learn how to develop strength, flexibility, and stamina to learn surfing. If you are in surf shape, you could pursue most any recreation.
Buy the E-book on Amazon for $2.99
Buy the Paperback on Amazon for $6.95
Read a Book in the Markap Series
Self-Leadership, Happiness, Start Now.
Start Now is the process of losing weight, building strength and stamina, developing cardio fitness for surfing, recreation and health. Buy the E-book on Amazon for $2.99 and the Paperback for $6.95. Get into surf shape, start a new lifestyle, and enjoy life at a new level of health.
Happ
Build Immunity in this Covid Era
The new Omicron variants can often sidestep the anti-bodies in vaccinations. This is when we need to have a strong immunity system. This is when people with underlying conditions like obesity or chronic metabolic disorders like diabetes become vulnerable.
Developing good health habits will help your immune system. The main components would be to attain a healthy weight. Eat healthy. Exercise, Get adequate sleep. Mitigate stress. Drink half your body weight in water oz (a 200-pound person drinks 100 oz.) Consider supplements for the nutrients you may not consume in your daily diet.
One of my favorites is the Rishi mushroom. It has been chronicled in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It supports the major systems. It fights viruses, bacteria, allergies, and inflammation. I get a compilation of 5 reishi mushrooms extracted and combined into one powder. You can get a discount as my client with this link.
This is a short statement that says it all:
- Reishi: Reishi is arguably the most important and most revered herb used by Asian people throughout history to promote radiant health, longevity and a more centered state of mind. It is known to be among the most protective herbs in the world. Reishi may help improve immunological, neurological, metabolic, hepatic and vascular protection, among other functions.
