Catching Surfing Waves on Short Board

Catching surfing waves on a short board bring to a pinnacle many different skills. Surfing on a short board should follow mastery of techniques on a soft top.

The techniques of paddling, catching foam and then real waves, popping up, and riding all need to mature slowly as surfers move from an 8′ soft top to the beginning 6’10” short board. In the process, the surfer will build paddling stamina, perfect the pop up, and learn how to ride in the pocket of a wave.

Wave Timing

The foam wave is a long straight line that gives a surfer twenty seconds to prepare and begin momentum before it arrives. The real wave has to be caught in a few second opening as it arcs.

For a real wave, the surfer positions himself where the waves are breaking. On a reef this is easy because they break at the same spot each time. On a sandbar beach they may break in different spots. The line up is usually a good indication of where to start.

When a wave is first seen starting to form, surfers who want the wave will start paddling. One, they want to get in position and secondly, they want to let every one know they want the wave. As the wave begins to form, the surfer wants to be in a position where the wave will arc over their head by coming under the surf board.

Paddling for the Real Wave

Beginner real wave surfers often make the mistake of letting the wave pass and then trying to get in over the top. This is usually a disaster in that they miss the wave, or they are late and fall over the face, or they are too late to get into the pocket.

it takes courage to learn the timing of letting the wave come under the surf board. If the surfer is too early they miss the wave and too late, it crashes on them. Once the wave arcs over the surfer’s head, they paddle hard and sometimes kick to get the nose going down the face.

Popping up on the Short Board

Surfers do not want to lack confidence in their pop up. The bigger the wave, the more the pop up has to be automatic without thinking. Practicing in one’s living room every day gets all the muscles and timing improved.

The surfer has two good options on the pop up. They are going to ride down the face or they are going to point the board toward the pocket to get ahead of the falling lip. The bigger the wave, the more likely the surfer has to begin down the face.

Getting Into the Wave Pocket

As mentioned, the surfer can paddle to catch a wave and before popping up can point the nose toward the pocket before popping up. This minimizes pearling on steep waves and gets the board ahead of the falling lip.

A second method for steep waves or beginners is to paddle for the corners away from the apex where the foam first comes over the lip and the wave is steepest. At the corner, the wave is slower and not as steep. The surfer paddles at a 45 degree angle for the beach so the wave comes under the board and then pops up.

For Oceanside Surf Lessons, see the Home Page

See the Post Search Lessons Teach Fundamentals

See the Post Catching Real Surf Waves

See my Dry Land and in Water Demo video

See my other Surf site for more Posts

I have lowered the price of Courses and Books for the lock down

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

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 $6.95

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.  

80 page Learn to Surf Book

Buy my E-book on Amazon Kindle for $2.99. 80 pages of beginner to advanced instructions to help you before the first lesson to learning expert techniques and tricks.

I also have books on Creating Your Own Happiness on a site called Happiness and Work Life Balance