Catching Waves on the Short Board
Oceanside has excellent fast breaks for perfecting skills on the short board. In films we usually see surfers catching waves on short boards. It takes years to be an expert. When I teach students how to surf , they start on high volume surf boards. They learn to paddle before the wave arrives. On short boards, surfers learn to let the real wave come under the board.
On a short board the lower volume makes everything more difficult and advanced. The timing for catching waves on a short board is compounded by the need for a high arc on the wave and the need to paddle hard on a low volume board. The best way to assist all three difficulties is to get in front of the wave as it arcs so that it comes under the board.
There are usually two choices in catching a wave on a short board. Paddle down the face and bottom turn into the pocket or angle immediately towards the pocket.
The power of the wave is in the top one third, so if waves are not too steep, riding on the top increases speed. Otherwise, in the pocket surfers accelerate by moving the nose of the board up and down the wave. The board is fastest when the rail and the wave are at a 90 degree angle. So dropping down into the bottom of the wave decreases this angle and the board is not as fast.
When we catch the wave, riding at the top or where the board is at a 90 degree angle to the face is where the board travels fastest. Getting to this position is achieved by angling immediately or bottom turning soon and riding back up the face.
Catch Waves Near the Apex
Catching the wave at the apex or where the foam first comes over the lip not only gives us the right of way on the wave, but the steep pitch has the most power and the steepness gives us the most speed. It might take building courage to get to the most advantageous spot on catching the wave, but that has to be our goal.
In catching bigger waves for the first time, surfers often head for the corner where the wave is not as steep and then build the courage to move closer to the apex.
This is a good video on how to catch waves
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