Many intermediates who have learned to ride real waves want to ride shorter boards and learn The Techniques of Riding a Short Board. The transition begins with mastering the fundamentals on a soft top and the gradually moving to shorter boards while not trying to lose too much volume.
The volume of a surfboard is the length x width x thickness. As surfers move from an 8′ soft top to a shorter board, they should move 6″ at a time while trying to maintain the width and thickness at 21″+ and 2 3/4″ thick. This makes the transition easier.
Learning the Basics
Surfing consists of paddling, catching waves, popping up, riding the pocket and doing maneuvers or tricks. It takes a lot of years to move through the progression to learn everything. In the process the surfer is learning to judge waves, build skills, get in better condition, and build courage. Everything is needed as a surfer moves to shorter boards and rides bigger real waves.
In catching a real wave, the surfer lets the wave come under the board and as the tail rises he paddles hard down the face a few times until the wave catches the board. Then he pops up and rides until he does a bottom turn into the pocket. A sandbar beach has a steeper wave that closes out and pop ups have to be quicker. A reef wave usually has a more gentle face that is easier to catch and gives a surfer more time to reach the pocket. Most islands have reef waves that are gentle at smaller sizes.
Selecting the Waves and Beach to Ride
When a wave is steeper, the surfer often points the board towards the pocket before catching the wave or catches the wave and then points the board toward the pocket before popping up. These techniques prevent pearling. The surfer has to get in front of the falling lip. The next technique is to accelerate by pushing the nose up and down the face with the front foot.
Once the board has speed from two or three pumps the surfer can do his first maneuver. Most advancing surfers like to rip the lip which is doing a bottom turn up the face and then a cut back at the top to return to the bottom. A bottom turn begins with looking in the direction of the turn and moving the upper torso in that direction which torques the feet. Then the surfer applies pressure to the toes or heels, whichever is on the side of the turn.
Getting the Cut Back and Moving to Other Maneuvers
The cut back is reversing direction. The surfer looks down the face of the wave and turns is upper torso toward the reversal while pressuring toes or heels on that side of the board. The surfer swings the outside hand around the front of his body as he executes the carve. Once in the pocket again, he accelerates with two or three pumps and gets ready for the next maneuver.
This process sets up the rest of the maneuvers and tricks such as 360s, aerials, floating the lip, and other tricks. Move to lower volume boards slowly as you learn the maneuvers with each length board.
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 the following services call 760-696-7149: Individual Surf lessons in Oceanside, private group and family surf lessons, Oceanside surf lessons for kids, package lessons for vacations and more in-depth learning.
For Surf Lessons in Oceanside, see the Home Page
Visit me on Instagram
For getting in better shape for surfing see GetFittoSurf.com
-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 Free Audio Book on Sound Cloud
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
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.
