The Timing Paddling for Surf Waves
Surfers for both foam and real haves have to understand The Timing Paddling for Surf Waves. The whole motion for catching waves is timing and rhythm. The fundamentals become muscle memory and catching waves becomes a dance in which the surfer doesn’t have to think.
The surfer observes and feels the wave. He knows how to get into position so the real wave rolls under the surf board. At that point he can paddle hard and sometimes kick to get into the face. Once the wave has the board and the nose is pointed down, he can execute the pop up.
In foam waves, I try to get students to feel the wave and paddle the same each time. When they see the wave coming, they roll over onto their board and paddle easy for a little momentum. As it gets close to the board, they paddle hard for three strokes to get in front of the wave. The perfect rhythm would be three easy paddles and three hard paddles. We don’t want to over paddle because paddling requires the most energy.
Catching Real Waves
On a real wave, the surfer spots where the waves are forming and breaking. It is easier on a reef because they break in the same spot and the same way each time. On a sand bar beach there can be a lot of variety. The waves come in sets, so the waves in sets will vary in size. Surfers often wait for the the 3rd one because it might be the biggest, but the first two might have taken all the surfers in the line up and it is more open to grab.
It is a good idea to become aware of the other surfers in the line up. Know who is catching waves and which direction they like. Get into the rotation. Paddle early when a wave is forming to let other surfers know you want the wave. Wave pigs get cut off by the line up and those who don’t catch or fall on waves are not acknowledged. If you are just learning on a sand bar beach, you can move a break away from the advanced surfers.
I teach beginners to paddle parallel to the waves so you have momentum. When you see the wave forming, you decide whether you have to paddle out a little to get in position, keep paddling parallel, or paddle in. When the wave gets close, you turn the board toward the beach but you always have eyes on the wave. You can decide by how it is breaking whether you want to go right or left and change direction.
You let the wave roll under the board and when you feel the tail rise, you are ready for the pop up. The bigger the wave the faster it is moving. You may have to paddle eight or ten times to get the speed necessary to get in front of it. You may be paddling along side other surfers in different positions, each trying to estimate the right spot and maybe only one has the right position. You may often see six surfers paddling and one catching.
The more frequently you can visit the water, the better will be your judgement. We say that absence hurts stamina and timing.
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