RealSurf Surfers' Forum

I am a 56 yo male, 81 kgs and currently use an 8' 2" mini mal, small swallowtail, concave nose area, full board length medium hard rails, 22.5" wide and about 2.5" thick. Am starting to get back into surfing again and am having trouble on takeoffs. The board seems too far down the face of the wave when I start to stand up. Anyone have any advise for faster takeoffs, and late take offs, or do I need to persevere until I get back (if years permit) to a short board again?[/u]

just keep practicing and do lots of sit ups. solid core strength is very helpful.

sharky wrote:just keep practicing and do lots of sit ups. solid core strength is very helpful.

ur a clown

wat u shud do is practise on a really heavy reef break with double over head sets , deadmans perhaps

Goofy wrote: The board seems too far down the face of the wave when I start to stand up.

... then you are too slow.

1. surf as much as possible - for as long as possible per session
2. do pushups - in the order of a few hundred a day (in sets of say 25)
3. do pushups and clap your hands on the upstroke

As soon as the board is moving down the wave you have to POP to your feet: if your arms are strong enough and fast enough it should be no problem

Radiator, do you think that the fear of a wipeout will make me get up quicker or are you making a sensible suggestion?

Ringmaster wrote:

Goofy wrote:Radiator, do you think that the fear of a wipeout will make me get up quicker or are making a sensible suggestion?

YES and YES...........

thank you ringmaster but i can answer for myself

in reply to your questions goofy

YES and YES........

Thanks all. At least it seems that my board is not the one at fault. I have been training since Feb this year and have taken off 11 kgs. Am wanting to be surf fit before summer.

And one more tip: getting onto a smaller board will also help your fitness (once you get used to it) because paddling an 8'2" Mal isn't really exercise.

FYI: I am about your age (53) and closer to your previous weight (90kg) - I currently surf a 6'5" board.

Sit ups do help. I know this after recovering from a back injury. Sit ups on those fit balls work a treat because you can recline past horizontal and drag yourself back up. Do em slow and not all the way to a sitting position. Push ups would also be a big help and lots of stretching.

sean-- wrote: Sit ups on those fit balls work a treat

Wouldn't your balls hurt after that

The fitness suggestions are sound. The quicker that you can get speed up and be standing on the wave, the better.

You may also be taking off on waves that jack up fast ie. before you know what's happened your'e down the bottom. This happens a lot on low tide banks and reefs. If so, try to catch waves that form gradually (eg. on mid to high tides) and "spill" from the top rather than catching "dumpers" that break from top to bottom.

I'm also about your age but 91kg (just at the top-end of the "healthy weight range" for my height) and move from 3 board sizes between 7'2" (skinny) to 7'8" (mini-mal). Going back to the 7'8" board after using the smalller ones also makes things easier.

smnmntl wrote:I find a wearing a cape and waving a large sword can be helpful. Dropping out of the lip crying "Elendil!!!" really scatters the kooks too.

Ha, ha. That reminds me of a time when we were surfing white rock. Caught inside, i was scratching for the shoulder when, out of the corner of my eye Dave decides last minute to drop into it. He had no chance with the water already draining off the reef. He stood bolt upright and, in a fit of stupidity, saluted me as he catapulted through the air and was driven head first into the reef - like some drunken captain, going down with his ship.
Had he have been wearing some sort of cape would have completed the scene perfectly.

Took him months before he could laugh about it.

Another thing I have forgotten to mention, is that the board has a curve throughout its length. Could this be slowing my paddling at takeoff ?

Great advice on this one. Its also a mind thing too. Think 'agility and strength' and you will keep doing and finding the right methods to improve it. Also when relaxed imagine yourself getting up quick on the board as when you are doing it for real the mind is already very attuned to the task and will connect your brain to your muscle movement quicker. And as Cambo and many others have proven, dont let age psych you out of what you want to achieve. To add to Cambo re going shorter etc, this will push your agility levels and try a wide range of widths/thicknesses on cheap used boards.

Cold water can affect some people too, as, if your muscles arnt warmed up and/or need more warming up to work their best (not necessarily an age thing) they just dont work fast enough and you could cause some straining type of injury. If this is the case, make sure you do a good warm up regime before a surf and stretch after a surf. You just gotta do what you gotta do.

Gidday Salty. Sure I surf left foot forward!! For a guy with 1800 odd posts you must ride a "boogey board" Only joking Salty.

Goofy, one of the things I notice as I get older is how good young whipper snappers are at giving fitness advice to their elders. Unfortunately they always fail to recognise that as you get older you have to work harder to get the same results. Your body doesn't repair itself as quickly. Usually you have less time to do training too.

I know when I drag out my 7' I have to plan where and how I'm going to take off a lot more than on the mal. If the surfs crowded and your being pushed to take off where you don't want to find somewhere less crowded.
If you used to surf okay when you were younger you will find it easier to take the drop in larger rather than smaller surf.

Also get a board with less banana in it.

Thanks for the feedback fellas. I feel that my board may have a bit too much tail lift for fast paddling, although I am now starting to get up a hell of a lot quicker in the last few days and catching some nice waves. I am considering speaking with a shaper to start planning for a custom board maybe by next winter. I would like to go for a shorter board with good floatation around lower torso and legs, maybe with a nose area single concave going back to a double concave in the tail area. Once again thanks for the advice and I am doing a lot of core exercises in my fitness program.

Fitness is overrated in the getting to your feet stakes. Timing is massively more of a factor.

Let's face it buddy you're in your 50s, a bit overweight, haven't surfed for ages. You're not gonna get into the steroids and catch up with the mid 20s crew. What you might have on your side is cunning and patience.

My advice, spend absolutely every spare minute in the water and focus on timing your entry. Even terrible dribbly waves are good for this and it's always more fun than pushups and situps. Lots of water time will help you cross the divide between your younger surfing experiences and your current state.

Once you're good at timing your entry into a wave you'll find getting to your feet requires almost no energy at all. This is how it is for almost every good surfer. The better they get, the less work's involved. for god's sake, Bethany Hamilton can do it with one arm.

Don't worry about rocker too much, just waste a lot of time in the surf and you'll be rewarded.

Goofy wrote:Gidday Salty. Sure I surf left foot forward!! For a guy with 1800 odd posts you must ride a "boogey board" Only joking Salty.

Your a 50 yr old kook who rides a mal and uses a forum name of goofy yet you stand regular, how about the fuck off the the boogie bit until you get just a lil bit of credability yeh?