Ok, that aint the plan. The plan is to get better, right?
I don't know anyone else's experience quite obviously but I've been surfing for 20 odd years with some periods I haven't surfed much and others I've surfed near enough to every day. When I was a kid I got good enough but I never got great. Just competent. Boards have changed heaps since then (early eighties) and some turns are better than before (roundhouse cuttie and reos come to mind) but I reckon the board makes them easier rather than my surfing getting appreciably better. So, I haven't really improved much in 20 years.
How can I get better? What should I do? It doesn't seem to matter too much if I surf every day or just the weekend...I surf about the same. Sure, there are kook days and good days but my good days are no better than I remember them and my kook days just as frequent.
Should I go out and practice something? Or should I just stick with my current plan of having a vague idea of something to work on but mainly just going with the flow and having fun.
Which kind of reminds me. Every now and then I decide I really should learn to do a 360. Every year goes by and I don't. That'd be a looooooong time I haven't fulfilled THAT resolution.
Surfing like a kook...forever
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zzz
- Supporter
- Posts: 1094
- Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2004 5:33 pm
- Location: nowhere near the bends (queenscliff)
I reckon the best way to improve is to actively decide that you're gonna work on a particular move and try to fit it in at every opportunity, but I always forget to do it when I'm out there so I tend to suffer from the same problem improving slowly and also reverting back at times.
I've also developed some bad habits that I'll fall back to if I'm not surfing regularly - I've got to consciously remember to set up the bottom turn to attack the lip vertically etc. but when I don't surf for a while I find myself out on the shoulder too early quite often - same in larger surf - forgetting to stall early to set up the baz etc. - takes a few waves to get warmed up sometimes.
Changing boards and fin setups etc. helps you to improve a lot too though, and long stretches of good swell helps a lot as well - the stop/start is what slows improvement down I reckon.
I've also developed some bad habits that I'll fall back to if I'm not surfing regularly - I've got to consciously remember to set up the bottom turn to attack the lip vertically etc. but when I don't surf for a while I find myself out on the shoulder too early quite often - same in larger surf - forgetting to stall early to set up the baz etc. - takes a few waves to get warmed up sometimes.
Changing boards and fin setups etc. helps you to improve a lot too though, and long stretches of good swell helps a lot as well - the stop/start is what slows improvement down I reckon.
"Stay happy and everything will be perfectly all right"... Jack Norris
One of my mates who I've been surfing with from the start (4 years ago) just can't seem to get any better. I can't figure out what it is. Everytime he stands up ya just know by the look of him that he will completely kook it. He gets up, flaps his arms like he's trying to fly whilst pumping the wave, then slips off immediately. If ya give him constructive critism he goes all cut and says somethign smart arse like "well sorry I'm not up to your standards Kelly! [slater]"
Not sure if its his boards or what. I really feel sorry for him. Whilst me and my mates seem to be steadily advancing, he still surfs like he's only been riding 3 months. We went for a surf trip up to delicate nobby's (just the other week) and whilst all of us were getting wave-after-wave, he came out everytime and just sat their for 3-4 hours trying to assert his authority by dropping in on us and falling off straight away, kooking the wave for both of us. I even had a busted ankle which need to be bandaged for support, but still improved.
I think he should just stick to football. We all have our certain talents and maybe surfing just isn't one of his. At least I can admit that I'm sh*t at football!
And what does this have to do with buzzy? nothing, but yeh I've had stages where I would've swore I was going backwards or just not advancing. When this happens I just go surfing alone for about 3-4hours solid, that does it for me. No distractions, no friends watching your every move waiting for you to kook it. It tends to reset your thinking a little and can often be quite a humbling experience.
And also have a look at the type of waves you are surfing. If they are fat and mushy, then ya bound for frustration. Try and avoid banks that have deep gutters and go for something shallower. Ideal setup for me is a shorebreak that doesn't closeout or throw too close to the sand. That way when ya catch a wave, the paddle out is easy and you're bound to catch more waves in a shorter time-frame.
Not sure if its his boards or what. I really feel sorry for him. Whilst me and my mates seem to be steadily advancing, he still surfs like he's only been riding 3 months. We went for a surf trip up to delicate nobby's (just the other week) and whilst all of us were getting wave-after-wave, he came out everytime and just sat their for 3-4 hours trying to assert his authority by dropping in on us and falling off straight away, kooking the wave for both of us. I even had a busted ankle which need to be bandaged for support, but still improved.
I think he should just stick to football. We all have our certain talents and maybe surfing just isn't one of his. At least I can admit that I'm sh*t at football!
And what does this have to do with buzzy? nothing, but yeh I've had stages where I would've swore I was going backwards or just not advancing. When this happens I just go surfing alone for about 3-4hours solid, that does it for me. No distractions, no friends watching your every move waiting for you to kook it. It tends to reset your thinking a little and can often be quite a humbling experience.
And also have a look at the type of waves you are surfing. If they are fat and mushy, then ya bound for frustration. Try and avoid banks that have deep gutters and go for something shallower. Ideal setup for me is a shorebreak that doesn't closeout or throw too close to the sand. That way when ya catch a wave, the paddle out is easy and you're bound to catch more waves in a shorter time-frame.
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blake_reb
-
lovin, it
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BB
The quickest way to improve your surfing is intensive practice in quality waves....and I'm not talking about two weeks. Most really good surfers have had long periods in quality conditions. The biggest improvement I ever made in my surfing was during a three month trip to Hawaii. Expensive? Yes. Part of the grand cradle to grave financial plan....absolutely not!
So my advice would be take a long holiday in Indo and surf everything that comes along....if you haven't improved after that.....give it away!
So my advice would be take a long holiday in Indo and surf everything that comes along....if you haven't improved after that.....give it away!
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matt...
- charger
- Posts: 878
- Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:31 pm
- Location: lurking around the sharktower carpark
agreed...
although i've never been on a 3 month holiday in my life...
but everytime i go to a quality point wave for a few weeks, i come back better...
somewhere where the waves are consistent & you can work out those knots - like catching a rail in the same place, or swing that cuttie around a little bit more each time, or go a little bit more vert on ya reo each time...or hit the lip a bit harder/later/etc...
fitness is another thing - i have found in periods where i've slackened, and surfing for 2 hours is a struggle, i became frustrated & then nothing fell into place...
i swim, skip, & do small repetitive weights 4 times a week now...
the board helps, but it's not the only thing - boards can go against you as well...
look at the early '90's where the single concave & rocker combo (too much banana in the board) went a bit too far - sure it was manoevrable in the pocket on perfect point waves, but everyday surf it became a dog, too slow...
nowadays where the volume is coming back, we're easing off on the rocker (but not too much) you should be able to fine tune a board pretty well...
going out there with a premeditation to do certain move never works, you have to take each wave as it comes...
don't give up, buzzy, reset your goals & adjust your lifestyle to fit in with it...
although i've never been on a 3 month holiday in my life...
but everytime i go to a quality point wave for a few weeks, i come back better...
somewhere where the waves are consistent & you can work out those knots - like catching a rail in the same place, or swing that cuttie around a little bit more each time, or go a little bit more vert on ya reo each time...or hit the lip a bit harder/later/etc...
fitness is another thing - i have found in periods where i've slackened, and surfing for 2 hours is a struggle, i became frustrated & then nothing fell into place...
i swim, skip, & do small repetitive weights 4 times a week now...
the board helps, but it's not the only thing - boards can go against you as well...
look at the early '90's where the single concave & rocker combo (too much banana in the board) went a bit too far - sure it was manoevrable in the pocket on perfect point waves, but everyday surf it became a dog, too slow...
nowadays where the volume is coming back, we're easing off on the rocker (but not too much) you should be able to fine tune a board pretty well...
going out there with a premeditation to do certain move never works, you have to take each wave as it comes...
don't give up, buzzy, reset your goals & adjust your lifestyle to fit in with it...
nature is a language. can't you read?
if you spend your life looking behind you, you don't see what's up front...
if you spend your life looking behind you, you don't see what's up front...
Hi buzzy don't know if this will help but here goes,
Firstly try to surf anything but don't get it in your head that you are going to do this or that before you get out into the line up as it is all mostly about your reaction to what the wave will confront you with that determines what you can and can't do and the more you surf the better idea you will have of that.
Surf places where people push themselves as you will start to find this will increase your level of surfing or if you have some friend/ friends that surf well try to mainly surf with them as you will see them do things which you have not done yourself but after seeing it done first hand you realise that it isn't so hard to pull off.
Watch surf vids before you go surfing (motivation) which will help you want to push yourself and try things that you haven't done before.
Be confident in what you can do with out getting a big head as Huey has a habit of being able to deflate the biggest ego.
I'm my worst critic, when I blow a wave on a dud maneuver it makes me try harder on the next wave. And don't be to concerned of what other people may think of how you surf as its all about having fun and pushing your own limits.
And lastly attitude, you want to go out with a take no prisoners attitude and just want to destroy what ever wave comes your way. SLASH, RIP AND BURN.
Hope it helps.
Firstly try to surf anything but don't get it in your head that you are going to do this or that before you get out into the line up as it is all mostly about your reaction to what the wave will confront you with that determines what you can and can't do and the more you surf the better idea you will have of that.
Surf places where people push themselves as you will start to find this will increase your level of surfing or if you have some friend/ friends that surf well try to mainly surf with them as you will see them do things which you have not done yourself but after seeing it done first hand you realise that it isn't so hard to pull off.
Watch surf vids before you go surfing (motivation) which will help you want to push yourself and try things that you haven't done before.
Be confident in what you can do with out getting a big head as Huey has a habit of being able to deflate the biggest ego.
I'm my worst critic, when I blow a wave on a dud maneuver it makes me try harder on the next wave. And don't be to concerned of what other people may think of how you surf as its all about having fun and pushing your own limits.
And lastly attitude, you want to go out with a take no prisoners attitude and just want to destroy what ever wave comes your way. SLASH, RIP AND BURN.
Hope it helps.
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barstardos
- charger
- Posts: 905
- Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2004 2:47 pm
- Location: Queenscliff
Fitness helps a lot.
Get in the pool, swim and build strength.
Go to yoga, build flexibility and balance
Catch more waves, have more energy, more confidence.
Every morning I head down to the beach. If there are waves - I paddle out.
If its crap (like this morning) I get in the rock pool and swim 1.5km and I start the day feeling good.
Get in the pool, swim and build strength.
Go to yoga, build flexibility and balance
Catch more waves, have more energy, more confidence.
Every morning I head down to the beach. If there are waves - I paddle out.
If its crap (like this morning) I get in the rock pool and swim 1.5km and I start the day feeling good.
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Nick Carroll
- Huey's Right Hand
- Posts: 26515
- Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:29 am
- Location: Newport Beach
Hi Buzzy,
It's a wonderful quest you're on. We're all on it one way or another - we all know we can surf better, and when we do, we think we're Kings. Then the next day we're back to floundering.
From my own observations, good surfing comes back to some clearly definable basics:
1. A relaxed upper body. Tension in the arms, shoulders and upper back is common among many surfers, particularly older surfers. It's a combination of natural physical feed-down from all that crazy paddling we've gotta do in order to get out the back, and psychological tension thanks to our uncertainties about what's gonna happen on the wave itself. Trouble is, once you're standing, that upper body tension transfers itself rapidly down into the legs and lower back. That tension dulls your feeling for the wave and makes for exaggerated, strained movements through the critical areas where most board control occurs - the hips, knees and ankles. Often, the surfers you see who're getting an extra 20 or 30 degrees in a turn, or completing turns quicker and smoother than most other riders, are simply more physically relaxed. Their bodies don't resist their own movements. (Classic modern examples: Andy Irons, Joel Parkinson.)
2. A stance slightly at angles to the stringer, with toes forward of heels. Particularly effective with the back foot, which often operates best when it's rotated up to 45 degrees across the stringer line. Why the hell is this? Simple: it focuses your attention onto the board's angle of tilt in turns. Think about how you can affect your board's trim and tilt if you're standing square to the stringer. You can really only tilt it along two axes: back and forth along the stringer, so lifting and dropping the board from nose to tail; back and forth across the stringer, so rocking from rail to rail.
If you shift your stance so it's at angles to the stringer, all of a sudden you're able to do something far more subtle: you can rock your board back into the tail rails and side fins, and forward into the front rails. At a stroke, you've reduced the effort involved in any type of turn, and increased your ability to adjust the turn if it's going a bit wobbly. Longboarder guys who can do drop-knee cutbacks will know exactly what I mean.
The angle stance has a lovely side effect for those struggling with backhand turns: it opens your view of the wave. Because you're facing down the line of the nose, rather than across the board, there's way less strain in turning your upper body open and having a damn good look at things. Which feeds straight back into your ability to relax the upper body. (Cripes!)
3. A tendency to put the wave first. There's only three things involved in surfing: there's you, there's the board, and there's the wave. The board comes first in the shaping bay. You come first when you're watching the surf and preparing for the session. Once you're out there amongst it, and especially when you've selected a wave and begin to paddle, you should let the wave take over. Everything good that happens from that point on will be because of the wave's energy and shape. Great surfers instinctively understand this and it's what lets 'em get away with those mad takeoffs and tuberides at Teahupo'o, Pipe etc. Try to impose your favourite turn on a wave like that and it'll ... well, you get the point. It's the same on our little beachies and reefs: put the wave second or third, and whether it's due to being caught behind a mushy section, catching a rail on the lip, or one of a million such things, somehow your ride will fail.
Hope this helps mate.
It's a wonderful quest you're on. We're all on it one way or another - we all know we can surf better, and when we do, we think we're Kings. Then the next day we're back to floundering.
From my own observations, good surfing comes back to some clearly definable basics:
1. A relaxed upper body. Tension in the arms, shoulders and upper back is common among many surfers, particularly older surfers. It's a combination of natural physical feed-down from all that crazy paddling we've gotta do in order to get out the back, and psychological tension thanks to our uncertainties about what's gonna happen on the wave itself. Trouble is, once you're standing, that upper body tension transfers itself rapidly down into the legs and lower back. That tension dulls your feeling for the wave and makes for exaggerated, strained movements through the critical areas where most board control occurs - the hips, knees and ankles. Often, the surfers you see who're getting an extra 20 or 30 degrees in a turn, or completing turns quicker and smoother than most other riders, are simply more physically relaxed. Their bodies don't resist their own movements. (Classic modern examples: Andy Irons, Joel Parkinson.)
2. A stance slightly at angles to the stringer, with toes forward of heels. Particularly effective with the back foot, which often operates best when it's rotated up to 45 degrees across the stringer line. Why the hell is this? Simple: it focuses your attention onto the board's angle of tilt in turns. Think about how you can affect your board's trim and tilt if you're standing square to the stringer. You can really only tilt it along two axes: back and forth along the stringer, so lifting and dropping the board from nose to tail; back and forth across the stringer, so rocking from rail to rail.
If you shift your stance so it's at angles to the stringer, all of a sudden you're able to do something far more subtle: you can rock your board back into the tail rails and side fins, and forward into the front rails. At a stroke, you've reduced the effort involved in any type of turn, and increased your ability to adjust the turn if it's going a bit wobbly. Longboarder guys who can do drop-knee cutbacks will know exactly what I mean.
The angle stance has a lovely side effect for those struggling with backhand turns: it opens your view of the wave. Because you're facing down the line of the nose, rather than across the board, there's way less strain in turning your upper body open and having a damn good look at things. Which feeds straight back into your ability to relax the upper body. (Cripes!)
3. A tendency to put the wave first. There's only three things involved in surfing: there's you, there's the board, and there's the wave. The board comes first in the shaping bay. You come first when you're watching the surf and preparing for the session. Once you're out there amongst it, and especially when you've selected a wave and begin to paddle, you should let the wave take over. Everything good that happens from that point on will be because of the wave's energy and shape. Great surfers instinctively understand this and it's what lets 'em get away with those mad takeoffs and tuberides at Teahupo'o, Pipe etc. Try to impose your favourite turn on a wave like that and it'll ... well, you get the point. It's the same on our little beachies and reefs: put the wave second or third, and whether it's due to being caught behind a mushy section, catching a rail on the lip, or one of a million such things, somehow your ride will fail.
Hope this helps mate.
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