Goofy. First of all, you're standing up with the wrong foot forward. You'll never even get to 'competent' while you are surfing that ridiculous way. Your right foot goes forward, not your left. You will always be a tard surfing that way.
Second, fitness doesn't have much to do with it. It's all about technique. If you can push yourself up you are fit enough. Strength would have more to do with it then fitness anyway, but the whole fitness thing is overrated.
Third, your riding a mal and nose-diving. aha, and the problem is????
Fourth, everything you have read on this forum is a lie, including this.
Get a short board if you want to make sucky take-offs, and learn to pick up the wave as early as possible, and lean back while you drop.
Good luck with that.
Take Offs
Moderators: jimmy, collnarra, PeepeelaPew, Butts, beach_defender, Shari, Forum Moderators
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Beanpole
- That's Not Believable
- Posts: 68730
- Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:21 am
- Location: Button Factory
Have to disagree completely there oldman. My number one problem with transition from mal to shortie is remembering to not lean back as I go into the takeoff. More push down and drive into it.oldman wrote:
Get a short board if you want to make sucky take-offs, and learn to pick up the wave as early as possible, and lean back while you drop.
Good luck with that.
Funny every time I go to Sandon Point I always notice the locals young and old all lean back on the take off. Guess it suits the wave.
Come on fellas. I was only having a go at Salty after his query on which foot I put forward. What has foot placement got to do with my original question anyway? I gathered he was starting to pull my leg. With a forum name of Goofy, which foot do you really think that I put forward ? I started surfing in '67 at Manly on a 9' 6" Gordon Woods. All my mates were natural, I had to be the odd one out, but have never regretted it. Sorry to be so subtle with my humour!
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Revolution
- Snowy McAllister
- Posts: 5063
- Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:34 pm
- Location: DY.CURL
Humour to stand ups, not to someone who mainly boogersGoofy wrote:Come on fellas. I was only having a go at Salty after his query on which foot I put forward. What has foot placement got to do with my original question anyway? I gathered he was starting to pull my leg. With a forum name of Goofy, which foot do you really think that I put forward ? I started surfing in '67 at Manly on a 9' 6" Gordon Woods. All my mates were natural, I had to be the odd one out, but have never regretted it. Sorry to be so subtle with my humour!
Gidday Revolution. After your previously unjustified attack on me, is that the best reply you have? Next time try reading what someone is asking and how they ask it, before you jump in with your misinterpreted ideas.
Last edited by Goofy on Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'm with the other guys here, get out there and surf as much as possible.
I reckon leg power is important too. Strengthening your legs will make the jump to your feet faster.
Push up and sit ups are good but if you can find time to go for a half hour run on a treadmill once or twice a week I would do that as well.
But timing is everything and that is something I still don't do well!
I reckon leg power is important too. Strengthening your legs will make the jump to your feet faster.
Push up and sit ups are good but if you can find time to go for a half hour run on a treadmill once or twice a week I would do that as well.
But timing is everything and that is something I still don't do well!
Goofy, I'm a couple of decades younger than you but family commitments have seriously cut into my surf time and I struggle to do all the things you should out of the surf to be fit and ready to go when it's on - so getting to my feet cleanly and quickly is a recurring problem.
I agree with the timing/fitness/practice comments, etc. A couple of other things I don't think have been mentioned:
Paddling speed - you've gotta paddle as hard as you can, even on a small one (where it's tempting to just give it a couple of leisurely strokes). You'll get into the wave faster and therefore be in a posi to jump to your feet much earlier; which should be pretty early given the length of your board.
Arch your back more - that way you can slide a little further forward (without nosediving); getting onto the wave earlier.
Don't look down at your feet - you probably don't do this anyway since you have surfed in the past, but this is a bad habit of mine I just cant break. I know it hinders the whole pop-up process and unbalances you but I personally can't shake it. I don't think I've ever seen a good surfer do it, so if you do, don't!!
I agree with the timing/fitness/practice comments, etc. A couple of other things I don't think have been mentioned:
Paddling speed - you've gotta paddle as hard as you can, even on a small one (where it's tempting to just give it a couple of leisurely strokes). You'll get into the wave faster and therefore be in a posi to jump to your feet much earlier; which should be pretty early given the length of your board.
Arch your back more - that way you can slide a little further forward (without nosediving); getting onto the wave earlier.
Don't look down at your feet - you probably don't do this anyway since you have surfed in the past, but this is a bad habit of mine I just cant break. I know it hinders the whole pop-up process and unbalances you but I personally can't shake it. I don't think I've ever seen a good surfer do it, so if you do, don't!!
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oldman
- Snowy McAllister
- Posts: 6886
- Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2004 1:11 pm
- Location: Probably Maroubra, goddammit!
Fair enough points beanpole and mad. You're right. You really do have to lean into it at the start, and then back to stay on top of the board (so you don't go over the top of it. I seemed to think he was nose-diving, so I was assuming he was going over his board, therefore he needed to make an adjustment back to avoid that.Beanpole wrote:Have to disagree completely there oldman. My number one problem with transition from mal to shortie is remembering to not lean back as I go into the takeoff. More push down and drive into it.
Funny every time I go to Sandon Point I always notice the locals young and old all lean back on the take off. Guess it suits the wave.
But your point is taken.
Goofy, I was just having a bit of fun stirring up about goofy versus those unfortunates who surf 'non-goofy'. No bites, yet.
I guess I did not express myself far enough. I was not nose diving. I said that I had trouble paddling for the wave and by the time I got to be on it the wave would have peaked and I would be on the lip about to go over the falls or the board had only picked up enough speed by the time that I was half way down the face. I still feel that the board may have too much "banana" in it. Even though it is a mini mal, I find it quite hard to paddle and I could not get up enough speed. I am now finding that I am able to get up faster in the last couple of weeks and, as have been advised, I am also not looking at my feet as much.
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betterIwas
- Grommet
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2004 1:42 pm
- Location: South Coast
Goofy,
If you are looking for a shorter flatter board, have a look at the Grant Miller boards. There is a thread on his boards in this forum.
Sort of made for the older (perhaps less fit and strong) surfer. His boards are generally flatter with more volume than others.
My problem when I transfer from a mal to the shorter Miller is that I fall off the back with the quicker pick up but I get used to it after a couple of embarassing dunks.
If you are looking for a shorter flatter board, have a look at the Grant Miller boards. There is a thread on his boards in this forum.
Sort of made for the older (perhaps less fit and strong) surfer. His boards are generally flatter with more volume than others.
My problem when I transfer from a mal to the shorter Miller is that I fall off the back with the quicker pick up but I get used to it after a couple of embarassing dunks.
To all those who advised me on the problems I had with my Mini-Mal I do thank you all. I did a fair bit of searching around and ended up buying a Grant Miller 6'10" V-Skate. He advised me that the excessive rocker on my mal was the main reason I had so much difficulty paddling.
I agree with what others in this forum have said about Grant. He was a pleasure to deal with on the phone and great on follow up. I went down to his site at Mona Vale, spent an hour with him and walked away with the V-Skate. It would be the best board that I have ever moved up to since I starting surfing back in '67. It is a pleasure to paddle, very bouyant and really responsive and it is really great to once again catch waves and I can see that this is going to be a great summer for me. I can now catch a wave and I am at the top when I stand up and not halfway down the face (as I was with the mal)
I agree with what others in this forum have said about Grant. He was a pleasure to deal with on the phone and great on follow up. I went down to his site at Mona Vale, spent an hour with him and walked away with the V-Skate. It would be the best board that I have ever moved up to since I starting surfing back in '67. It is a pleasure to paddle, very bouyant and really responsive and it is really great to once again catch waves and I can see that this is going to be a great summer for me. I can now catch a wave and I am at the top when I stand up and not halfway down the face (as I was with the mal)
From Mini-Mal to Shortboard
Goofy wrote:To all those who advised me on the problems I had with my Mini-Mal I do thank you all. I did a fair bit of searching around and ended up buying a Grant Miller 6'10" V-Skate. He advised me that the excessive rocker on my mal was the main reason I had so much difficulty paddling.
I agree with what others in this forum have said about Grant. He was a pleasure to deal with on the phone and great on follow up. I went down to his site at Mona Vale, spent an hour with him and walked away with the V-Skate. It would be the best board that I have ever moved up to since I starting surfing back in '67. It is a pleasure to paddle, very bouyant and really responsive and it is really great to once again catch waves and I can see that this is going to be a great summer for me. I can now catch a wave and I am at the top when I stand up and not halfway down the face (as I was with the mal)
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emerald snake
- newbie
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:03 pm
- Location: Emerald Beach/Ballina
i agree with nick.
obviously you need a little core strength and arm strength to get to your feet, but if you time it correctly, momentum will push you up and to your feet. picking the part of the wave where it will require little effort to stand up is the most important factor. hence, water time.
also i have surfed with the girl with one arm and she is amazing at illustrating this point. she uses almost no effort, just takes advantage of the most advantageous point in the wave to take off from.
obviously you need a little core strength and arm strength to get to your feet, but if you time it correctly, momentum will push you up and to your feet. picking the part of the wave where it will require little effort to stand up is the most important factor. hence, water time.
also i have surfed with the girl with one arm and she is amazing at illustrating this point. she uses almost no effort, just takes advantage of the most advantageous point in the wave to take off from.