Surfing question?

Question

i ride a 5' 10'' and im having trouble paddling as well as timing the wave right.. also when i catch a wave its a lot harder to get up with a short board.. any help?

Answer 1

You need a board that will float you well enough for you to take off (paddle and catch a wave). Most people learn best on long boards, although I have seen lots of surfers start on a short board and master it. Long boards are ideal for learners. There are also good intermediate length boards to learn on, funshapes, mini-mals and some hybrids.

There are no RULES for learning how to surf.

If you are going to stick with that short board, you have to work a lot harder, but you can get the hang of it. Only time in the water will fix your problem.

Answer 2

Kevin, the biggest thing here is to be confident jumping up on the wave either after its broken or as its breaking.  Since you're used to catching and riding the wave on a long board, you're probably not used to catching a wave as late as you will have to on a short board.  If you keep having trouble catching the wave, keep moving closer in, you'll certainly catch a wave at some point!  good luck

Answer 3

How much do you weigh? How tall are you? The board might be too small.

Answer 4

Surfboard Size

· No matter what type of board you buy it should be at least 6'' longer than your own height.

· The wider the board, the more stable on the waves

· The thicker the board the more buoyant it will be, making it easier to paddle and catch waves

· A ultra thin, light shortboard will make learning to surf harder - why do you think that performance boards are not used by surf schools

Type

· The best type of beginners surfboard depends on different factors. How often you will be surfing, your fitness levels, whether you need to look cool etc. Best go back and read the both the beginner board pages again.

· Soft boards, longboards, minimals and pop-outs are all great beginners boards

· Shortboards are not such a great beginner board for the average surfer.

New or Old

· This depends on a number of factors including budget and availability of boards

· Buying a new soft surfboard is a good idea if you have children or you do not intend to go surfing regularly. If you progress quickly in your surfing you will soon need another board more suited to your ability - these boards are for the novice only. A cheap second hand board might be the best bet

· Good second hand surfboards can be hard to find, and if you are new to buying a surfboard you might want to take a look at our surfboard buying guide

· .With a beginners board you are going to have to replace it soon, you need a board that you can resell

How Often You Surf

· If you only surf once a year go for a softboard

· If you surf intermittently go for either a pop-out, mini-mal or malibu

· If you surf 3-4 times a week you can pretty much start on any board you like. Surfing this regularly should see you quickly out of the 'novice surfer' stage