Frustration

[Apta]

I don't know if anyone can give me some tips. I haven't been out for a few months and when I got back in the water the other day, I felt like the waves were "too steep". I go out a few days later and still the same. Am I paddling to late or what? It feels like every wave I get on i'm going to get ownd and most of the time I do. Is it because I'm not committing to the wave fully? Just want to know if anyone has ever felt like this or anyone with any tips.

[flacky]

Sounds like you're just out of your depth.

No shame in it. I'm not a fan of steep waves to be honest. It's all about confidence and commitment once you reach waves like that.

[the lush]

Unless the waves were significantly bigger than last time you surfed, it sounds like you've probably lost some of your paddle fitness and your pop up reaction time has slowed down. Happens to us all if you've been out of the water for a while unfortunately. All you can do for the paddling is spend time in the water, even if you don't catch anything you'll be working the correct muscle groups and regaining your fitness. For the take off, practice popping up at home so the action becomes instinctive and you should notice an improvement in your wave count and subsequently your confidence levels.

Good luck!

[Jim Birtwisle]

This is all sound advice. Just keep getting as much time in the water as life will allow. Work on your strength when not in the water. This may sound strange but it could also just be the waves themselves. I have a local beach break where it will look and feel identical on two diffrent days up to the point yuo paddle for waves. One day will be a dream and I'll be catching the waves and dropping in super early with a huge wave count. The next day it will look the same but be seemingly impossible to get the board into any waves whatsoever! Get out there as much as possible and enjoy it when it all comes back to you, it will.

[Black]

Pick your wave. Look for the ones that will be fairly predictable & give you more time. Be patient when picking the wave & observe - eg: it may be that the third wave in the set has that easier regularity you are looking for. Bear in mind the waves break differently with the tide states too.

[skimmer2]

COuld be all the above or simply different conditions creating waves to rise up and dump suddenly. Actually, could be the tide too as, certainly for where I surf, when the tide is out the waves tend to get steeper and dump into shallower water. So many variables can affect the waves. Or as others say, you might just need loads of practice to get better. Surfing takes bloody ages to move tiny steps..does for me anyway. And I'm on a backward slide just now for some reason

[KIMBALINOS]

wierd aint it....sometimes it works and sometimes....well just sometimes.....what are you riding??? ....just a thought cause depending on what your riding really determins where you need to catch the wave....more foam, on the rise and less foam you can get away with a steeper face........correct me if I'm wrong guys...but that seems to be the case for me ...als I find when I get tired...I get lazy ....not paddling out as far as I need too and pretty much end up catching full on face...usually in my face........question to everybody else...is it just me or does anybody else have a wierd lack of energy after a couple of surfs in the week ....like the 3rd session of the week, I'm feeling like I just dont have the power to paddle for waves that I'd usually catch no problem...start just going under me???!! or am I really as unfit as I look!!!

[Apta]

Thanks for the replys! I do think the tide times may have played a factor in how I felt, as it wasn't the suitable tides for the breaks but hey at least I got out. It's starting to feel like a christmas period related fitness issue and just doing bad habits, I am doing because of laziness. Noticed during some early pop ups I've got lazy. Back to fitness then!

[thomas_rj]

wi.is it just me or does anybody else have a wierd lack of energy after a couple of surfs in the week ....like the 3rd session of the week, I'm feeling like I just dont have the power to paddle for waves that I'd usually catch no problem...start just going under me???!! or am I really as unfit as I look!!!

After a solid workout, getting really tired, having a good day out in the waves, you loose some explosive strength, and some flexibility. This means your movements become slower and you may loose on timing aspects. This definetly impedes good surfing for me, but I get it more after 2 days consecutive surfing 4-6 hours w/breaks each day. I can put in that third day in a row, when the conditions are really good and I have a vacation - but then day 4 and 5 I will be absolutely useless only regaining the ability to move my body like a surfer should day 6 or 7.

So, yes, you have a brother here that isnt any good surfing day in and day out I need breaks and days off to recover. By the way, this also applies to my skiing, so it is nothing special about surf, just how much hassle your muscles can take before they need time off to recover. It is possible to reduce by training harder, but I consider that not an option

[KIMBALINOS]

thanks thomas....reassuring.....I'm at that point now actually it's been an epic week for surf here.....do I go tomorrow aswell?? lord knows theres nothing left in me.........................balls to it you just gotta!!!! good karma going yer way....I see 4-5ft clean with a slight off shore breeze with a nice big period coming your way!!! haha

[Goat]

I can relate to this as well. Over the last 18 months ive noticed a slow but steady improvement. Standard probably peaked with a couple of sessions last November. Then went to costa rica recently. Spent 2 weeks there in boardshorts, on a 5'11" retro twin fish and really felt like my surfing came on, especially backside.

Came back to UK, had a 2 week break...then since, i have been surfing 4 times in a 2 week window (more than i normally surf in uk), all in 4ft+ clean surf. And i can barely paddle, i cant catch waves, 60% of popups im bodging (i cant remember doing a smooth pop up since being back), i cant bottom turn properly, top turn, cutbacks are a mess, nothing! Put bluntly, i am twice as bad at surfing now, than before i went away for 2 weeks surfing in costa rica, and this is on a board 7 inches longer and far more forgiving! It makes no sense at all and i'm getting very pissed off.

[bombie]

The only answer is add more speed = paddle harder and start paddling for the wave earlier. Every aspect of popping up and dropping in gets easier with speed. When you are paddle fit you don't notice the extra effort involved. When you are unfit it kills and you'll probably find yourself getting left behind on the shoulder as a result of just sitting and waiting in one spot rather than paddling early to be in position to paddle into the wave from the best takeoff point.

If you only get out occasionally then use your noggin and make sure you are using your effort sensibly by committing to catching the waves you want, rather than giving every second wave a half arsed go and getting tired.

[bombie]

Goat, what shape is your 6'6"? It may be that the fish you were on in Costa Rica had more volume and (most probably) a flatter rocker and so paddled faster. Get a fish! The Merrick Fishcuts and Biscuits are good, and there are a lot of similar short, high volume fish/hybrid shapes that would do the job.

[the lush]

After my last trip to Fuerte, I went to The Witterings about a week later on a 3ft day and pulled out my 5'10 twinny which I'd had an amazing session on at The Harbour just before I left. To say I was useless would be an understatement! It took me about an hour to start getting it right and despite having good paddle fitness from my trip, I was fucked afterwards. I'm guessing I had got used to the more powerful waves out there and simply wasn't automatically putting the required effort into my paddling and my timing was about 3 days out. I've had this before too after a Bali trip so I personally think its a lot to do with your body and mindset becoming conditioned to where you have just had a good session but when you replicate this elsewhere, it doesn't work for you.

I could, of course, be talking out of my hoop.

[Goat]

The lush, i think youve hit the nail on the head. All about adjusting back i think (and wearing a wetsuit again). Had a stoke surf the other day, which re-ignited the faith.