I always notice that the most diehard kickers almost never get the wave. That said, I too do a little kick. The more I kick, the less likely I am to get the ride. Its kind of like flailing to catch an egg that has slipped out of your hand; very rarely does it produce a positive outcome.
Still more observation on this on my part - Kicking does no good whatsoever if you are not already in a relatively decent position to catch the wave. That is to say, if I
didnt kick, I'd still likely juuusst about make it. What it appears to be useful for is an extra bit of thrust that allows you a bit of acceleration, and therefore pop up a fraction of second sooner....which of course can make a world of difference.
And again, I totally maintain that at most..at MOST it's
two sharp kicks just as the wave is beginning to lift the tail of the board. Anything else is a waste of time, and likely will hurt more than help.
