surfing off the wave?

[Mayor of Kookville]

Picture it: Lucky bastard, i get to spend the day at a *very famous Cali point break featured in an old surfing documentary*. Not bad. It's a Friday, and *Miki Dora's haunt* isn't too crowded. Only 10 of us fighting for waves. In terms of my skill ranking amongst the 10 other surfers, I'm #3. As in the 3rd worst. But respectful of the place, hopeful and staying out of the way of 7 people with crazy skill.

Here goes - spot is a perfect right.
I pop up, turn my log to the right, and start my ride. But it's almost as if I've turned too far, or was too far from the curl. I begin to lose speed. I step on the gas by moving forward on the board, but by then it's too late. I'm in the white water, wave is 5 feet in front of me, rolling off to its death. Ride done. 2 seconds. It's like pop up, and done. Repeat a bunch of times. See toes on the nose from a hot chick. wow. And I can't even stay in the farking curl. A disgrace. Thinking: "You shouldn't even be tainting the waters here etc."
So the question is what was I doing wrong? I didn't feel that I turned the board all that much, although perhaps I turned WAY too much. I had this feeling from watching everyone that they are surfing across the wave - and they are, but maybe I misjudged the best angle at which I get pushed forward by the wave.
Hope I'm clear. All ears. How do you stay in that sweet spot, that allowed 7 other surfers ride for 25 seconds?

[little_nasty]

angle more on the takeoff maybe?  turn sooner but not as sharply?  basically, take a higher line, i'd say.  if you're losing speed you're either stalling (too far back) or in a too-soft part of the wave.