[SeaCliff]

The last handful of sessions out I've been spending a bit of time doing some "post-ride" analysis after each wave - thinking a lot about what I did, right or wrong, and what contributed to the ride being good or not so good. To an extent and when the opportunity allowed, I did the same as I watched particularly good waves ridden by others. One of the base conclusions (of many) that I came to was this: I have to do a much better job of managing the peak. It's a common thread thru all the best surfers I know - to a man (or woman), they all do a great job of positioning and managing the peak, taking full advantage of the max power of the wave.

But while it seems pretty obvious to just about everyone that the best rides come when you get in early and take off at the peak, so many times I find myself settling for grabbing a shoulder either a little or way too far down the line. Instead, what I should be doing of course is working a bit harder to be in better position, or simply passing on the wave altogether, being patient, and working into better position for the next wave or the next set.

It kind of crystallized for me recently when I overheard a conversation that went like this:
Surfer 1: "You want this one?"
Surfer 2: Shakes Surfer 1 off, waves him to go if he wants to
Surfer 1: Takes off on a marginal wave, significantly off the peak
Surfer 2: Mutters somewhat out loud to no one in particular, as Surfer 1 struggles and dumps off on the inside, "Why would I have wanted that wave?"

Lesson learned.

So, goals for the spring, amongst many:
1. Improve overall read and positioning
2. Increase the number of waves each session where I'm getting in early and taking off at the peak
3. Conversely, fight the urge to take the "easy ride" by grabbing a wave down the line somewhere.
4. Be more patient and selective overall - even if it makes for a lower overall wave count.

Perhaps in #4 I'm saying "quality over quantity" - but maybe not - better focus on overall read and positioning seems to more than offset it for most all good surfers.

[9ten]

I realized how much energy I wasted on waves where I didn't take off right at the peak. If it's more than a couple strokes to get into it, my positiong sucks.

[onefinookas]

a little patience, spend a few watching the waves break, its not always best on top of the jetty.  See where is best but also notice where the waves may be reforming or a secondary peak is pushing through and maybe you can volley between the two.  On a day like Sat. morning pre shitshow, I was trying to catch to lefts which brought me almost across the whole beach than I would look for a right and that would bring me back to the middle where I would get out and walk back.   Also once you see the wave you like paddle your ass off whether you end up going over the falls or making the drop dont pull back, you learn nothing by pulling back where as a trip over the falls or pulling into a closeout teaches you body positioning and timing.  Sitting off on the shoulder here equates to missing half the wave and most of the hollower part of the wave, it also makes it harder to catch the wave as your past the peak and unless your an incredible paddler the waves is already running down the beach to fast for you to catch.  When your not catching waves take note if other people around you are, are they more on the peak or are they taking off deeper, sometimes I will notice rips and seapusses that I know are signs a wave will break either close to me or that the wave will peak up at one place but than shift down the beach before it breaks. 


And most important for you Seacliff is less thinking more doing, dont overanalyze your surfing it will make you crazy and spend more time focusing on whats wrong vs. improving on what you already do right.  Oh yeah and stop being a softhater, softhaters get no waves.

[SeaCliff]

a little patience, spend a few watching the waves break, its not always best on top of the jetty. 

Funny you mention it - the way the winter storms seem to have moved the sand around by us, it's been true much more often than not.

   Also once you see the wave you like paddle your ass off whether you end up going over the falls or making the drop dont pull back, you learn nothing by pulling back where as a trip over the falls or pulling into a closeout teaches you body positioning and timing.

I admit to being a little reluctant to do this lately - I've taken too many shots to the head. But you're def right - there is nothing to be learned from pulling back.

Sitting off on the shoulder here equates to missing half the wave and most of the hollower part of the wave, it also makes it harder to catch the wave as your past the peak and unless your an incredible paddler the waves is already running down the beach to fast for you to catch. 

BINGO.

When your not catching waves take note if other people around you are, are they more on the peak or are they taking off deeper, sometimes I will notice rips and seapusses that I know are signs a wave will break either close to me or that the wave will peak up at one place but than shift down the beach before it breaks. 

I suck at this - hence my comment about continuing to try and improve reading the waves. I look at you, karisnky, the fawess's, keone, loose, and others and as much as I'd like to write it off as "instinct", it's obviously far more than that - there's observational skills that have been developed over years for each of you and so many others that to this point, I'm far from mastering. But it is abundantly clear that a better and faster read leads to adjustments in positioning that yield opportunities for better rides.

 
And most important for you Seacliff is less thinking more doing, dont overanalyze your surfing it will make you crazy and spend more time focusing on whats wrong vs. improving on what you already do right. 

Guilty as charged. I even overanalyzed this post. 

Oh yeah and stop being a softhater, softhaters get no waves.

And who you callin' a softhater, you softhater! 

[Looseness]

You know it's such a fine line, the over analysis of surfing....
i think a good amount of out of the water work is really helpful whether it's physical or mental like visualization or thoughts about approaching things a certain way. of course taken too far, you just waste time and spin yourself into a thought storm that does no good. 

[rockyveiga]

I suck at this - hence my comment about continuing to try and improve reading the waves. I look at you, karisnky, the fawess's, keone, loose, and others and as much as I'd like to write it off as "instinct", it's obviously far more than that - there's observational skills that have been developed over years for each of you and so many others that to this point, I'm far from mastering. But it is abundantly clear that a better and faster read leads to adjustments in positioning that yield opportunities for better rides.

funny u said that SC. on sat i was chatting with loose in the water and all of a sudden he just paddles away. i thought "wow that's weird", but then again, it's not like we're best friends so it's understandable. turns out he paddled to the top of the jetty where it was breaking nice, caught a couple rides and paddles back saying "all i can think about is eggs..."


that one blew me away. i def need to spend a lot more time reading the waves... a LOT more.

 
And most important for you Seacliff is less thinking more doing, dont overanalyze your surfing it will make you crazy and spend more time focusing on whats wrong vs. improving on what you already do right. 

i'm so gulty of this. in all i do in life actually. i can't even sleep some nights because being new to this, i keep thinking about what i have to do and where to be and all... haha i def need to chill on this

[Jack Crank]

This is definitely still the hardest part for me.  Reading waves and position has been the hardest thing to learn as someone pretty new to surfing.  So what are the things you look for on the horizon?  Tips?  I feel like it's just a matter of being in the water a lot and watching where better surfers are taking off (while trying to stay the hell out of the way and still catch decent waves... fark this craps hard...)

[rockyveiga]

This is definitely still the hardest part for me.  Reading waves and position has been the hardest thing to learn as someone pretty new to surfing.  So what are the things you look for on the horizon?  Tips?  I feel like it's just a matter of being in the water a lot and watching where better surfers are taking off (while trying to stay the hell out of the way and still catch decent waves... fark this craps hard...)

i tend to look for the sets coming, and actually try not to get the very first on of the set, cause then if u blow that one off i get caught inside the rest... lol but the problem there is that i wasn't well positioned in the first place.


i'm getting better at paddling towards the right spot and not just sit there and wait for the perfect wave to come to me though. how do i spot the peak is what i need to know


did any of this make sense? i'm very tired right now