[WalkingIsStillHonest]

I just realize i kinda went in a different direction since you were talking about hesitation and bailing on the way down.....
I think you've figured out that hesitation bad, but also the giving up too easily is not good either. I pretty much try and hang on until it's impossible. I had an epiphany one day a few years back when i watched some pros surf in NJ and realized they were making some stuff like barrels and crazy moves because they NEVER bailed. They just kept trying until it was REALLY over. That day I made some stuff I never had before simply because i told myself I'm not bailing.

i also find that i've pulled off some pretty tough stuff because i simply HAD to.  A few times i've had people right below me in the take-off zone and i basically had to pull off a crazy late drop or something or risk injuries all around.  Almost everytime that situation comes up, i pull it off.  I guess cause i'm so focused on making it and really not thinking about anything else as an "option".  Same with pulling silly stuff off over dry reef or in front of a cliff or boulder.  things just work out if i have to make it - which i find instructive.

Funny, I love surfing over shallow reefs, cliffs, jetty take offs, or any other hazardous objects just for the fact that I surf way better with some elevated stakes.


And very true about surfing in a strange lineup with some people that can actually surf; if you paddle for a set-wave and just pull off because you second guess it thats it, might as well get out.

[SeaCliff]

I just realize i kinda went in a different direction since you were talking about hesitation and bailing on the way down.....
I think you've figured out that hesitation bad, but also the giving up too easily is not good either. I pretty much try and hang on until it's impossible. I had an epiphany one day a few years back when i watched some pros surf in NJ and realized they were making some stuff like barrels and crazy moves because they NEVER bailed. They just kept trying until it was REALLY over. That day I made some stuff I never had before simply because i told myself I'm not bailing.

i also find that i've pulled off some pretty tough stuff because i simply HAD to.  A few times i've had people right below me in the take-off zone and i basically had to pull off a crazy late drop or something or risk injuries all around.  Almost everytime that situation comes up, i pull it off.  I guess cause i'm so focused on making it and really not thinking about anything else as an "option".  Same with pulling silly stuff off over dry reef or in front of a cliff or boulder.  things just work out if i have to make it - which i find instructive.

Funny, I love surfing over shallow reefs, cliffs, jetty take offs, or any other hazardous objects just for the fact that I surf way better with some elevated stakes.


And very true about surfing in a strange lineup with some people that can actually surf; if you paddle for a set-wave and just pull off because you second guess it thats it, might as well get out.

Great comments - and it has me thinking more about past experiences: It's def true - when the stakes are high (e.g.: make it, or you're going to cream somebody in the takeoff zone) or the embarrassment factor is high, such as situations like W-I-H described, pull off and you might as well just paddle in - in those situations, I'm far more likely to go all out and make it.

Amazing how much of this is mental. It's very definitely another "skill" for me to work on.

[UNCLE!!]

After a big session, I don't look back on the wave that thrashed me with much more than amusement. It's the wave I hesitated on, didn't commit to the experience, and saw reel down the line without me that I remember with dread. It happens to much to me b/c I bring my chicken feathers out surfing with me.
I was out Wednesday with some really good local guys and I botched a good set wave and I got the talking-to about it. To my defense, there were the three other guys paddling up the face right next to me that rattled me, but I should have gone. Possible thrashing, but better that than my pal calling me out, which really sucked. Not that my pal really calling me out, but teasing me in a serious way.

[nycwipeout]

haven't i said to you in the past SeaCliff, "No guts, no glory!" ?

[SeaCliff]

haven't i said to you in the past SeaCliff, "No guts, no glory!" ?

Indeed. And for a case in point, that barrel sequence of you in NJ last year is burned in my memory - not because it's memorialized on film, but because I was on the inside watching you paddle for the wave, and from where I was, it was DEADLY clear that if you didnt make it, you, your board, me and my board would have had a crushing collision. And as it set up, the drop looked absolutely impossible to me.

Not only did you make the wave, but the look on your face was so focused and determined - you KNEW the barrel was setting up and not making the wave never even crossed your mind. I replay it in my head often. It was a brilliant wave, but what wasnt captured on film was just how brilliantly the drop was executed and how perfectly you set your rail  - with no hesitation whatsoever, totally focused on where you needed to be and what lay ahead.

I'll say it again: It was brilliant. Taught me a lot, although it's clear I'm still hard at work and have a long way to go in putting the lesson to good use. I likely will never approach where you are, but it's good to see where it is that I want to go.