Best Method for Beginner Surfers to Catch Real Waves
As beginner surfers progress there is a Best Method for Beginner Surfers to Catch Real Waves. Beginner surfers will progress to small real waves in the 2′ to 3′ size category on soft top surfboards. They often mix in with foam waves on sand bar beaches.
In Oceanside, we have sand bar beaches which deliver a steep real wave on the outside and then as it rolls to the beach the bottom often causes waves to reform into real waves before they break again into foam.
Starting with Foam Waves
The beginner surfer first learns to catch the foam waves in waist deep water by rolling over on the surfboard and paddling in front of the foam wave. As it arrives at the board he has paddles a few times to get momentum and then paddles hard three times to get in front of the wave. I suggest to students three easy paddles and then three hard paddles as a rhythm.
Then the student paddles out through the waves to catch bigger foam waves and learns how to select and deal with waves coming in. After a few foam waves and getting comfortable with selecting waves and catching them, the surfer can start hunting for real waves.
Foam waves roll in and can be caught over a long range of time. Real waves break in a few seconds and the surfer has to be in position. On the outside, the real waves usually break at the same spot and the line up is a good indication of where they are breaking.
Hunting for Real Waves
Once they start rolling to the beach there is rarely a consistent spot where they break although at certain times because of tide, they may break in one general spot. To catch foam waves, I have students paddle out and with a big gap before the next foam wave make a 90 degree turn to wait for the incoming foam wave. Then when the wave gets close, make the next 90 degree turn toward the beach and catch it.
When it is time to start catching small real waves, I have the students paddle out and then instead of making a 90 degree turn and waiting, make the 90 degree turn and keep paddling to hunt for a small real wave. The student sees the real wave form and decides whether to paddle out a little, continue paddling parallel or paddle in before making the turn toward the beach.
On a foam wave, the surfer can paddle hard three times to catch the wave. On a small real wave, the surfer might have to paddle eight times to get in front of the wave and catch it as it is breaking because it doesn’t have the power of a foam wave or a bigger real wave.
Now the surfer is hunting for small real waves. He can catch a foam wave that looks good or see the real wave. A foam wave has to be caught so the foam hits the back of the surfboard squarely. If a foam wave hits the soft top at an angle, it will flip the board.
A real wave can be caught at an angle and the surfer is immediately riding in the pocket and may get a long ride at an angle toward the beach. As the surfer moves outside to hunt for bigger real waves, he can then catch real waves that have broken and slide into the pocket that is rolling. He enters paddling and facing the beach at a 45 degree angle and as the wave rolls under the board, he pops up and now is riding in the pocket at a 45 degree angle toward the beach.
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How to Progress to Surfing the Short Board
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