What Next ??? How to improve my surfing

by **220290** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 8:55 am

Hay peeps,
ive been surfing for about a year, and im get quite, um, good,
i mean i can stand up easy peesy, i can rid all the way to the beach even in white wash, i turn, go all the way to the end and turn back and go the other way but by then its usually one way, so now all i need to do is tricks, what should be the first thing to try and how do i do it. :?
cheers
vince

**Sponsor**

by **sinistapenguin** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 8:33 am

Hi Vince

Basically turning is the key to most tricks.

Forgive me if you can do this already, but I would work on getting up in the lip, then dropping down the face again to get speed going, do this a few times, then once you get out onto the shoulder, a big cutback is always nice!

Next, I would work on a good, fast bottom turn to come back up the wave near vertically, then a good hard snap to drop back down.

It's the 'oldest trick in the book' but it's very effective and a firm favourite with most!

After that you can look at floaters!! Then you're just minutes away from 360 alley oops!!! LOL.

Get good fast turns, rising and falling and not losing speed down and you'll be in a good position to try most things.

Cheers

Sinista

by **220290** » Mon Mar 29, 2004 8:14 pm

ok cheers

by **surf patrol** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 2:11 pm

Learning to surf comes in a few basic steps,
Getting out
Catching waves
Standing up
Bottom turns
Turns
If you can do these you are really surfing.

once you've got this down you need speed - this makes all the difference in your surfing and it really takes you on to the next level. Keeping high up on the wave gives the speed you need. Going fast means spray - and spray is always good.

Go for speed!!!!!!!!!!!!

by **sinistapenguin** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 2:29 pm

Spray is ALWAYS good!!

Except when the wind's offshore and your mate has just surfed past you, you turn to watch and get an eyeful blown back off the lip at you!! Te he!!

I'm with Surf Patrol - once you've got turns mastered, you are surfing! All you can do is get more speed, do harder and faster turns.

If you want to get into aerials etc you probably have to surf everyday!.

Get turns sorted, then get yourself covered up. Tubes are surprisingly easy and whilst a huge spray off a cutback is nice, nothing beats the stoke of getting a barrel. It's a truly bizarre sensation.

Sinista

by **220290** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 5:24 pm

ok right
i havn't got school tomoz so ill probally go and practise your advise cheers

by **Chris** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 10:31 am

Now I'm deflated. Got my first two rides on unbroken waves last week and figured I could now say I have surfed. Then you go and spoil it (Surf Patrol on 31/3) by telling me I have to do bottom turns and turns before I can say I have surfed. Looks like I've still got some work to do.

by **surf patrol** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 11:13 am

If you are up on a wave then you have surfed

by **AlMerrickismyidol** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 5:20 am

I am confused!, are you people british or something? I keep seeing "cheers" and "that's mad" and wierd terms like that. And Instead of using "$" when you all talk about prices, you used some other wierd symbol. I am from Jacksonville Florida USA and I guess i am not on an american website! :) I didnt know there was surfing over there. I have heard of surfing all over the world but not where you guys are from. thats pretty cool. I will be surfing in south africa in june YAY! woo-hoo! I cant wait! I am not farmiliar with the brands of surfboards you all were talking about except for LOST. Have you guys know brands like Al Merrick, QuietFlite, and LocalMotion? epecially AL Merrick do you guys know about Al Merrick surf boards? :D

by **sinistapenguin** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 12:34 pm

Hi Al

Yup, I've heard of Al Merrick. A good shaper by all accounts.

Also, you're right, there are a lot of british surfers on here! - It's not specifically a british site though, we've got people from all over, quite a few from FL. Some from Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, all over the world!

Yes, we do get surf over here, the ASP used to have a stop here in the summer, but the waves are unpredictable so they don't bother any more!

Sometimes though, the ocean surprises you! This is a pic of a break called the Cribber in Newquay, Cornwall.

Cheers

Sinista

by **saffasurfer7** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 6:29 pm

Hey AlMerrickismyidol: Where abouts in South Africa are you going to surf? Just out of interest cos that's my homeland. :P

by **Merrickflyer6'3** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 11:11 pm

WOW! I never knew there was surf like that there! Thanks for informing me sinsta! This seems like a really cool site.
I am gonna create a username and plan to visit regularly, It's nice to conversate with so many other surfers and pick-up new secrets and tips and all. My new username is gonna be "Merrickflyer6'3". First of all cuz the first guest one was lame, and also because I have recently purchased a 6'3" Al Merrick 'flyer' and I worship the ground it walks -er, the waves it sprays on! I am completely in love! All my friends are siked about it, but I still cant believe I am so fortunate to actually have it. I AM SO SIKED! When i bought it, i came home and put it in my room and stared at it for like 2 hours, just drooling. I used to ride a 6'6" Sebastian Elite which was awesome. It was sooooo fast, but I sold it because i became too heavy for it. I am 6'3" and weigh 173lbs. It got to be too thin for me. Now I can rip it up with my new merrick and I feel like I'm in heaven every time I grab a wave. Oh, by the way my name is Josh and I'm 18. I live in Jacksonville FL, and the waves here Range from 1 inch to 6 feet normally, but we occaisionally get 6-8, -like monthly. And also, we get hurricanes all season long that give us huge waves This summer a hurricane gave us 10-14 footers for 2 days,of course they were choppy as heck though. But it did give us clean 7-9 for a week before the 10-14, and a few days after.
Well, see ya lata!~ :D

by **Merrickflyer6'3** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 11:24 pm

hey 'saffasurfer7', I am definately going to visit Jeffries Bay with a video camera, but I am not stupid enough to surf there yet. I am going in June, and I was told by a local that the water was too cold there in june for the best wetsuit money can buy, he said "put your toe on the water, and you'll get brainfreeze". He told me a different place to go, with smaller waves and warmer water, but I don't remember where or what he called it so If you could give me any suggestions on where to go, I would greatly appreciate it!
I am looking for 8 foot max -I can only take one board. hope to talk to ya soon! Peace!

by **saffasurfer7** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 4:43 pm

Hey Merrickflyer6'3, well my knowledge on Jeffrey's is not very good. If you're planning on going down there though your best bet is to hit East London (YAY, my hometown) :P It's great for surf, got loads of different beaches and good, consistent waves. East London's only another hour or so drive from Jeffrey's along the coast towards Durban. It's easy to get to and a great little, friendly town.

Check out this website right, it's got all you'll need to get you into the idea. Couldn't find anything on the site that would put you off actually surfing Jeffrey's in winter. Maybe the guy you spoke to was just a bit of a softie. :roll: Check it out anyway and let me know what you think: http://www.dawnpatrol.co.za/index.htm

It's obviously a site about package holidaying but got all the info on different beaches for you too....enjoy!

:D

by **Merrickflyer** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 1:35 am

hey "saffa" thanks for the link but it doesn't work, could you please post it for me again? :( Oh I finally regestered but I took off the 6'3 from my name. Thanx again! see ya!

by **Merrickflyer** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 2:04 am

Ok I have a confession to make to "saffasurfer" and the rest of you. When I told you guys I had an al merrick 'flyer', I didnt really have it yet(but i do now!,yay!) I was just so siked that i was getting it, I wanted to talk about it i guess, kinda immature huh? But oh well I have it now and I LOVE IT!!! It's perfect for the surf here! It's the best shortboard ever made for small surf!(just an opinion :D). It says it is designed for ankle high to overhead and a half). It is a squashtail, 6'4" long, by 2 5/8" thick, by 19 3/4" wide. I bought it saturday, and took it out sunday morning at 6am (so I could be at church at 9:30am). The sun was rising up out of the water(east coast yeah!), the waves were good;waist to chest high, favoring the chest range, it was a great morning. The board was so fast!!!! The first time I got up, It shot out from under me like a rocket, flinging my feet right out from under me! When I finally got used to the speed, or so I thought, I attempted a cut-back, ...and I railed it. Because it was so fast, the rail dug right in and the board, of course, slammed on the brakes, but I kept going. I'm sure the 4 or 5 other guys that were out there got a pretty good laugh! I went back out that afternoon after church. I am starting to get better at controlling that rocket! But anyways, I LOVE it! I'll never go back to any other brand of shortboard!

by **saffasurfer7** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 6:45 am

Hey Merrickflyer, try this one. It should work: dawnpatrol.co.za
Good luck.

Sounds like you're enjoying your new board, keep having fun!

:P

by **Merrickflyer** » Sun Apr 25, 2004 4:21 am

hey saffasurfer, Thanks again but that one didnt work either it just says: "The Site you are looking for "http://dawnpatrol.co.za/" is not available." I really appreciate your help anyway though. Thanks for trying. see ya! -Josh
P.S.
if you dont mind try again please, I'd really like to see it. Thanks a ton!

by **saffasurfer7** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 7:33 am

Right, if you try this it should work....go to www.google.co.uk and type in "dawn patrol surf". The first link should be the right link to the website. Hope it works. :D

by **Merrickflyer** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 8:59 pm

Thanks saffasurfer! It worked. Awesome site! East London, SA looks like an AWESOME place! I would loooove to go there. There are so many good spots there! I will definately be visiting for a few days if it is close enough to where we are going. I'm gonna go check right now. See ya!
-Josh

What Next ??? How to improve my surfing

Similar topics