Optimal position on wave - Nifty Diagram

[isaluteyou]

OK i got bored and someone asked me to draw em a diagram showing how and where to take off on a typical wave and which angle to take. This is not perfect obviously but should provide some help anyway

Most beginners who can surf a tad are pretty much the blue line. The white line represents the worst possible direction you can go. Basically you end up either nosediving or going nowhere but trouble. The rest is self explanatory. My advice is if you are the blue line then start aiming for the yellow line as your direction. If you are yellow time to think about red

Hope its helpfull

[Sammy T]

Thanks! I found this useful although I do still have a problem knowing whether the waves are going to be left or rights, they are mostly rights where I surf but I prefer lefts (being a goofy) so I need to perfect my observation skills to make sure I don't miss those precious lefts!

Ta, Sam

[surfnoob]

I'm definitely a blue liner working towards the yellow. I come out of the blue line with plenty of speed and make a good turn and my ride ends shortly after. However, i use a 7' 6" minimal and really struggle to make the turn high on the wave as per the yellow line - any suggestions? I angle my board on the paddle and try and dig the rail into the wave face on pop up but i seem to bleed so much speed that the wave passes underneath - help!

[dougirwin13]

Grab the wave with your inside hand!

[Beachbum]

Nice pic mate. Iʻm currently the yellow line trying to become a red line surfer. How do I create those powerful bottom turns? Thatʻs what sets a yellow from a red. It seems that I lean over my board to much (on my frontside, backside seems easier) and bog or lose all my speed while going up the wave. I donʻt know why frontside bottom turns are so hard for me, but I know theyʻre the most important maneuver. Tips anyone? How is your back and waist arched while performing a powerful bottom turn?

[esonscar]

I'm definitely a blue liner working towards the yellow. I come out of the blue line with plenty of speed and make a good turn and my ride ends shortly after. However, i use a 7' 6" minimal and really struggle to make the turn high on the wave as per the yellow line - any suggestions? I angle my board on the paddle and try and dig the rail into the wave face on pop up but i seem to bleed so much speed that the wave passes underneath - help!

You need to do this:
Draw a line from the black dot to the end of the red line where it leaves the picture.
Imagine the wave curling as you ride this line.
This is the fall line of the wave.
This is called 'down the line surfing'.
You don't have to turn, pump or do anything other than feel the speed of the wave move you along.
From here, as you become proficient, should only then start to play with turning, pumping and silly moves !
Once you can surf down the line all options are open to you as down the line is where the speed is to gain the momentum to allow such maneuvers.

[isaluteyou]

I'm definitely a blue liner working towards the yellow. I come out of the blue line with plenty of speed and make a good turn and my ride ends shortly after. However, i use a 7' 6" minimal and really struggle to make the turn high on the wave as per the yellow line - any suggestions? I angle my board on the paddle and try and dig the rail into the wave face on pop up but i seem to bleed so much speed that the wave passes underneath - help!

You need to do this:
Draw a line from the black dot to the end of the red line where it leaves the picture.
Imagine the wave curling as you ride this line.
This is the fall line of the wave.
This is called 'down the line surfing'.
You don't have to turn, pump or do anything other than feel the speed of the wave move you along.
From here, as you become proficient, should only then start to play with turning, pumping and silly moves !
Once you can surf down the line all options are open to you as down the line is where the speed is to gain the momentum to allow such maneuvers.

Yup that is something you need to get sorted. However i would like to point out that you can only ride the line if the wave has enough power behind it - bit hard to ride the line on weak waves, hence why bigger boards require less effort in small weak surf. If you surfing a short board you need to make your own momentum. wish i had waves like in the pic every day

[Aloha]

Nice pic mate. Iʻm currently the yellow line trying to become a red line surfer. How do I create those powerful bottom turns? Thatʻs what sets a yellow from a red. It seems that I lean over my board to much (on my frontside, backside seems easier) and bog or lose all my speed while going up the wave. I donʻt know why frontside bottom turns are so hard for me, but I know theyʻre the most important maneuver. Tips anyone? How is your back and waist arched while performing a powerful bottom turn?

Turning isn't about leaning, if you are leaning you are going to fall or bog the rail. Look at any pro surfer in a turn and you'll see they are perfectly centered over the stringer at all times. They look like they are leaned out but the board under them is at the same angle.

Front side turn:
Take off as straight as the wave will allow you to. When you just are about to approach the flats in front do the following.
1.Bend your knees and get low with your whole body.
2.Now just coming into the flats put your trailing hand on to the wave face and use it as a pivot point to turn around. This will also focus your weight towards the rear of the board and prevent you from catching the rail up front.
3.Put your weight on the rear leg's toes.
4. As you are completing the turn start to uncompress by unbending your knees and drive the board up the wave face, as you go higher push more on the tail pad.
5. Swing your shoulders around and you'll complete a top turn.

Surfing short boards requires more of the correct body English to execute turns at speed. A long board doesn't require that much work as it planes at slower speeds and it's extra mass keeps it going for longer.

The compressing and extending is a very important factor in generating torque and speed. It is the same reason on a kid's swing you bring your legs in and swing them out to generate speed. When you pump a skateboard on a half pipe by just compressing and extending your legs you are also able to go higher and higher.

I'm not sure if it's the same physics but when you are in a spinning chair going round and round when you pull your arms and legs in you go faster, let them out again and you go slower. Compressing at the end of the drop-in helps carry your momentum into your turn.

Some more stuff from other threads:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15008&p=135768&hilit=pivot#p135768
And here:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=11919&p

[Aloha]

One more thing I forgot to mention above.... delaying everything can work wonders too. Nick Carroll's book on surfing (Surfing your best volume 2) recommends delaying your turns. It puts you in the steeper part of the wave. I also find delaying the take off, so you go when it's at its steepest, also helps.

[billie_morini]

isaluteyou,
that's a great illustration! Will share with others.
billie

[Beachbum]

Thanks Aloha for those tips. "They look like they are leaned out but the board under them is at the same angle." That's the key thought that I have to change in my mind. I always have thought they were leaning, but as you mentioned, their board is angled with them. So I just have to bend my legs, get low, but stay over my stringer. I definitely want to try this out soon. Thanks again!

[Aloha]

No worries. I hope it helps.
I tend to blabber a lot about this subject as I had trouble with turns when I was learning. None of the books I read or videos I watched told you how to do a basic turn properly. I had to learn for myself, and I probably got stuck for 9 months figuring out how.

[lorcar]

wow.
as I wrote in the log room, I angle my board (7'4'' minimal, thruster fin setup) and take off, I would say following the red line, but the point is that I am not yet able to make internal rail bite into wave's face and climb up again...i just slow down and sink...yes, I look where i want to go, I put more pressure on my heels and back foot, i turn my torso/head/arm

[dougirwin13]

Well on a 7'4" it should be doable. Have you watched the 110% vol 1 video? I think that will help you immensely.

Note: the content of this thread is great but very shortboard oriented. Things are somewhat different in the 9'+ world.

[IB_Surfer]

wow.
as I wrote in the log room, I angle my board (7'4'' minimal, thruster fin setup) and take off, I would say following the red line, but the point is that I am not yet able to make internal rail bite into wave's face and climb up again...i just slow down and sink...yes, I look where i want to go, I put more pressure on my heels and back foot, i turn my torso/head/arm

Harder to do on a funboard, it's more like riding a longboard than a shortboard, but at least you should be able to go up and down with no problem, just won't be able to slash at the wave.

How much do you weigh if you don't mind me asking

[lorcar]

I am 68kg (150 lbs), and the minimal doesnt have the longer central fin, so I have been told the problem is that I dont place my rear foot right on the rear central fin

[dougirwin13]

The sweet spot might not be on the rear fin. It varies from board to board and person to person and is something you'll figure out over time. But to start with get on top of it and then try slightly forward (only an inch or so).

[surfingwithsmile]

im too lazy to add on to the picture but its clearly missing the
Green line - deep in that barrel
Purple line - the possible floater
now im sure someone can see the possible line where your doing an air
but i cant land airs yet so im not sure if an air on this wave is sucha good idea =)

isaluteyou is a shoulder hopper =P

EDIT:
oh and by the way im not saying thats a bad thing