Average time to get to riding the open faces

[KastineB]

HI All,

I have been 'Surfing' for about 2 months now. It took me approximately one of those months to be able to stand up on my board (white water surfing).

I am SO desperate to get up and ride on open faces, but i really am struggling. I think alot of it has to do with fear as i took a MASSIVE nose dive a while back when trying to paddle for a wave, which pitched underneath me - my board at a 90degree angle facing down and i panicked and it took me over the falls.

Now even on smaller swell i struggle because i really don't feel like having the feeling of almost drowning - i know though that is part of it...each time i go out i try talking myself out of that fear...i know i will get it right...but it's a struggle nonetheless.

I pretty much 'know' (my boyfriend has been surfing for 25 years) how and when i need to push up when paddling for an open face...but i just can't seem to get it right...so i end up finding myself just playing in white water just so i can actually have a ride.

How long on average does it usually take someone to ride open faces? Am i putting too much pressure on myself???

[dtc]

My general rule of thumb, based purely on personal experience from myself and friends etc, is 50-100 hrs of surfing before you start catching 2-5 out of 10 waves(and still failing on the rest)

So, yes, it takes a lot longer than people think

[waikikikichan]

How long on average does it usually take someone to ride open faces?

It depends on the person, the location and condition of the waves. If you were to take a lesson with me out at Waikiki and actually listen to and do what I say to do, I could get you riding/trimming across the face in about say.............an hour.

[Lebowski]

Is your boyfriend helping you?

I used to teach on 5 day surf courses, and whilst skill levels generally varied, most people could stand during the first lesson and probably 50% could ride green waves down the line before the end of the week. Occassionally we'd get someone very good who could ride green waves in the first lesson. Older/overweight/unfit people usually took longer.

Most of the people were in their twenties.

[KastineB]

Thanks for the replies guys!

My story is i am 35 years old (so not a spring chicken) and slightly overweight (not perfectly streamlined). My boyfriend helps when he can - otherwise he is on his own search for spitting barrels...while i just want tee-nee tiny waves!

I try and get about an hour of surfing in at LEAST 4 times a week but i live in Cape Town and its windy season where our winds can reach up too 30 - 35 knots on ocassion so the conditions aren't always favourable for me, although i tend to go out in pretty much most conditions just to keep at it (frothing grom).

My boyfriend was 19 when he started - so young, carefree and just crazy - so he was riding double over head waves within a month. I don't have those kinda balls!

Never went for a lesson - just persevered and when i was struggling to stand - i hired a softop 8ft board and within an hour of that i was up standing and riding white water - then i instantly moved to my 7'7 minimal and got it easily - so standing now for me is easy - its just that green room that's eeeking me out.

[RinkyDink]

I am SO desperate to get up and ride on open faces, but i really am struggling. I think alot of it has to do with fear as i took a MASSIVE nose dive a while back when trying to paddle for a wave, which pitched underneath me - my board at a 90degree angle facing down and i panicked and it took me over the falls.

It sucks going over the falls. Sounds like your wipeout has you spooked. 2 to 3 foot waves shouldn't pummel you all that bad. Go out during high tide so there's no risk of getting pounded into the bottom and practice on small waves. Take a foamie out so you don't have to worry about your board hurting you and practice getting your popups working. Work on turning your board in the whitewater soup as well as taking off at an angle. Remember that popping up on a board in white water is really just an approximation of what it's like popping up on a wave face. The difference is that on a wave face you will generally be popping up on an incline. That's different than popping up on the top of flat water. I actually find popping up on a wave face easier than popping up on flat water, but it's something you have to get used to. If I'm moving super fast in flat white water, I find it really hard to make my popup. Anyway, you probably need to work on controlling your fear. If you start taking off on a wave and your thoughts are focused 60% on avoiding a wipeout, then you're probably surfing too big. Find smaller waves that allow you to focus on making your takeoff rather wondering if the wave your paddling for is going to mangle you. Surfing is in many waves like Judo, you first need to learn how to fall (wipeout) because if you're going to make much progress you're going to be wiping out a lot. Good luck.

[waikikikichan]

then i instantly moved to my 7'7 minimal and got it easily - so standing now for me is easy

Got what easy ? Standing up in the turbulent white water in the area where the wave has already given up it's energy ? It's not about how long you can stand or ride. Riding - Trying to stay on your board in the white water is just a delayed fall. You want to get to the green room and SURF right ? The essence of surfing is TRIM, where you go along the face of the wave ( no faster or slower than what the wave is ).
You really hampered your learning process by not taking a lesson or having someone go thru the basics with you step by step. You shouldn't have moved to the 7'7" until you could do little turns on the wave front side and back side with a larger board. You will get to your goal faster if you go BACK to square one, and learn all over again.

[Oggy]

I reckon it’s taken me a year to be able to paddle onto a wave and trim across with maybe a very small turn (mainly a necessity to avoid a collision!). It took quite a few lessons, a lot of nose diving and surfing nearly all winter without getting a wave.
It’s a really hard skill to learn, takes real dedication but that first time you paddle onto a green wave and take off, amazing!

[steveylang]

It sounds like you know the waves you are trying to ride aren't that big and probably don't present any real safety risk, but that you are just still spooked by then. It would be really helpful if you could work on that fear. Can you ponder and accept the fact that you are going to wipe out on plenty of waves (now and later), and that you'll really be okay anyway?

The 2-3 things I try to remember during a wipeout- don't fight the wave, keep your arms around your head for protection, and let yourself descend to the bottom so most of the wave's power goes over you. Also count to 10 during the wipeout- you'll realize that you won't even get to 10 before you resurface, so being able to hold your breath for the duration of the wipeout is an absolute non-issue as well.

If the waves are genuinely too big for you to safely handle at this stage, that's of course a different issue. But you mentioned that you are in smaller waves right now.

[Big H]

My PTSD dictates I wrap my arms around my jaw anymore in a wipeout.....Steve is right about pushing the board away though sometimes you wind up pushing the board into the power of the wave and the chickens come home to roost in a hurry.....

[Big H]

BTW.....when you count to ten and you still don’t know which way is up is when the good times start to roll.

[Big H]

Practicing breath holding increases confidence as well. Practice holding your breath after walking aggressively up stairs with little or no breath taken.....practice with a full breath taken, practice by having someone hit you in the chest while taking a breath. Mainly just do it to see how long you really can last, far longer than needed as Steve said. KNOWING that will aid in comfort and ease in the water, lessens tendencies toward panic and will actually make wipeouts easier to take because of the loss of stress and tension. Be a rag doll and protect your head.

[edgewise]

I may not be the right person to answer this, because I've only been surfing for 2 months, but I've been able to catch unbroken waves for about 6 weeks now. I realized early on that a big part of progressing is overcoming your fears. You can't think too much about wiping out or pearling or drowning or whatever, because the more you think about and try not to do these things, the more it will happen.

On my first day out solo, I spent 90 minutes literally pearling on every wave. I went over the falls countless times (seriously, at least 2 dozen times) and ended up with a huge thigh contusion and a torn suit.

Later, I spoke with an experienced friend who explained to me that what I was doing to try and not pearl was, in fact, making me pearl even more often (not paddling hard and letting the wave push me ass over head, looking down at the board to make sure I didn't bury the nose). I watched some videos, trusted his advice and the next time I went out, I vowed to paddle harder and not look down at my board. It was really hard not to since I was so beat up from the last time, but I saw that my friend was right. The waves I didn't pearl on were the ones where I followed his advice. I still pearled a bunch, but a lot less, and as the sessions started accumulating, I started doing it less and less. Mind you, I still get beat up (black eye, calf contusions etc.), but I'm progressing every session, I think, because I've accepted the fact that surfing is moderately dangerous and that being overly fearful of those dangers just holds me back.

[jaffa1949]

Good post edgewise!

[nooshie]

Hello! As a fellow beginner I thought I'd chime in and offer my take. I highly recommend taking a lesson with a good and patient instructor and it would be very good if she/he could teach you at a spot that you can go to regularly. Knowing which waves to go for and how to position myself for those waves has been the most difficult part of catching green waves for me. It's definitely a lot of trial and error at first, but if you do go out with an instructor they can help you figure out where you should actually be to catch green waves (and of course this can change throughout your session if you're at a beach break!). Surfing at the right place under the right conditions is also hugely important. For example, I was trying to surf a pitchy beach break that was basically 90% closeouts one day and felt like I was making no progress as I caught (sort of) exactly one green wave in 2 hours, but then the next day I went to a beginner beach break that was 1-2 feet, gentle rolling waves, and probably caught 15 green waves!

As for getting over your fear, I would suggest a few things. If you have access to a pool, swimming laps will help you feel more secure with your own swimming. I swam a lot this winter before a week long surf trip to Costa Rica both to help strengthen my arms and to also give myself more confidence in the water. I also would recommend going out on a small day on a big foam board, especially when you're on your own. As I'm transitioning to surfing without an instructor, I have found that I am not quite as brave on my own so more foam and smaller waves help a lot. Also--try to find a surfing buddy who is content with small waves. This will help too. Then you know someone else is out there looking out for you as well! I have a friend I've gone to a few surf camps with and we are both supportive of each other but also a little competitive--if I see her going for a big wave it makes me want to too!

I wouldn't worry too much about how long it takes you to get to your goal of surfing green waves. It's different for everyone. A few weeks ago I was out in conditions that just weren't suited for me--a little too big and lots of closeouts so I went back to the white water to practice popping up and turning a bit. Just spend as much time in the water as you can in ideal beginner conditions and get a few lessons and you will progress faster! Best of luck to you!

[K10Bay]

Frustratingly for you it is difficult to give one answer. The people on here saying people can be doing it after a week are undoubtedly at slow mellow and clean breaks (think some of the beginner waves in Sri Lanka/ Kuta, Bali etc...) where you have a long time to get into the wave and they role along sort of half broken for a long time.

If you’re at a fast pitchy beach break it is going to take a lot longer. However going as regularly as you say it will come soon.

My biggest tips would be

1. learn to read which waves will peel and which will close out (taking the clean shoulder of an already broken wave can help)

2. Paddle at an angle- this is important as not only does it get you pointing the right direction and make your bottom turn easier, but also when the wave picks you up it actually already starts pushing you down the line before your pop up, so you are a lot less likely to get stuck behind the section.

Paddle at a slight angle then as you have nearly caught it turn yourself a little more.

Keep the stoke and enjoy the process (because as soon as you ride an unbroken wave you will start obsessing about your turns
/trimming ).

[Millsy82]

I was one of those annoying people that stood up on the 2nd wave they went for and rode my first green wave on my second lesson.

After 3 lessons I bought my own board and was ready to go and this was followed by months of pearling, it felt like every wave but it was probably 6/10. The more it happened the more I worried about it which was totally the wrong thing to do as I moved further back on the board then it just got worse and worse, in the end I watched a few videos from surf simply on YouTube

This and advice on this forum helped loads and the more I went out the more I got used to wiping out which gave me the confidence to paddle for waves where as before I was wondering if I picked the right wave or not so only went in half hearted instead of committing myself.

What you may also find will help would be a longer board as you can sit that little bit further out and not having to catch the waves as steep as you would with a shorter board.

I still pearl now 2 years in but usually it's when it's small and I lose concentration for a minute then go for a wave thinking I'm just gonna catch it then boom fired across the beach looking a right kook.

[oldmansurfer]

I am so different from everyone else here because I learned on a shortboard and rode green waves the first day. However I bodysurfed and paipo boarded a lot before that. I was familiar with waves and riding them on a board even shorter that the shortboard I learned on. When I decided I wanted to learn to surf I had no intention of riding whitewater. I had quit doing that long before while I was still bodysurfing. It was all or nothing............ there was just no way I was going to go back to boring whitewater rides that I experienced learning to bodysurf. On the occasion that whitewater caught me and I got on a wave that way I popped up and made my way over to the unbroken face (or vice versa) or if I couldn't that was the end of the ride I cut out.. It seemed so below me to be riding whitewater I just wasn't going to do that.

[surf patrol]

Hi there,

First off, it's great to hear about your dedication to surfing and your determination to progress despite facing challenges. Fear is a common hurdle in surfing, especially when transitioning from white water to riding open faces. It's completely understandable given your past experience with a nose dive.

Remember, surfing is as much about conquering your fears as it is about mastering the techniques. Every surfer has their own pace of learning, so try not to compare yourself to others or put too much pressure on yourself. Instead, focus on enjoying the process and celebrating small victories along the way.

As for how long it takes to ride open faces, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. It varies greatly depending on factors like individual skill level, frequency of practice, wave conditions, and personal comfort with risk. Some people might pick it up quickly, while others may take longer. What matters most is your commitment to learning and improving.

Continue to work on building your confidence, both in and out of the water. Consider seeking guidance from experienced surfers or even investing in some lessons to refine your technique and gain valuable insights. And above all, be patient with yourself – progress in surfing, like in any sport, often comes in waves.

Keep at it, stay safe, and enjoy the journey of becoming a proficient open face surfer!

Best of luck,
Sam