a big drop in front of me before standing

[amitk]

hi,
I'm surfing for a few moths already, i usually surf alone(i mean there are other surfers in the lineup but not a friend whom i can get advice from) and i am already able to catch waves and corners but still have some fears and a lot of things which I'm not sure whether I'm doing right or wrong.
the waves height are 2-5 ft.
one of the things happens to me a lot is when a set comes and i want to catch a big wave i start paddling and then when i'm on the wave i see a steep drop in front of me (not just a gentell one) and it feels like maybe im too slow or something.
usually when i look at other surfers beside me i see they are paddling and located on the 2/3 height of the wave while for me it feel like im on the very top of it(it might be it's just my feelings and fears make me think so)
so.. my questions are
what should i see up there ? should it be a gentle slope and i'm doing something wrong ? should it look steep and i need to lean forward and stand anyway ?
should i really be located at the 2/3 height as i see other do ?

thank you very much !

[oldmansurfer]

I don't know exactly what your problem is but most likely you are in the wrong place on the wave and not paddling well enough. There are some surf instructors who post here so wait to hear what they say. When I learned I was all by myself but I had already ridden much bigger waves body surfing so there was little fear for me to throw myself off the ledge of a wave and see what happens. Perhaps just doing some in between sized waves will help.

[icetime]

Sounds like you're getting hung up, you're not paddling hard enough or are sitting too deep, no way to fix this other than experience with time you'll know where to position yourself depending on the wave size and shape

[kookextraordinaire]

It sounds to me as though you aren't far enough forward on your board when paddling. Ideally, the nose should be about 1" out of the water, otherwise you are working against the board.

As for looking at the steep drop, generally it is better to look down the line (and for other reasons too). You won't be aware of how steep the wave is that way, and probably hesitate less.

If you think of popping up as standing, then you will definitely stall your board and fall off the back the wave.

Hope it helps. Surfing is devilishly tricky.

[Big H]

Paddle better, position yourself more inside, get more forward on your board and hold you posture in an arch while paddling to keep your nose up....to get into the wave you dive in at the right moment, going flatter and using your body to push the nose of the board down and into the wave by doing so.....take an extra paddle or two to make sure that you've gotten far enough down the face that you don't hang up.

[KitesurferAU]

What I've realised when I paddle and it's a big drop in front of me, I've just look where I want to go and usually there is a not straight wall there, just a nice slope. Of course it only happens when you choose the right side of the wave

[Big H]

Fully commit and just go....never as bad as it looks....and then again, don't look at it....if you are starting down you're sunk before you even try to get up.....keep your head/chin up and charge!

[saltydog]

What I've realised when I paddle and it's a big drop in front of me, I've just look where I want to go and usually there is a not straight wall there, just a nice slope. Of course it only happens when you choose the right side of the wave

This.
I used to panic when I saw nothing but the nose of the board sticking out in the air. Don't look at the nose. Look where you want to go instead.

[Oldie]

Don't look at the nose. Look where you want to go instead.

So often recommended and for a beginner not intuitive at all. But it makes such a difference!