Help progressing to turns (video)

[DrDave]

Looking for suggestions on how to progress to making turns, video below has a couple of my better waves. Frontside it seems like I can turn a little, backside I feel like a statue. What are the things I should work on to get to top-to-bottom surfing?

About me: 52 years old, started surfing 3 years ago. 6'1" tall, 195 pounds. Main board is 7'0"x22"x2-7/8" swallowtail quad.

[oldmansurfer]

The first thing to learn is a good bottom turn. It sets everything else up. So after popping up you want to go to the bottom of the wave and it looks like this would mean taking off at less of an angle then turning hard at the bottom to get speed so you can get back up the wave. To get up the wave it involves weighting or compression on the bottom turn which is released to draw the board up the wave releasing compression or unweighting up then quickly turning back down the wave. It all has to be done smoothly or on those waves you will stall and be back to moving slowly unable to turn. But bottom turn is the most important thing next to paddling to catch the wave and popping up.

[oldmansurfer]

Here is a video

[waikikikichan]

Main board is 7'0"x22"x2-7/8" swallowtail quad.

Is it a pure Quad or a Tri-Quad / Five fin set up ? FCS or Futures Fins ( or something else ) ?

[dtc]

This might seem a bit patronising, but if you want to turn then...you have to try to turn! Firstly a bit more speed would be useful and old man has given excellent advice. Going top to bottom itself will also add speed (as you go down the wave).

But, regardless, I suspect you need to make that very hard decision not to surf conservatively with the aim of riding the wave all the way to the end. Instead you need to take a risk and try to do a turn. You may fall off. You may do one turn and have the wave outrun you. But that’s the ‘sacrfice’ you need to make - and I’m not being facetious when I say it’s a hard decision/sacrifice - having worked so hard to learn to surf, it’s hard to do something that might lose a wave

If you want tips on the technique of turning then waikikichan (posting just above) has a great blog that has some very worthwhile advice

http://alohaki.jugem.jp

[waikikikichan]

First I will back up what OMS and DTC have advised as working on a good bottom turn, speed and trying to go up and down. But those are thing to progress to, as you ask at the top of the post. So YES, hold those great advises ............. for the future.
Now understand, I am not putting you down or patronizing you or try to be an arse. I am truly trying to help you get to the point where you can turn. Listen............. You need to give up looking to do turns if:
1) You "CAN NOT CONTROL YOUR BOARD"
2) Do Not UNDERSTAND the WAVE

I watched your video intently and discovered a huge glaring problem. On each wave you fall back and shoot out the board. You need to CONTROL YOUR BOARD FROM TAKEOFF TO KICKOUT. By learning to kick out, it will lead TO turns. How so ??
1) you have to place your foot way back over the fins ( which is necessary for turning )
2) you have to work with the wave ( not wait till there's nothing left or know when it will closeout ) Later that wave awareness will help you decide when and where to turn.
3) You realize what angles and energies are good and bad, make able and un-make able. ( also the learning to set you rail and how much pressure you can utilize without sliding out )
4) You learn speed control and patience.

There's about 5 things to comment on your surfing, but it would be good to work on kicking out under control EACH wave, with the nose facing back to the horizon, laying back down smoothly and paddling back ( which is quicker than drawing back in your leash ).

[DrDave]

Thanks to everyone for the tips, looks I’ll be working on board control and committing to some bottom turns. @waikiki, the fins are Futures, quad only.

-Dave

[waikikikichan]

Here some things I noticed:
1) The reason why you feel like a statue going backside is your leading hand/arm never goes past your chest. You are "CLOSED" to the wave. You need to let the front arm lead the turn. Right now you're in a roman gladiator with a shield position.
2) Your GRIP ( like on a golf club ) is too strong. Your front foot is pointed to the rail at 9 o'clock. You need to point it to 10-11 o'clock. That should free up your knees / torso going backside.
3) You need to hit the on coming closeout, not run away from it. That's a good time to practice going up and down, as you hit the wave and the wave redirects you back down.
4) Front side your hands are flailing , being used more for balance than actual tool for drive and direction.