Control in larger faster surf

[Jripper53]

Hi everybody. I am looking for some advice on skill/technique in slightly larger, faster waves. I am fine in smaller surf, say 2-4 ft (don't laugh too hard, I live in Florida). I can read the waves well enough to get into a good position, paddle well, catch and surf the wave down the line frontside or backside. On the larger days when the surf is say, chest high or so, I struggle to keep my balance after popping up because of the speed. It seems to loosen the board up, which would be great for progression but not so great for balance. I find myself looking down at the board which I know is bad but I'm trying to make sure my weight is in the right spot. Many times I have to jump off the board as I feel I'm losing control. I have really good balance overall but I guess nothing prepares you for fast gliding across water. Should I be looking ahead or at my next direction right after pop up? Maybe I need to be surfing on the rail? Any tips? Thanks in advance.

[oldmansurfer]

Try bigger fins when the waves are bigger

[waikikikichan]

Look down Go down. DON'T LOOK AT YOUR FEET.

When you look down, your head gets in front of your body shifting the weight forward, thus off the fins which actually now needs to be even more engaged in bigger faster surf.

I am fine in smaller surf, say 2-4 ft (don't laugh too hard, I live in Florida)

On the larger days when the surf is say, chest high or so

Wh- whhhh wait minute. Large surf is chest high...... okay. Small surf is 2-4 feet.....okay. But on what body scale is 4 feet ? Belly button high ?

[oldmansurfer]

The first time I surfed in waves that were 4 feet which is solid overhead sized (Hawaii) I had a similar problem. I was learning to surf all by myself and had been at it for a couple months nearly every day. I had a 6'10" board that may parent bought me for my 18th birthday. I had friends who surfed and I paipo boarded with them, they surfed and I paipo boarded and they knew I was learning to surf. A group of them invited me to go surf with them. I said "as long as it's not big" and they responded "No worries, it's not going to be big." We got in a couple cars with surfboards on the tops (instant crowd) and went to a break that was clearly bigger than anything I had surfed. I said "that's too big." They said "don't tell us you are afraid of that surf." I thought about it and no I wasn't afraid of it because I had been paipo boarding in surf 3 times that size so I went out. I had so much speed from the drop that I couldn't control the board. On my first wave I bottom turned too hard and flew up to the top of the wave and tried to turn back to just go down the line but overturned and shot back down to the bottom where I overturned again back up to the top and repeated this overturning for the entire wave. I rode out of the end of the wave finally in control and paddled back out thinking I hope no one saw that. As I paddled back out one of the surfers paddled up to me and said "I thought you said you couldn't surf?" I said "Yeah. Did you see that?" He said Yeah man. You were shredding it" I answered "I was out of control." He said "Yeah man! You were..... Totally." From my perspective I was off balance the entire wave except for the very end when it died off. A few more waves and I started getting used to the speed. There is a perception that if you don't fall down surfing then you must know how to surf. In this case I didn't fall down because I had a good sense of balance. It may just take you some time to get used to the speed.

[Jripper53]

Sweet story Oldmansurfer! You kooked it up into success! It might help to find someone to push my limits like that, too. I am also learning to surf by myself like you did. I was not born on the ocean so getting used to waves and the power of the sea is important. So I need to look up more as Waikikichan said, that is understandable. I always have this fear that I'm going to get my foot positioning wrong and end up totally out of control flying across the water towards disaster. So therefore I look down. Will work on trusting my popup and looking ahead instead. If my feet are in the right place, balance is there engrained from other board sports earlier in life.

For wave size, I default to measuring from trough to crest in ruler lengths, US feet. So the smallest surfable waves here are about 2-3 feet, work best with a longboard. That would be knee to thigh high on me. Waist high is perfect but I need to move on. What I meant by "bigger surf" would be 4 feet and up I suppose, so just below chest high on me, and up. Especially at incoming tide when the push is there. Just sends me squirrely, throws my confidence and eyes stick to board.

Bigger fins for more grab action? How long of a fin would you suggest on say, and 8'6 board? My current center fin is a 7" FCS Connect. Probably too short for the board but that's what it came with. Thanks again for all the help and advice!

[waikikikichan]

If my feet are in the right place, balance is there engrained from other board sports earlier in life.

So if you do an ollie on your skateboard and your foots a bit off, you adjust and scoot it over.
If you land a big jump on your bmx/mtb bike and your foot / hands not totally perfect on the pedal/grips, you adjust and throw in some body english.
Stop being a glue foot, move around, be loose. You're stiff because you're scared. Just like the first time you dropped in on the half pipe. You just got to go.

The thing about surfing is the wave is ever changing. You foot WILL NOT be in the perfect balanced point from millisecond to millisecond. As Bruce Lee said, " Be like water, my friend ".

[oldmansurfer]

I just said that because it might help. Back when I learned I didn't have that option. All boards came with glassed in fins so no changing fins without a major repair project. So maybe try 8 or 9 inch center fin. It's just an idea not sure if it would help but if you're falling down from looking at your feet then it won't help. I am not sure about the problem of looking at your feet. I seem to be able to do that without consequence however I rarely do it. I can also ride a skateboard looking at my feet as well as walking or running. The thing about waves is they are changing so you need to read the wave and know what it's going to do and you won't learn that looking at your feet. My shortest board that I surf is 7 foot long and it is a flat bottomed low rockered board. When I ride waves in the range of double overhead it rises out of the water and skates along the surface after the drop, really squirrely feeling but if I just wait a second it will settle back down into the water and then I can turn it without worrying about it overreacting. I have a feeling that a video of you surfing would be most instructive in helping anyone figure out what you are doing exactly and give you more specific advice. But some here are surf instructors like Waikikichan and he has seen lots of people learning to surf and knows the common problems so most likely you are better off listening to him. I only know what I have experienced which often quite different than most.

[Jripper53]

Thanks for the replies guys. I will heed the advice on the next decent swell. Balls to the wall, look up, stay loose, and just go for it. You're right Waikikichan, I need to get over the fear that causes stiffness of movement and remain agile. It's just water right? Definitely too, I will focus on looking up, at the wave, and ahead. It will be a conscious effort at this point but I'm sure it becomes second nature after some time. I've noticed that when I do sometimes get my foot placement wrong it's never caused any huge consequences. If I can Olmansurfer, I will try to get a video of my surfing and post it on here for critique, but that may take a while. Not sure I would feel comfortable with someone videotaping my surfing at this point unless I knew them pretty well! Haha!

[waikikikichan]

Wait, are you having the control problems on your 8'6" ?

[Jripper53]

Waikikichan yes, why do you ask? You would expect that type of squirrely action on a shorter board?

[waikikikichan]

Then definitely you need to put your back foot further back. But also, I'm thinking you need an extra helping hand. ( literally ) Since you're a goofy-footer mainly going right, you can try grabbing rail with your back left hand and pulling up hard on the rail.

That doesn't mean to Poo stance or reach down for stability, you need to actively engage the inside rail to set on the wave's face.

[Jripper53]

I have definitely grabbed rail before going backside in smaller waves and yes it seemed to work quite well. Some of the most fun waves I've ridden were grabbing rail on one particular session going backside wave after wave. Have not yet tried this in the larger surf though, so I will give it a shot. As of late though, I've been going to the East coast where the waves are similar but slightly larger and of course more pushy. Some are rights, some are lefts and some are kind of a-frames basically. I'm getting better at knowing which direction to surf and boy would I prefer some lefts for a change! Anyways I may have an opportunity to get out in decent waves tomorrow at my home break so if the waves pick up I will start trying to grab rail, set the rail and get tucked in. Will report back on this, thank you for the advice it is most appreciated!