[BoardatWork]

Howdy folks, I'm a newbie here but have been surfing on and off for years (12 to tell the truth!). Just recently I've been really getting back into it, I've got out the old shortboards and got a new 7'3" board for smaller surf.

Now, I don't really remember ever having had much of a problem catching waves, but since I really started going regularly last summer, I have times when either my timing is off, or my position on the board, but for the life of me I can't catch a damn thing, even when it's clean 6-7ft surf and all the shortboards around me are getting wave after wave.

I'm 5'8", 11 stone, fairly sporty/fit and am currently riding a 7'3" foam/glass board. So I should be catching the waves really easily...

My usual line up is as follows:

1. Wait for nice right-hander
2. Start Paddling 6ft before the wave
3. Paddle like fury as the wave comes up behind me
4. Give 2-3 last gasp two hander power strokes as i slide up to the peak of the wave
5. Slide of the back, completely knackered and wondering why the hell I didn't catch it.

Meanwhile, a shortboard rider a few feet to my side will have paddled out to meet the wave, turned and managed to catch it all in the same space of time... what am i doing wrong

Thanks if any of you are able to help, it's really bugging me, especially with all this really nice swell kicking about at the moment.

board@Work

[ANCIENTWILLIAM]

Superb forum name & welcome

Difficult one to answer as something that comes so naturally after a while is difficult to describe like riding a bike, or being able to ice skate ...

We all have times where we keep missing waves, I had a few days back in September where I couldn't do a thing right all day but then next day I could no wrong

Sh*t happens as they say.

If you've not had problems with the boards before then go back to basics as in black & white it sounds fine mate. Maybe increase your arm strenght to help with the paddling making sure fingers are together with a good slightly cupped but flat hand in long powerful strokes to build the speed etc. Webbed gloves might help ...

Beyond that lets see what others say !!!

[BoardatWork]

Thanks for the response, I'm lost as well. I've never had this much trouble with just catching a wave before... think it might be back to roots time and playing in the whitewater :/

[HSD]

Originally Posted by BoardatWork

Thanks for the response, I'm lost as well. I've never had this much trouble with just catching a wave before... think it might be back to roots time and playing in the whitewater :/

Don't worry mate im new to this game and only started learning in the summer this year and for most of the 2 weeks a friend was teaching me I couldn't catch a bloody cold.

[ANCIENTWILLIAM]

Originally Posted by BoardatWork

Thanks for the response, I'm lost as well. I've never had this much trouble with just catching a wave before... think it might be back to roots time and playing in the whitewater :/

Yep, grab a polystyrene board, no farther out that chest height & practice waveriding back to shore !!!

(Can't be arsed with the proper spelling !!!)