Improving your flow
I'll be interested in the replies to this thread. I'd like to improve in the same areas. Do suffer from the over analysis bug. Should take my own advice don't think just do it seem to flow better when you dont think.
While not especially good for getting more vertical, a surf on an old single fin will smooth out your flow and lines across a wave.
It makes you work for that line and source of power on the wave and once you find it they fly.
For the more vertical top to bottom surfing I think it's more a mental approach.
When your trimming and gaining speed through a section, once it slows down and gives you a pocket or lip to hit, what you have to do is head towards the beach.
This will allow you to open up the turn and attack from a much better position up into the wave. If you try and attack the lip halfway up the face you'll dig a rail or only get a half/check turn in rather than a top to bottom vertical turn.
So remember, get the speed up, then head towards the beach before cranking it off the bottom and aiming for the lip. This thought process should help quite a bit.
Hey Stan,
I've recently begun to concentrate more on flow and technique and reckon much of it comes down to having good boards. I've been riding short (5'8" - 5'10") boards with minimal rocker and high volume. For me, they've not only helped to catch waves on small/marginal days but forced me to streamline my style. I've never tried the whole 'ride a single fin to clean up your style' malarky but reckon short, high-volume boards do the trick.
If I was to say why I reckon it might be that high volume boards have greater room for error in foot placement, but the shorter rail line means it's still loose enough for an average surfer to throw around without arm waving.
From my personal experience, I think equipment plays a big part in your surfing especially as we get older.
I'm in my mid-forties, and carrying about 10kg more than I should. I'm 6ft tall and weigh 94kg. Been surfing since my early teens and to this day get out 3-4 times a week, waves permitting. Conceitedly, I'd say I'd be a slightly above average surfer.
Like most of us I rarely surf big waves but live for those head to head and a half days.
I just bought (and this is not an endorsement) a Channel Islands 5'11" Biscuit and it's shaved years off my surfing. I'm paddling around the lineup a lot faster, getting into waves earlier, still banging it off the top and it's not too bad in the tube due to the rounded tail. My mates say I'm surfing a lot faster too and it feels it.
My last custom I left at home, it's a pulled in swallaw-tail quad, once again a lot of volume and a lot of foam under the chest where I need it.
I can't really offer much more than that, just surf as often as possible and if you're riding the little toothpicks you were on in your twenties, get off them, you're not doing yourself any favours.
Book a trip to Indo.
"a Channel Islands 5'11" Biscuit and it's shaved years off my surfing"
Yup, similar thing with me ZA. I'm 40, weigh 80 kegs and my go to board is a 5'10. That would have been crazy talk just ten years back but now it's totally functional. I can catch waves as well as surfers riding mini-mals.
Stanfrance, if you haven't already looked at high-vol shortboards then do yourself a favour.
And yeah, surf every chance you can!
I'd agree with Stu and Zen about getting on the right board as well. These shorter, higher volume boards are great.
They let you get more waves, are more forgiving if you stuff a turn and a hell of a lot of fun. More waves = more practice = better surfing (eventually).
Nice tips chaps...I have a few short fat sleds which I enjoy surfing more than most other designs...a 6'1" burton batfish quad and a 5'10" HS Hypto. The Batty definately helps me draw a smoother arc and the HS is good in waves over 3ft...so corky, but not so much flow. I reckon half the issue is moving back to SA where the local waves are generally crappy, short 1 turn beachies. Getting out to better flowing waves definately helps and I put in a request to he boss (wife) to travel for waves 3-4days per month to keep me sane...she agreed...sick.
So, no doubt, surfing better waves again will help but other tips such as Craig's are great I reckon. Just looking to the beach when the wave starts to flatten, easy to remember and practice.
I was thinking about getting a long skatey to keep the feeling between surfs, and perhaps a roller for a bit of core/ankle/reflex training?
What about getting tubed...seems to happen more by fluke for me these days.
Getting barrelled on the Mid Coast?
Sorry, can't help you there...
But if I'm there for 3-4 days surely I'll get barrelled Stu.....
Craig,
Tried your theory of "heading to the beach" and I think I rediscovered my bottom turn. Just wanted to say thanks for some sage-like advice.
No worries Stan, it was a tip a mate passed down to me one time when I was struggling to go more top to bottom.
I still have to mentally remind myself sometimes, but boy does it make a hell of a difference!
I know it ain't always possible, but for me, riding longer boards (guns, semi-guns) in bigger waves definitely helps with improving the flow.
Lessons learnt from this type of surfing (drawing out turns, positioning for power and speed) can then be applied across your surfing......even in 2ft beachies!
All great replies especially those that discuss larger volumed boards. My light bulb moment came many years back when I started surfing higher volumed boards including a wide retro fish and a single fin. Both of these boards improved my flow, surfing and fun factor. From there I have progressively replaced my pre shaped shop thrusters with hand shaped wider/thicker customs all from the same shaper. I now have a quiver of these boards with 1, 2, 3 and 4 fins and I don't surf any one board more than a few times in a row so its always fresh and always fun. No thruster rut here :) So for me its been the boards and the relationship with my shaper that has opened my eyes.
What are people's perspectives on improving style and flow in the surf. I have been surfing for over 20 years but recently, due to age and limited surf time, have found my style to be slipping. I find myself taking on tips from various sites generally breaking down moves but often suffer from the old "over analysis" achilles heal. What are the best genaral habits in surfing to incorporate that build an overall general improvement in your style and flow?
Specifically, I want to flow from move to move, be more vertical (i.e. top to bottom) and get tubed more. I'm probably classed as an average surfer who tackles most waves up to 8-10ft.