WhatsSUP. a good way to approach improving is to understand what surfing is.
Surfing is falling (as in gravity) .... we are not pushed by waves..... we fall. (except see below)
As the wave steepens, we paddle to reach a speed that helps us get to the right place on a building wave.
When we "catch" the wave, we have simply gotten to a steep enough part of the wave, with enough paddling speed.... then we feel the "release" and we fall towards the bottom of the wave.
If we keep going straight towards shore, the wave will either run us down, or the whitewater will "push" us slowly towards shore.
Once a wave "breaks".... the stationary water is given motion, as the energy carries it towards shore.
Ultimately, what we want to do is take the speed we get from our initial "fall" and return to the "top", so we can "fall" again.
To do this, we use our speed achieved through falling, and use it to make a bottom turn.
The bottom turn heads ups back to the top.
If we don't make a "top" turn... we simply kickout.
The top turn redirects us, so we can fall again and pick up speed.
Even when we go "straight" across a wave face.... we are falling
"trimming" is simply the act of falling sideways down the wave, at the same speed the water is rushing up the face.
Until a wave has broken.... the water does NOT move.
Watch a seagull or surfer sit in the water as a wave passes under them..... the "wave" goes by them towards shore... but the water does
not move.
Take a long rope and lay it straight out on the ground.... go to one end, grab the end of the rope and shake the rope in big up and down motions.
The rope never moves, but a "wave" runs down the length of rope, with high and low spots.
The energy moves.... not the rope. Same with waves.
SO.... as the wave moves towards shore, the water is rushing up the "face" of the wave, as the energy moves through the water.
When you are surfing "straight" across a wave face, there is a lot going on.
let's say you are going "right" and the shore is a straight beach to your left....
You are going "straight"in the direction of your board
You are sliding (falling)
down the face sideways to your left
You are getting carried
up the face, from the "still" water that the wave is passing through... giving the water an "apparent" speed... at a speed that matches your fall
and the whole mess is moving ever closer to shore
recap: you are going, straight, down, up and sideways toward shore.... all at the same time.
Very sensual! It
is the magic that is surfing.
The fun of surfing is deciding what to do with all that available energy.
once you leave the "trim" plane, things get interesting.
A turn is simply digging the right rail into the water moving up the face, and stopping your sideways slide toward the beach..... you simply "slow down" and go "up" to the top
Once at the top, you disengage your right rail, and angle the bottom of the board flat (relative to the wave face) and release from the stationary water so you can fall back down
Confused yet?
Turning is simply "engaging" a rail, by digging into the water, and allowing the board to "grab" or "release" the stationary water.
A "carving" turn carries more speed forward than a weak turn.
To "carve", you must leave the comfort of balance
You must commit your body
past the rail of the board.
Done correctly... your feet will transfer your weight on the board to "tilt" the board to match your new body angle (relative to water surface)
Centrifugal force keeps your weight pressing down on the board an allows you to "balance" as the board carves a turn, that brings it back under you.
If you do not commit the rail, as much as you commit your body.... you will simple fall over.
Like riding a bike too slowly a you turn..... your body and the bike lean with matching angle, at sufficient speed and magically, you don't fall over..... you turn and bing the bike back under your body. Voila'...
Surfing is simply, a series of falls and turns..... how you do them becomes your style.
"Pumping" is just linking small "falls" and "climbs" in a row to generate speed..... like pumping a skateboard across a flat parking lot.
The harder you carve.... the more "G" force you generate to carry into your next move.
A cutback, is simply using your speed to turn from a flatter part of the wave, back to the steeper part of the wave.
Fall down.... go back up.... fall down again.
Repeat.
add commitment....
add style
ALL surfing comes from your
mind.....the body simply does what it is told.
Now.... go find your style...... and be ballsy........ no surfer
ever got good by being timid.