The barrel - almost there (not really..but how do I get there).

[tautologies]

So I almost got barreled today. It was one of those small a little overhead pitching waves...where you duck your head into....so not that great...BUT instead of elegantly making it in..I got hit in the face by the lip...and off i went...backflipped down to the bottom of the wave and then got muched by the washingmachine. 

This is what I went for: I sat pretty deep for a late take off, went sharply down and pulled the brakes I tried to climb up the waves a little and right as I was going to sit down a little the wave pretty much slapped me.

Any one have some good tips for making it into the holy grail?

[Absolutetrip]

I set up fo rthe barrel and drop the paddle on my thigh with my lower hand and put my hand in teh wave face as a brake to hold me in there. This does 2 things slows you down to stay in there and puts your body close to the wave so you fit.
Here are 2 shots watch the shadow on my left arm and where my paddle ends up. I steer the paddle with my top hand. When I tried getting barreled on the SUP for a long time I would get clothlined by the paddle then started letting go of it and found I could surgically fit myself and my SUP in micro to larger barrels with no problem. On the backside barrel I do the same thing but have the paddle behind me and reach back with my lower hand as a brake.

[tautologies]

Nice!!! Yeah I have no idea where I put the paddle when I got caught..I think too far beind me. I just made a pretty "hard" rail bottom turn and stomped a little on the back and that seemed to slow me down enough..I do think even if I was trying to make it back up I was too far down and not enough tucked in on the wave.... Hit my face with some power for sure. :-)

I'll keep on trying. :-) 

[SoCalSupper]

trip-whos foot is that in the upper right!?

[newton333]

i ve been wrestling with this for a while there is another thread i started on it a while ago and had some of the experts way in. look in the past post or search very interesting.

[Absolutetrip]

trip-whos foot is that in the upper right!?

That's my giant hand...

[exetersup]

Yo dude,
The more barrels you go for, the more barrels you make! Always pull in, that way you get used to the craziness of the consequence for not making it out. Aloha!

[SoCalSupper]

now i see it trip!
geez now its real obvious its your hand, hmmm...
gotta stop with the sangria while zoning.

[tautologies]

Yo dude,
The more barrels you go for, the more barrels you make! Always pull in, that way you get used to the craziness of the consequence for not making it out. Aloha!

yeah, but getting caught happens fast..I didn't really get what had happened until I was in the washing machine....I am still stoked to go again. Gotta find the waves that provides a good opportunity with relatively "low" punishment.... :-)

[newton333]

get the paddle high behind you i find frontside is a little easier  to start with. but there are always punishment with tube riding when u dont make it try to fall off the back it helps a little and u get away from the board.

[1tuberider]

put yourself in the right waves and the only way you make the wave is to make the tube.  So many ways to get covered and its still the best, most coveted move in surfing.  This one is earned because it is a response to a changing wave and you need to be able to have many skills to enter and skills and the right wave to exit.

Being able to read the wave, set up for the section, stall at the right moment, stay in the pocket after entry and find the right speed to hang until the exit is all experience.  But if the wave is not cooperating you should include the rolly coaster lip wacking moves to make up for the lack of a good tube.

Tubes have a mind of their own and yet we flirt with her, want to fill her space, and exit gracefully covered in spit and to do so we need her permission and the skills to play.  Good luck.

[Sparx]

Howdy all
Long time lurker first time poster. A topic close to my heart you could say. Before Stand Up I surfed the local ledges and option one two and three was the barrel. Stand Up at first was all about the glide and the nose ride and the drop knee and cross step. No way could I even contemplate getting those tankers kegged. Something was definitely missing, fun as hell but not quite. The last two years has been about shorter custom boards and getting back to the waves I surfed before Stand Up and as such I have been working through the same conundrum. How to get barrelled without rapping a paddle around your head and copping a fin where the sun doesnt shine. What works for me, and this is by no means definitive technique is the 'periscope'. Basicaly the paddle sits high and your hands are in about the same position they would be in if you were surfing without a paddle. Someone over on Seabreeze called it the periscope because the paddle blade pops up through the top of the wave. The following vid was put together from a few clips I posted up on Seabreeze and shows the ongoing quest to get barrelled. No right or wrong, like the way we walk, same but different.
Cheers Sparx

[Sparx]

Minor disclaimer
Sponsored by no one, just stoked on Stand Up. The guy who makes my boards lives one town down the coast and is a hell of a nice bloke. Sorry about the quality of the vid, my camera is crap. Slightly better if you take the HD option. The vid is called tubes but in all honesty there is probably two legitimate kegs in there, common denominator is some lip action.
Bottom line is, I agree with all the above posters. Getting tubed requires repetitive beatings in order to aquire the muscle memory to get it right. Hold the paddle up, down, one hand, two hands or jam it under your arm pit. Tautologies, put youself in harms way enough times and you will figure it out for yourself.
Cheers
Sparx

[tautologies]

sweet


thanks for the advice guys. I really appreciate it. I'll get there.

1Tube: I think I've found the wave...I know how it pitches...
Definitely a front side for me..my backside and switch skills is something to be desired...hahaha.

I was actually close to one of those mini-head dip tubes (you gotta start somewhere) but too slow at hucking and ducking
 :-)

Sparx: awesome vid. Shows I am not too far off in my theory of how to get there...thanks for the tip..it is really good to see how it works on a wave that isn't insane.

btw. I couldn't care less if you were sponsored or not..kick ass vid. Nop apologies for quality..it is exactly right.


Where is that?...you're all alone, and the stuff popping up beside you is that seals or kelp?

:-)

[Sparx]

Glad you enjoyed
The wave is on the West Coast of Victoria about thirty minutes East of Bells. Fairly predictable so good to work out the bugs. Jeez I hope that was kelp!! The Landlord has been known to collect in this neighborhood.
Cheers
Sparx