Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Technique => Topic started by: justsomeguy on March 22, 2020, 09:03:39 PM
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Beautiful spring day here on the central FL coast, nice little waist high swell action & water has warmed up nicely (no wetsuits needed). Started off with lite winds but that soon went away and we got this angled on-shore that resulted in 8-10"+ chop. Sets were ~8-10 min apart and I found myself battling this awkward wind chop between sets, getting out of position since I needed to keep moving, plus it was tiring me out. So I said screw-it and just sat down. Found I could still keep my eye on the swell, and was able to pop back up and be pattling again when the set showed up. Felt like I ended up getting a couple more waves since I wasn't getting out of position.
Any other thoughts on dealing with the chop?
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I sit between most sets. Makes prone surfers less nervous. Besides my buddies are sitting there.
I’m not big on frantic paddling or staring off into the horizon like I’m standing watch on a pirate ship. Enjoy yourself, relax, have a good time. 😅
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I rarely sit, but that's because it takes me too long to lever myself to my feet. I know it makes everyone else nervous to have this large clumsy dude looming over them.
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justsomeguy
please do whatever you want, it's your time out there.
I do not care to please surfers or concern myself of what anyone thinks I should do.
If wonky, I kneel some, to save my legs and energy.
ha ha.... my legs won't open wide enough to sit.
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It’s much more considerate to fellow surfers and SUPers for you to sit down between sets. No-one wants to be having their view spoiled by some gimboid frantically paddling about, looming their groin over them, and generally floundering about. You may think you look heroic but I assure you no-one else does. So relax, and sit, and try not to be an irritating distraction for everyone else. And if you are alone, do whatever it takes to have the maximum amount of fun you can. If that means sitting down, then sit down. Have fun!
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Area 10, you describe SUP surfers like this:
"No-one wants to be having their view spoiled by some gimboid frantically paddling about, looming their groin over them, and generally floundering about.
You may think you look heroic but I assure you no-one else does.
So relax, and sit, and try not to be an irritating distraction for everyone else."
Do you really have so much contempt for SUP surfers, that you would chose this time to besmirch them?
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Area 10, you describe SUP surfers like this:
"No-one wants to be having their view spoiled by some gimboid frantically paddling about, looming their groin over them, and generally floundering about.
You may think you look heroic but I assure you no-one else does.
So relax, and sit, and try not to be an irritating distraction for everyone else."
Do you really have so much contempt for SUP surfers, that you would chose this time to besmirch them?
Here we go...
Look, *I* find SUPers who won’t sit down between sets annoying, when I’m SUPing myself, never mind surfers. Like it or not, we are much more visible than surfers. For a lot of people, enjoying the views and relaxing is a key aspect of surfing. This is spoiled by the noise and display of SUPers constantly on the move and trying to stay upright. I believe in trying not to interfere with other people’s’ enjoyment. If you take a more self-centred view, or think that the sight of you circling around between sets will add to the ambience for everyone else, then by all means do that. Unfortunately from the vantage point of someone sitting on a board, the parts of a standing SUPer that are at eye level are not to my mind the most attractive parts.
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Im with Area 10 on this one.
I sup surf, yet have a lot of contempt for many sup surfers. Mostly those who choose not to learn traditional surf etiquitte. (which i try to nicely enforce if and when i converse with someone in the water)
I am riding pretty low volume boards these days so sit quite often when in the lineup. but as a sup surfer I have the ability to ride waves proners cant so i try to do that to distance. scratching around in a pack of proners is a no-no in my opinion. even being in the pack is a no-no in my opinion.
respect gets respect - but as a proner as well, a sup surfer doing circles around a pack does take away some of the tranquility of the activity
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Whoa, this took an odd turn/tone I didn't intend. I'm a long-time prone surfer at heart and been doing SUP surfing for last 3 yrs. I'm super-considerate of prone surfers and always stay well away, and if it starts getting crowded I'll move if I can, or just paddle in. Was just trying to have a positive SUP surf related conversation as diversion from the C-19 topic.
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Odd turns are good. Especially when they lead to a discussion with some meat. And it's always worthwhile to have other people's perspectives in your head a bit when you are interested in being accepted as much as possible in a location that includes other surfers.
We always talk as if SUP surfers can surf places away from the prime surf spots. I claim the difference between a prime break and an empty one is plenty of free parking. But most of us wind up at least in the periphery of popular breaks if not right in the middle of the scrum, so it behooves us to know how to act. Sitting down helps in that case. But if you find that difficult/hopeless, as I do, then at least do your best not to loom. I have little choice in this matter, I'm clumsy on a surfboard of any size despite a ridiculous number of years doing it. I'm entirely capable of FFNAR (falling for no apparent reason) which can drop me onto someone else's board or spit my board at them. I require space for my spastic shenanigans.
I generally move from one side of the break to the other, paddling out the back when I get back to the lineup and then moving over to take wobbly lefts for a while if I'm at a reef break where that's feasible. I move around a lot, but try to stay away from other surfers. One irritating aspect of other SUP surfers (and to a lesser degree, longboarders) is if you are catching waves when they aren't, you'll suddenly have a flock of the least capable surfers moving towards you. I just move somewhere else--I'm up and paddling anyway.
Foiling creates a completely different set of challenges for space. On the plus side, you can foil happily in waves that surfers shun. On the minus side, the boards are easier to fall from, everyone up on a wave is moving much faster and covering much more territory, and every surfer thinks the foil is going to cut them in half. I've actually had to concentrate some of my PT and stretching to enable me to turn my head further. I was dropping in on people coming from my left because I couldn't see them if I was in a position to catch a wave. That's an issue on a SUP, but a catastrophe on a foil. You might be a hundred yards from a person to your left when the wave is coming, but once you catch it or go for it they might be right at your elbow.
I don't sit on my foil board either, but it's not a problem because I fall so often I never get the chance to loom over people.
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I sit all the time. Hell, I even paddle back out on my but sometimes, like it's a sea kayak. I mostly surf for 3-4 hours straight, and nothing will burn my legs up quicker than standing around on the board when it's rough.
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I sup surf with proner friends quite frequently. I have been surfing for 18 years and sup surfing for 6, maybe 7. Honestly can not remember. Lol. Sitting in the line up for me is a life saver. But if you must always paddle i would stay away from the pack. Most proners where i surf tolerate sups. I rarely join the pack, except the one beginner spot that almost no one really knows how to surf anyways. But i roam. Ill take a wave hit another peak, paddle over wash rinse repeat just to switch things up. Always follow surf etiquette. Dont be a dick. If you dont know it, learn it. I agree with Area 10, no one wants to see bits and pieces at eye level. I try to do what i cAn to be a good ambassador to our sport. It drives me crazy when i have to apologize to surfers because some dude decides to shoulder hop the same person repeatedly. Most suppers are cool dudes. Most surfers are too. Theres always that one though that ruins it for everyone. Dont be the one. I dont think any of is here are. Have fun. Surf hard. Throw some spray.
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Great topic. Every time I sit down a good wave comes along. So I don’t sit often. But I have to say Its good sitting and relaxing sometimes. But I also try and find my own area / peak and always respect the edicate as much as I can. I’ve never proned and am almost always the only sup surfer out so it’s interesting to hear the perspective of those who have done both.
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Whatever works for you, it's all good. Most of the time I stand, but if I get caught out and the wind picks up, sometimes I'll sit for a second.
I also have some weird problem, not just with paddleboarding, where my feet cramp up for unknown reasons. If cramping happens I'll sit and massage my feet, then stand up again.
It's about having fun, no one way you have to do it.
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Whatever works for you, it's all good. Most of the time I stand, but if I get caught out and the wind picks up, sometimes I'll sit for a second.
I also have some weird problem, not just with paddleboarding, where my feet cramp up for unknown reasons. If cramping happens I'll sit and massage my feet, then stand up again.
It's about having fun, no one way you have to do it.
No one really knows much about cramping--I know that sounds like something Trump would say, but as a geezer who has had to deal with the issue, I did a lot of research. Three things I've found that help.
1. Compression socks when you aren't in the water--your feet are at the bottom of your body's gravity well. If your leg veins have enlarged and stiffened a bit (if you're over 20, they have) then the valves that help the blood move up your legs aren't working as well as they used to. Compression socks narrow the veins down to something more like they were designed to be.
2. Hydration. I put a little Pedialyte in a water jug and sip it on the way to surf. Chugging a bottle of water doesn't help much. Sipping a little all day long won't make you pee every three minutes and reduces cramping.
3. Magnesium Citrate. I don't know why, but a few hundred mg seems to eliminate cramping for me. Also makes you a bit more regular--think "Milk of Magnesia" which was your parent's drug of choice for constipation.
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I learned to embrace any method required for any given condition.
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Exactly. Just keep up the stoke and do not mess up anyone’s wave.
My local sandbar has lined up this spring producing a nice left point. Since being let loose, it is the only spot I have been surfing. Through social media I guess, the once quiet breaks current perfection is attracting the hotties from up and down the coast.
So yesterday it really lit up. 6-8’, very strong direct offshores and a strong current running south into the pit. Big tubes like out of your dreams if you could get into them. Only 2 waves in 2 hours but they were some of the best of my life.
But you know what, I couldn’t sit down. You had to constantly paddle to remain in position. A few times I prone paddled to give the body a break. The paddle back out was about 100yds and alot of water moving around and a low volume short board.
I might even have Pocahontas’d a bit on the inside in the turbulent rip.
Who cares. Keep surfing.
Today 3-5, light offshores and less current. Longboard and probably more than 30 waves. Still had time to sit and chat.
Low volume or high volume, surf stoked and good vibes spread.
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Is it cheating to sit down in choppy conditions? Heck no! If it's crowded I sit most the time in the pack. I do use half a paddle (indiscreetly) while sitting down as I don't loose any ground in a busy line up with current. This really pisses off proners as they float past me but...oh well.
On bigger days I take my 12 foot PSH gun and sit 50 to 75 yards north (if going right) or south (if going left) of the "Take off" zone. First I always let a lot of good waves go by which I could catch but don't... as to share. This is hard to do and takes self control. When I do stand up and go for a wave...I'm all business and take off late. This is where you cannot mess up in front of the pack. If you fall or don't make the wave it can be very hard and embarrassing to paddle back out. Many times people cut me off from what they think is the take off zone. Most of the time theY immediately cut out when I'm barreling down the line with a huge 12 foot yellow sup.
With that 12 foot board I am at such an advantage I need to sit down and let a few sets go by for others. Speaking of others, I over heard in the line up a few weeks ago of several college age good surfers who just bought a new surfboards and wetsuits with their Economic Impact Payment checks. SSSHHHEEEEESSSHHH.
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Surfer mind works weird. It is a primal experience for those of us who love it, even though the activity to most people is just pointless fun.
I have SUPd a spot one day, and the next came back prone and when the SUP'rs showed up thought: "Oh, not these googans." Even though I was a googan the prior day. Our human nature causes us to tribalize ourselves subconsciously, it is so weird.
My only opinion on the sitting down matter is do whatever you want, just don't hog waves, and don't blow waves at the peak. I don't care about making prone surfers more comfortable, I am one and I am comfortable when I know the SUPr is not a wave hog and will not blow a wave, or wipe out in the crowd. I think all surf craft have a right to the peak, but that is UNcommon among surfers.
Just be sure to "check your SUP privilege at the door".
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Already said....whatever works for you. I've had to knee paddle many times. I've learned to love chop but it wasn't always that way....fog kills me....my balance goes to hell.