Paddling through the surf

[Tom English]

Jack Connor shows the proper technique. 

[surfcowboy]

That gets more respect in my book than any cutback.

Skills.

[T-Boy]

Smooth move! This is still very awkward for me, need to practice surf stance paddling. Thanks for posting.

[finsider]

Please be sure that if you try this you are not in a parallel stance and that you are in your surfer (one foot forward) stance! The forward foot allows you to keep the nose of your board from smashing the nose on your face....ask me how I know 

[TallDude]

Finsider's right, I've punch myself in the mouth blocking my board while punching through the wash on my big board, on a big day. The board size and design has a lot to do with how you punch through it. My bigger Naish nalu has a lot of volume, so it is not going to want to punch through any real big wash. It's going to want to go over it. Plus the nose is so wide, it just lifts it with even more force. Sometimes right into your face if you are not carefull. My 9'4 shorter board, half sunk to start with and the pulled in nose goes straight through the wash. Almost like a duck dive. You can almost paddle straight through the wash, and it just raises up behind the wave. Very smooth by comparison. In addition to getting into your surf stance, get a good power stroke to punch yourself through or on top, then anchor your paddle on top, catch your balance, and pull.

[StuBro]

Very cool series of shots Tom!  I dropped by your shop a few weeks back and talked to one of your daughters about trying out a new board.  I was on the way to a BBQ at my sister's so I didn't want to bug you.  Are you ever going to get a Meetup Group together in the surf?  I'd be down for that.  I just returned from Hawaii where it's just so easy to practice SUS since the water is warm.

[Stokage]

"That gets more respect in my book than any cutback.

Skills."

[Tom English]

I started a meetup group, Aloha Sup. I have only scheduled paddles in the lagoon so far. Ocean paddles and surf sessions will be scheduled on small nice days.  Join up, and everyone in the group can schedule an event.
Aloha,
Tom

[capobeachboy]

 

[TallDude]

Magic totally has the technique wire. Just bend all four knees, and stay focused. Love that dog!

[robcasey]

smooth glide over the wave!  trying similar over the weekend, i realized in foam piles to do as he did above rather than actively paddling while going through. 

i also started a sup meet up group in Seattle, but no luck getting them on the water prior to late spring or summer.  but i'll be doing monday night skills clinics throughout the summer. 

cheers.

[stoneaxe]

Nice sequence.....sometimes I think the feeling of making it up over a big chunk of foam rivals anything else. When you pop up and over and get that floating feeling on the backside...a second of free fall coupled with a ....phew...made that one...

That pic of magic is great....I think I've seen another around somewhere even further up on a foamball.

[paddlesurfpastor]

I've been wondering what's the biggest foamball that's been crested using the method pictured here. I can't get over anything over waist high...yet.

[supthecreek]

That's certainly quicker than my current method:
         Dive for life... try to get my board back, climb on, stand up... repeat

[stoneaxe]

My 9er does well in a foamball. I can get over head high about 1/2 the time. It works best when I can punch the nose into the foam a little as I'm going up and over. Getting the nose into the foam keeps it from slamming back at me. The times I miss I'm eithjer too high and get thrown back or too low and get knocked off. Just right puts the top of the foam at my knees with just the bottom of my legs punching through.