Paddling out: Lift foot technique

[PonoBill]

this may be old hat to you more experienced folks, but i had a revelation recently, and have found it extremely useful in punching out over big waves. I've been getting over waves by paddling hard into them, then leaning back as the wave hits and pushing down with my back foot to pick the nose up. the board shoves back under you and after a few wobbles, off you go. Only problem is you fall off the back fairly often.

Recently I started trying leaning forward but keeping my wieght on the rear foot, and raising my front foot as the wave hits. It sounds clumsy, but in the dynamic environment of a wave it's easier to do than it sounds. Today I was punching out away from the channels, because with the wind up I didn't want to paddle downwind, paddle out, then paddle upwind (or vice-versa) so I just plugged out when no one was coming. the waves were head high and I was driving into either freshly broken waves or unbroken but feathering. The technique of unweighting the front foot worked amazingly well. On two occasions I would have been catching the board with my face (or at least a forearm) but having my foot in front caught the board as it rose to meet the unweighted foot. Control was easy. I'm just amazed by how well this works. took about two weeks of practice to make it feel natural, but now I do it for any size wave.

I DID get worked trying this on a wave that was too far gone. Over the falls backwards, but I managed to kick the board up and out. Still, I did two full cycles in the washing machine, the first was backwards, looping over the falls on my back, feet first, the second i got sucked up again and went sideways. OOOoof. First time I've ever dragged my board. usually the board is dragging me.

[Paddle-Plappe]

With my board, this technique works better when the back foot is also pushing on the "open side" rail .

[Admin]

Are you guys pre-loading the board just before you go for it?  That can sometimes be really helpful.

[PonoBill]

Not sure what you mean.

[stoneaxe]

I do that by paddling really hard just before hitting it and most of my weight is forward, then plant my paddle and lean back. Like my surfing though it seems like my punching skills have gone backwards. I had a tough time Thursday in the whitewater from headhigh waves.

[Admin]

Not sure what you mean.

If I understand you correctly, you are paddling as hard as you can at an approaching foam pile.  A bit before it hits you are swicthing to surf stance.  Sometimes it helps to hard compress down on your board forcing it deeper into the water just before the foam hit.  Then as it is hitting you, unweight the board and allow it to pop back up, which should give it some extra spring up on to the pile.  It helps detach the board from the flat water where it can then kind of find the upslope of the pile.  It is very similar to bunny hopping a bike, ollie-ing a skateboard, etc.  It's not perfect, but it can make a nice difference.

[Paddle-Plappe]

Are you guys pre-loading the board just before you go for it?  That can sometimes be really helpful.

Yes sometimes but, imho, it's more psychologic than really efficient.
I'm thinking of ollying while a manoeuvre like some surfers do. ( yet thinking is not doing )

[Admin]

I'm thinking of ollying while a manoeuvre like some surfers do.

Me too.  No air, of course, but the unweighting of the board and sucking up with the legs does let the pile help the board up and on top.  It also makes it a bit easier to slide the back foot forward (ollie style) and get the weight more centerred or on the front foot, like Bill was saying, to drive the nose back down when you get up there.  At least we can really feel like we are trying hard when we eat shit

[Deb]

Just before the pile hits, I crouch a bit too (flex my knees) - this helps lower my center of gravity and absorbs some of the shock. And at the moment of suspension going through the pile, I dig in my paddle as hard as I can - this seems to help me balance better and get through the wash faster. Though there are plenty of times nothing works and I get churned .....