How do I know if I am in over my head?

[Logan]

So I've been attempting to ride a 7s UberSmooth since I bought it at Thanksgiving.  It is 7'10" by 31.5 by 4.5 thick.  I'm 5'6" and 195.  The board floats me fine in flatwater and I don't have any issues with it there.

I bought this thing to surf, and that is where I just can't get it figured out.  To be more specific, I can't stand up on the thing.  Granted everywhere I go, there is lost of cross wind, crossswell, reverberating waves, and chop.  I'm also still in my winter suit because it is Maine afterall and the water temp is only 52.

I knew there was going to be a serious step up for me, and I have been paddling it fairly infrequently due to work and family commitments, but I also don't seem to be making any progress.  I'm trying varied stances as much as I can.  It all works on flatwater, then I head to the beach and flail.

Does anybody have any wisdom?  I'm starting to wonder if I bit off more than I can chew with this board and I would love some advice.

Thanks!

Logan

[Dwight (DW)]

There is no magic tip. It's purely a lack of time in the ocean. As you know now, the ocean is nothing like flat water.  You will get better and someday it will be easy. The question is, can you wait that long?

Take multiple 30 minutes sessions. Rest on the beach between sessions.

[aircube]

on my 8x30 i find that I have to start paddling hard as soon as i get to my feet.  If its glassy I have worked up to several hours of standing, riding and waiting, but chop is totally different.  If its just a bit choppy try paddling in circles or just keep the board moving all the time, always paddle as soon as you stand up(even half way up, Ha)  If its really messed up and windy, i will wait prone and/or on knees standup last minute facing the incoming swell and do a two or thee stroke 180 takeoff.  If its bonkers I just paddle in on my kness and popup on takeoff.  So much work compared to my 10x34 SB whopper, but totally worth the ride!

[freetobeme]

as still a novice surfer coming down from a 10'6 I am so glad i went 9'2 x 31.  inmo surfing should be a ton of fun with some work not a ton of work with some fun!!!

maybe some day i will have the skills to enjoy a sub 9' or even an 8' but for now i am right where i need to be. thanks to fellow Zoners talking be down from going too short

maybe grab a bigger used board and keep your 7'10 for another day 

[stoneaxe]

It's time on water but most boards that short will be a challenge. The fact that your paddling it infrequently doesn't give you a chance to get uased to it. Paddle it in chop an hour a day for a couple of weeks. I'd bet you'll see major improvement. Infrequent means you're starting over every time.
Width has so much to do with it. My South County 9'er is actually better in crazy chop than my 12-6 Starboard. At 35' wide you would expect it to be stable but John built some magic into it for sure. Kind of strange that my shortest board is also the most stable. You might want to take a look at his 8-6 x 32 Black Dragon or his 7-10 x 33.

[PonoBill]

It's simple, if you're not having fun you're over your head. Falling to surf is not for everyone.

[1tuberider]

How much surfing experience do you have?

[Strand Leper]

Logan,

You may be in over your head... But Aircube's advice is KEY.  On lower volume boards, inertia is your best friend.  Even when u feel like u might be going down, use your stroke to keep you upright.  I go out on my small board during heavy on shores sometimes just to try to raise my skill level. A few tips... After u go down, sit down on your board, take a few breaths and work out why you went down.  Then, turn ur board to face the wind... Hop up, and plant your paddle, for stability as much as for inertia.. Stroke SLOWLY... While you are engaging in this first stroke, adjust your body for balance, making sure that you are relaxed and your knees are bent to cushion the chop... Each subsequent stroke is equal parts inertia and trying not to fall the heck down. Stay facing the wind while slowly stroking to keep your balance... And when you need to turn into the wind to get a wave, make sure u r ready for the impact of the cross wind and cross chop.  Once you show The bottom of your rail to the wind, it's over and you are going down... Or u r going to have to make a dramatic, energy sapping save.

Good luck.

SL

[Logan]

Thanks guys.  The board into the wind thing is something I haven't tried - I've been trying to keep my nose into the swell.  I realize that time is a big piece of the answer, but PB's comment about having fun vs. not does hit home.

I will be working on taking breaks, figuring out my mechanics, and keeping my board moving. 

Logan

[SlatchJim]

A quote from 7S: "The new Über Smooth has been designed for the next generation in SUP surfers really pushing their stand up skills in the surf." Board size, volume, conditions, experience, balance, age, and physical condition are all factors in the answer to your question.  For example, after a couple years of sup surfing, I tried a 10-3 by 29.5 inch board out in low to medium chop.  I looked like Rush Limbaugh on a slackline. 

There's no shame in testing your limits to find out where they are.  Try some larger models and see if your fun meter doesn't spike back up.

[PaddleCrazy]

Yeah, gotta echo "freetobeme's" advice, "surfing should be a ton of fun with some work...not a ton of work with some fun!!!".

I too tried to "go small" too early, and didn't have as much fun overall as I was on something a little bigger.  Sure, once I did mange to get the smaller board into the wave it was a ton of fun, but for all of the missed waves and struggles while waiting for the next ones....I soon found myself tiring, and as the say in the old country, "it went to hell in handbasket" very quickly. 

Even recently, when deciding on what size board I'm having made, I found myself trying to make a lesser volume board work for me, simply because I couldn't get that "go small" stuff out of my head. 

Finally, after some decent sized waves rolled through, and I abandoned the "smaller board" (still 9'2"x28-1/2"x4") for my old "go to" board (9'6"x31x4-1/4")....that has enough float and glide to get me into the waves that I was missing earlier in the session on the other one, simply because I was holding the "smaller board" under water too much, and couldn't get it up and out of the water to glide, and therefore up to speed fast enough to get into the wave.   Aarrgghh!!.....frustrating to say the least.

Now while I know much of this has to do with my own inabilities, lack of experience, and poor technique....so I've decided that I'm going to go slightly bigger, enjoy myself more out there, and gain my experience and learning curve over a longer time frame......instead of coming in pumped and excited one day, but bummed out the next, just because my ego was bigger than my adeptness and proper board size. 

Just my take on it....YMMV

[AJR]

It's simple, if you're not having fun you're over your head. Falling to surf is not for everyone.

Well said.  I bought a board too small for me about a year ago and after about 2 months I realized I was having no fun at all.  I sold it and bought a bigger board, started having fun, and now i've downsized again recently.  I think I could ride it now but I'm glad I sold it because designs have advanced.  Now when I'm ready to go down again I'll get something more recent.

[Easy Rider]

As Aircube and Strand said - always keep the paddle in the water and always keep moving.

[Ucycle]

I said give yourself a month or two more than decide if this board/skill level is right for you.  You will be surpise how easy it get once you have more ocean time on it.  If this is your first surfing SUP, then it might be a even harder plus it all depend how much surfing experience you have.  It took me a month to really get it down on SUS and i have some surfing experience. if you have none of it, it will be a huge learning curve since you have to learn to read wave, catching wave, surfing, on top of all standing up doing it with a paddle on your hand.  it might be a good idea to buy a bigger board in the 9'6 range with similar width and keep the 7s when you are ready to down size.  

[SUPerstitious]

I'm in this camp:

"surfing should be a ton of fun with some work...not a ton of work with some fun!!!"

Surf on whichever shape or size of board maximizes your fun.