Author Topic: 8' SUP surfing problems  (Read 18607 times)

bajasurf

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8' SUP surfing problems
« on: August 14, 2013, 06:53:44 AM »
Man I need some advice.

Been surfing 32 years, above average surfer.5'11"',  51 years old, 220# good surfing shape, but a bit overweight.

My buddy suggested I try SUP last year, as my lower back and neck hurt when I surf. My pop up is no longer quick and fluid, and my neck hurts for hours after I surf.  So I thought I would give it a try, and my big ego said, hey no problema, I can do this.  So I made a SimSup copy. 8.2x32x4.5  Its got 5" nose rocker and 2.5 tail rocker.   Slight belly up front, double concave middle of board, out the tail, stepped rails, glassed in 9" keel fins ( Just like my Mini Simms), flat deck.. Cool looking stick.. I have been paddling it around the area for the last 6 months and no Problema in flay or chop, but every time I take it into the surf, I cant catch a wave.  They just go right past me, and I paddle like heck... No GLIDE at all in the board.. When I go surf stance, the back of the board sinks When I kneel on it, I can get into waves.. Oh yea, the water level is flat with the deck, not on my feet, but close.  When I go parallel stance, the board is very tippy front to back when the wave comes..

I catch waves and surf on my wife's 10' x31x 4 1/2.  Actually its too easy to catch waves, one paddle stroke and I am in.. I built the board extra light( no stringer, 1lb eps, Two 6oz deck and two 4oz bottom full rail wraps) for her as she likes flat water SUP in the Bay here in Cabo..I am fearful of taking it into the surf, as she will kill me if I break her board, but I go anyway, at least on small days... On bigger days, take my short-board out, but hoping it will be a shorter SUP one day soon.

Any advice on catching waves on this small SUP?  I am sure I jumped way too many steps, maybe the best bet is build another 10' SUP and start where I should have started, and work my way down...  Problem is I can paddle this board fine and stay in the lineup, I am just a kook when I want to surf it..


AM9K

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2013, 07:11:48 AM »
My 2 cents:

Spread your feet out during take off.  Your weight must be spread out to get on plane.  Get lower.   Dont over paddle.  Wait till the wave is almost on you to really give it a couple good strokes but don't try and paddle any faster than the wave.  Watch the wave, not the board to judge the speed needed for take off. 

Finally make sure you are in position.  Being to far out will make it difficult to catch em.

- get in position

- get low

- spread em

- stroke it


 
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raf

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2013, 07:23:22 AM »
That board should kill it and should catch waves super easy.  Rather than position yourself outside with the guys on 11'ers, you will need to park yourself just outside the prone crew.  1 stroke and you are in.  On mushy waves, stay just forwards of the midpoint to catch the wave, then hop back as you slide down the face.  The hop will unweight your board and let it accelerate even more.  In steeper stuff, you will want to be in surf position for that last stroke. 

Bean

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2013, 07:41:37 AM »
'+ 1 on all of the above. 

As someone about your size, just a couple of months into riding a similar size simmons shape, I can tell you once it clicks, you will never look back.  Late takeoffs have never been more fun. 

Great looking board by the way!

bajasurf

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2013, 07:54:27 AM »
Thanks guys.

One stroke, man I am off or something? I have been struggling, waiting for the light bulb moment.. At times,  I also thought, I am super close, but missing something.  Having the waves go by and me not catching them is disheartening..  I love the one or no stroke takeoff on my long and shortboards, so I know positioning. 

  I will take the advice to heart.  I want this!  It could change the way I surf, I would really like to go SUP all the way.  One thing, I will miss my small boards, but not the sore lower back and neck...

- get in position

- get low

- spread em

- stroke it

Done!  I will update tomorrow.. thanks guys and keep the suggestions coming.

I am off the water today, actually heading to La Paz to buy some foam for a new board, but will try agin tomorrow... Small waves, shoulder high at Cerritos will be good practice, I will keep you updated...

supsurf-tw

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #5 on: August 14, 2013, 08:06:00 AM »
You need to drop down in size gradually. Going from a 10-0 to an 8-0 is too much of a change. If you were younger it wouldn't be such a problem or a little smaller or both. This is just reality. I fought the same thing.
Boards:

 
8-10 x 31 Egg
8-11 X 32 Double wing Fangtail Tom Whitaker
8-6 X 30 1\2  Inbetweener Tom Whitaker
8-4 x 30 Hyper quad Tom Whitaker (wife's now)
8-4 X 31 1\4.  Round (wide) Diamond Tail Quad Tom Whitaker
 9-4 X 30 1\2. Swallow Stinger Quad Tom Whitaker (ex wifes now)
10-0 Brusurf for teach

Bean

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2013, 08:13:03 AM »
I'm glad my 52 year old, 5'10" 210lb carcass was unaware of that "reality" before I dropped from my 10' Icon to my 7'10" x 30.5" Phoenix.  I never would have been able to pull it off. ;D

supsurf-tw

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2013, 08:29:01 AM »
I'm glad my 52 year old, 5'10" 210lb carcass was unaware of that "reality" before I dropped from my 10' Icon to my 7'10" x 30.5" Phoenix.  I never would have been able to pull it off. ;D

You're lucky. Some of us for various reasons can't. Usually it's a balance issue. If you can do it then great. If you can't then regroup and fins a solution instead of getting frustrated. I started at 60 and it was a challenge. Baby steps going down in length was the cure.

OP's board DOES look super stable but everyone is a little different in their ability to adapt.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2013, 08:30:37 AM by supsurf-tw »
Boards:

 
8-10 x 31 Egg
8-11 X 32 Double wing Fangtail Tom Whitaker
8-6 X 30 1\2  Inbetweener Tom Whitaker
8-4 x 30 Hyper quad Tom Whitaker (wife's now)
8-4 X 31 1\4.  Round (wide) Diamond Tail Quad Tom Whitaker
 9-4 X 30 1\2. Swallow Stinger Quad Tom Whitaker (ex wifes now)
10-0 Brusurf for teach

bajasurf

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2013, 08:31:28 AM »
I also had that thought. Big ego, little brain got in the way...

How about size, is the board too small for me?  I know, I am pushing it with the 8' at my weight, but say in 6 months...I wonder if I should just surf the bigger SUP boards until I am 100% proficient, then go smaller as my capabilities improve.. I am about to build a 10' for myself (starting tomorrow after my surf), wondering if I should make it 9' or so, for the easier jump to the 8'?  Or should I just stick to bigger SUP with the the 220# I will be carrying around the rest of my life (Mexican beer and wife's cooking is just too good to give up).

I did the same thing surfing... Started out on sub 6' shortboards in Mainland Mexico, and it took me years to get to be decent, but once I had it down, it was great.. about 15 years ago, I left surfing for 10 years to start up my business.  Then stress was getting the best of me, so it was back in the water for me.I lost 40 pounds, and got my mental and physical health back.. when I jumped back on shortboards, I sucked, both endurance and surfing.  So went to 10' longboards until I had my conditioning and game down and then jumped to shortboards again.  What a difference..I always seem to be doing things like this ass-backwards..

On the other hand, if I just keep trying on the 8', will I get it?

Tom

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2013, 08:33:08 AM »
Not sure what your problem is but from your discription it may be that you are too early. A 10 footer has more glide. I,d suggest you try steeper waves and try to only paddle on one side while taking off.

supsurf-tw

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2013, 08:50:10 AM »
I also had that thought. Big ego, little brain got in the way...

How about size, is the board too small for me?  I know, I am pushing it with the 8' at my weight, but say in 6 months...I wonder if I should just surf the bigger SUP boards until I am 100% proficient, then go smaller as my capabilities improve.. I am about to build a 10' for myself (starting tomorrow after my surf), wondering if I should make it 9' or so, for the easier jump to the 8'?  Or should I just stick to bigger SUP with the the 220# I will be carrying around the rest of my life (Mexican beer and wife's cooking is just too good to give up).

I did the same thing surfing... Started out on sub 6' shortboards in Mainland Mexico, and it took me years to get to be decent, but once I had it down, it was great.. about 15 years ago, I left surfing for 10 years to start up my business.  Then stress was getting the best of me, so it was back in the water for me.I lost 40 pounds, and got my mental and physical health back.. when I jumped back on shortboards, I sucked, both endurance and surfing.  So went to 10' longboards until I had my conditioning and game down and then jumped to shortboards again.  What a difference..I always seem to be doing things like this ass-backwards..

On the other hand, if I just keep trying on the 8', will I get it?

I'd borrow boards, a little smaller each time, until you find your sweet spot which is your personal balance of surfability and paddleability in a board. THEN get a board of that size. You generally only need to ride each board a couple of times until you downsize again. You may go to a 7-10 or whatever and find that for YOU a nice 8-6 or 9-0 or something was the "good" size for you.
Boards:

 
8-10 x 31 Egg
8-11 X 32 Double wing Fangtail Tom Whitaker
8-6 X 30 1\2  Inbetweener Tom Whitaker
8-4 x 30 Hyper quad Tom Whitaker (wife's now)
8-4 X 31 1\4.  Round (wide) Diamond Tail Quad Tom Whitaker
 9-4 X 30 1\2. Swallow Stinger Quad Tom Whitaker (ex wifes now)
10-0 Brusurf for teach

Bean

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2013, 08:58:39 AM »
OP's board DOES look super stable...

Yes, the board shape is the key to being able to drop a couple feet in board lenght supsurf-tw.  I had the opportunity to demo a 8'7" JL Stungun a few weeks back and it was much more work for me than my nearly foot shorter simsup.   

Going from a conventional 10 footer to an 8 foot simmons style board is not a huge jump especially for somone with 30+ years of surfing experience. 

supthecreek

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2013, 09:14:37 AM »
Just an "in general" comment.

I tell surfers who try SUP:
" It's nothing like surfing... paddling into a wave on SUP is a totally different animal"
Once you are on a wave, it's surfing
But paddling in, standing up, requires a different skill set.
Most folks (me included) have mighty struggles the first few days till you "get it"
For a life long surfer, the progress is quick, once you work out the wave catching part.

Just take the beatings till it clicks.

And...of course it will happen sooner if you try a bigger board till you make the adjustment.

Your board looks good, but SUP is a bit different from a prone board... it could be there is something in your design that makes it more difficult.... but you will figure that out as you transition into SUP.

Keep us in the loop.... you def have a different approach than most first timers ;D

Dwight (DW)

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #13 on: August 14, 2013, 09:30:21 AM »
Read this a couple of times to make sure I get it.  ???

You're comfortable and stable in the ocean on it, but it doesn't catch waves worth a darn.  Maybe its not you?

Have some expert SUP guys tried it, and what did they think?

In my opinion, some SUPs do paddle like dogs.

surfinJ

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Re: 8' SUP surfing problems
« Reply #14 on: August 14, 2013, 09:37:38 AM »
Sup a lot on the ten footer mixing this one in.

Practice squatted surf stance digging hard on takeoff.

Nice job on the board.

 


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