Pumping on a thruster setup

[oakfish]

Any tips on how to get more speed out of my thruster setup while surfing?  I sometimes end up stuck in the whitewater and have to paddle to catch up to the unbroken wave front. I can generate a little speed by pumping my board a little, trying to stay up on the rails, but I think some technique tweaks will allow me to increase my speed.  Any tips?
I have my center fin all the way forward in the fin box to keep my board loose and turn-y.

[vertseven]

So you have a center fin with sidebites? That's still a longboard setup. More performance related, but LB nonetheless. You should first look at a smaller fin and if you really want to break loose, look at something with a cutaway.

Where are you standing on the board? Do you have your rear foot on the stomp pad (right above the fins)? If you're standing right in the center of the board, you have no leverage.

Though a nice advantage of having a paddle is that you could always stroke your way back into the face, for real fluid speed you need to work the wave. Pump up and glide down. It's very similar to skateboard tick-tacking, but you tick one way then lean back down the line. If you're riding right, you tick up and toward the right, then let the board glide down the wave and to the left. Just as you would a regular surfboard.

Another advantage of a SUP is that you can spot the wave much further out. Set yourself up away from the closeout. A local surf legend said it best - "selection and position."

One big problem that I see with people SUP surfing, is that they catch the wave then just stand there. The paddle becomes awkward. Once you drop in, if you don't keep up the flow, you're just gonna stall. Use that paddle to make a nice bottom turn and gat back to the top of the wave. You don't want to ride at the bottom. If so, you're just getting pushed around. You want to stay on top of the wave and let gravity get you going.

[jumpfrom13k]

You can't really pump it unless your board is shorter than 8'.

[PonoBill]

If it's a consistent problem then some smaller fins might help--go a lot smaller on the center fin and push it back. The really good kids can turn in the whitewater and make something of it. If it's big enough I just run straight to pick up some speed, and then angle as much as my geezer balance allows. Sometimes I can reconnect that way. My 10'4" is good for that, both because of the stability and because the thinned out nose doesn't get bounced around.  The 9'0" is really bad at it because the nose is thicker. I haven't found a way to pump in whitewater, but Zane does it.

Perhaps I didn't understand your question. Are you trying to go faster on the unbroken section to avoid getting caught in the whitewater, or go faster in whitewater to hook back up? I answered the latter question. If it's generally going faster then you have to stay up on the wave and use your rail as much as possible. Drop down the face a little to gain speed and then use it to run up while you press hard on the rail to get the force of the wave to accelerate the board. Rinse and repeat.

Some of it is just the board. There are boards that are fast, and boards that are maneuverable. Straighter rails like the SimSUPs and Tomos are faster in medium-sized critical waves, curvy guns that fit the wave face better are fast in bigger stuff. When the surf gets big I'll take speed over maneuverability any day. Gots to run away.

[surfcowboy]

I've personally never liked my boards as 2+1 (larger center fin.) it was a revelation as I started using smaller fins. I recommend everyone try to go smaller and smaller with fins til you start to break them free and then also play with larger side invites too.

The old timers here taught me to buy and borrow fins. Even a small change makes a big difference. My board feels way faster and slower depending on how it's finned.

[supthecreek]

Oak
IMO
Put a "true" thuster set-up on your board.
Bigger sidebite, not smaller, with decent "base" length
In your center box, install a fin that is slightly smaller than your side bites (or the same size)
and move it all the way back in the box.

It's the separation between the sidebites and the rear fin, plus the increased drive from longer based fins, that give you "thrust"

When in the soup, I do "ankle flips" to throw around a section
That means that I use my lower legs and ankles more than full compression to gain a "squirt" around a section.

When too far back for that, your best bet is to maintain "maximum trim" and weight your "wave side" rail slightly to keep from bobbling too much.

And as to "shorter than 8 foot boards".... I pump the hell out of my 10'6 all the time.
Width or performance shape, is more a factor in successful pumping

IMO.... bigger side bites give more drive

[Sup-position]

All interesting comments since we don't know what you are riding..
Perhaps a picture of the board, rocker profile and tail.

[oakfish]

As usual, great insight.  Thanks all.

I’m riding a 2014 9’5” Mana with stock fins (large center fin with small side fins).  I have the center fin crammed all the way forward to make it easier to turn and catch the wave. If I don’t, I really have to step back to turn the board…sometimes that is one step too many for my puny brain.  I will try moving that center fin all the way back and see if that helps.  Although I knew that may help with speed, it didn’t occur to me that it could help with pumping.

As for my stance, it is pretty variable.  If the wave is strong enough, I’ll get way back on the tail, but when weak I’m probably a little forward of the fins.  Rarely am I centered once in the wave.
Vert, your description is great.  I can picture tic-tac-ing up the wave, then gliding down.  Makes total sense.  I think that is the step I was missing.  I was more leaning into the rails to make a series of small cuts, almost like snowboarding.  It felt as though getting up on the rail created a little umph, but your description makes it sounds like my goal is to get a little elevation by tic-tac-ing the board up, then gain speed by gliding down.  Is that accurate?

Pono, sorry I wasn’t clear, put you are correct.  I’m trying to get out of the white water and back “hooked-up” as you called it.  Thanks for the tips.

Creek, great tip on the ankleflex rather than full compression.  I’ll give that a try.

Sounds like universal support for trying different fin sizes too.  Man, that’s a world I don’t want to get into, but I suppose it is inevitable 

Thanks, all!

[surfcowboy]

And creek is right, I was saying smaller center and matched in size. That big middle fin is probably dragging you especially if you're not in macking wave.

Stepping back to turn will change your life. I rode the middle of my board for a couple of years but once I could get back there things really picked up.

[Sup-position]

Alright I'll take a stab at this.
By pumping I presume you are trying
to go more top to bottom on a wave.
You are riding a 9'5" X 32", 160L Board
and weight 180#.
You are trying to throw around a big board.
Carving and pumping requires that you sink the rail.
If you were 220# I think the board would work better in this regard.
A Rail profile that allows you to rail turn is more dynamic when pumping.
Harder rails can hold a higher line..
Some pronounced tail rocker will get the board turning harder off the bottom and
when turning in the pocket.
A flatter rocker profile with some concave (creates lift) in the front will catch the wave sooner and go faster..
I don't know that you can really make the 9'5" Mana come alive at 180#.
Certainly fins are super important and can be a game changer.
I would think depending your skill level 130L-100L is your volume pocket for more performance. 

[PonoBill]

Don't bother moving that center fin unless you go a lot smaller on it. It will track like crazy. Most production boards come with pretty big fins. First thing I do with a thruster board generally is go smaller with the center fin. I like the tail loose, because I like the feeling of tail slides, and it speeds up slower boards. You can make your board faster with the same size fins by going to less foil--basically skinny fins. Unfortunately they tend to be fragile, so you should only get thin fins in solid fiberglass.

Don't be afraid to fiddle with your fins. If you have any friends who are longtime SUP surfers they probably have a bagfull you can try without spending money. I have the damned things everywhere. I don't know where they all came from. Must be reproducing like hangers.

[oakfish]

Thanks for the input.  This is really helpful. I'm going to work on the technique tips, but in the meantime, any idiot-proof suggestions on a center fin replacement?  Fin-swapping is a world I'm unfamiliar with and can use some tips.
Thanks!

[Subber]

...in the meantime, any idiot-proof suggestions on a center fin replacement?  Fin-swapping is a world I'm unfamiliar with and can use some tips.
Thanks!

I'm agreeing with Creek, "... move it all the way back in the box."

[banzai]

If you want speed and be able to turn faster, take off the center fin and use just the two side fins. Wave size will determine fin size...faster/bigger wave = bigger fins. I'd suggest 4 1/2" - 5" fins. I'm not familiar with the Mana but if it has good rails, a twin fin setup will be faster and looser.

[supthecreek]

Oak... just get a thruster set from the local shop....I would recommend  5" fins for the Mana.... that worked well for me.
You don't need to spend a fortune... a low tech set of fiberglass fins will be fine.
and,,, put the 5" center fin all the way back, to achieve a true thruster drive.