How to take off in a breakingwave

[toolate]

Try as I might Idont seem to be able to progress in my ability to increase the success rate of making the take off
on waves that are breaking as i take off...
I know i need to get my body prepared for the sudden acceleration of the board and crouching seems to help with a firm forward foot but I feel so psyched out...

advice? Videos?

[Zooport]

The problem is usually with your stance.  Facing forward with feet side by side is a big mistake.  You need to be in a semi-surf stance.  One foot about 18 inches further back on the board than the other.  Depending on whether you are goofy (left handed) or regular foot (right handed)  If you are left handed, your left foot goes back.  If you are right handed, your right foot goes back.  This vid explains it well:

[TallDude]

Here's one of Robert's.

[toolate]

thanks. I am defintely in the surf stance. Mind you I am talking about waves that are curling over me...

[Dusk Patrol]

There are a couple helpful and relevant videos on this site, covering low center of gravity and foot placement.

http://www.nosarapaddlesurf.com/sup-coaching-videos/

ALSO, change your name from ” TooLate” to something that visualizes success, like “DropMaker” 

[TallDude]

Understanding which waves you can catch, and which you can't will improve your chances of success. Some waves just pop up, get very steep and break fast. These are usually shore break or near shore waves. The problem is most beginners are on longer boards with low rockers. That is not good on shore break of waves. A short or very short board with lots of rocker work better on shore breaks. Plus you have to know what you're doing feet and weight wise to pull off a quick bottom turn or even go straight without pearling. 
Waves that break further away from shore, where the ocean floor is flatter sand or reef, will build slower and not be as steep. These 'slopey' waves are easier to catch on a flatter longer board, but if you don't understand where they actually break, you'll paddle a lot and miss them. This wears a lot of beginners out. The wind plays a part in your success. If it's blowing off shore, you're going to have to line up closer to wear the wave breaks (inside) or the wind will blow you back off the wave. It also blows you constantly out of position. If the wind is blowing onshore, it's usually choppy. This too makes it harder to catch waves  because you're getting bounced around as you try to paddle into waves.
Knowing how the tide effects the waves is important too. As the tide fills in, the water gets deeper. These waves will tease you by making you paddle and paddle and never quite break. One minute your catching everything and the next you can't catch anything. The tide sneaks up on you. Pay attention to where the wave breaks. If you paddle outside of the break a little and look back towards the shore you can see the pattern left by the white water. It's usually a triangle that starts narrow where the apex of the break is and fans out right and left wider and wider as it breaks towards shore. That tells me were I want to line up or position myself to catch waves. I don't want to be right where the wave is breaking, I want to be a little outside of that.
Paddling into the wave is another key component. I see beginners giving up on waves, thinking they started too far outside. They give it 50% effort, then stop padding. Don't watch the good guys and think "they don't paddle that much, but they seem to catch waves." They know exactly where they are as far as position to catch the wave, and they know how to paddle efficiently and effectively. Until you get that good, you are going to have to paddle a lot harder and longer to get into the waves. I suspect you are trying to catch waves without putting in the paddling, which puts you inside and late. Not an easy spot to take off from unless you have some surfing skills. 
If all you have at your local break is shore break, I'd look for a better spot where it breaks further out to learn first. 

Here's an old video of me probably 4 years ago. I'm on my short board which has a lot of rocker and a very thin tail. Because of that, it's harder to paddle into waves. You'll see how hard I paddle to catch the waves and miss one that I didn't put enough effort into.

[Zooport]

You don't want to start off in a full "surfing stance" you need a semi-surfing stance.  Think 45% angles to the board.  You switch to a full surfing stance when you begin to accelerate after catching the wave.

All of the above is good advice.  The #1 thing is to keep trying and keep taking your lumps.  Surfing is not an easy thing to learn where you just get a couple of tips and then do it; it takes paying some dues.  Keep at it and you will master it.

Here's a vid of me a few years ago.  Notice the semi-surf stance to paddle that switches to a full surf stance when I catch the wave.  (on some waves, you can see it, on some waves you can't, but it's always there)

[surfercook]

Yea...TooLate is gonna not make EveryDrop! first thing i thought of too! Late drops are amazing when you make em. Takes a skill set not all have. Commitment, courage, balance, agility, mind set, and realization are key elements.....Pure acceleration.

Here's an old video of me probably 4 years ago. I'm on my short board which has a lot of rocker and a very thin tail. Because of that, it's harder to paddle into waves. You'll see how hard I paddle to catch the waves and miss one that I didn't put enough effort into.

I enjoyed that TallDude vid. Was cool to see San O. Looked like alot of sup out! Nice footing to control the board. Was cool when you looked down and I noticed it.

[Badger]

Yeah, I think toolate is referring to late takeoffs, as in when the wave breaks just before you try to catch it.

Late take offs can be extremely difficult. I rarely make them. I think the type of board has a lot to do with it. My 7'6 Super Frank is better at late take offs than my 8'10 Flow but I still fall 9 out of 10 times.

.

[abmatt]

If the waves already broken, with white water coming down the face, forget it -- I'm toast, swept off my feet no matter how hard I try to stay up.
But super-late takeoffs, with the wave standing straight up? Doable.
It's harder if you're not moving before the wave gets to you, just standing there as it pops up. But I find that if you can paddle to the wave with some speed, keeping your momentum, then get halfway around and take off almost sideways, with the paddle jammed in the face ahead of you, you can get in and down the line on some surprisingly steep waves ... sometimes!

[Subber]

I find you can do it on mushy waves where there is a good portion of unbroken slope below
crumbling whitewater breaking at the top, but the more hollow (steeper and crashing) it
gets the tougher it is to pull it off.

[surfercook]

If the waves already broken, with white water coming down the face, forget it -- I'm toast, swept off my feet no matter how hard I try to stay up.

For real...only made a coupla white water steam rollers. Seems you hafta paddle twice as hard and fast to make one of those. The wave has gained so much momentum at that point. I kept thinking about this late drop I made March 2016 on the 9'11". I remember putting my fear in check for a split second and giving all my concentration into the wave. One of the most memorable drops I ever had here.

I kept curiously looking at your user name, abmatt. Why abmatt?

[PonoBill]

I'm a late take off fan--I love the steep drops. The two critical bits are commitment and stance. If the wave is feathering above you it's not time to be wishy-washy. You have to charge, and you have to want the wave. If you stand too tall, or brace for the fall--you're doomed. It's got to be in your head--You're going to make it, and it's going to be fun.

The stance is tricky, you need speed, which means weight forward, but you also need to resist the shove from behind, which means you need to be low and ready for it. I move my front foot further forward than normal, and shift my hips and chest forward for the drop, then move my hips back over my back foot, staying low, head up, looking where I want to go. If the punch from behind is kicking you off, you aren't low and braced enough.

[toolate]

Yeah, I think toolate is referring to late takeoffs, as in when the wave breaks just before you try to catch it.

Late take offs can be extremely difficult. I rarely make them. I think the type of board has a lot to do with it. My 7'6 Super Frank is better at late take offs than my 8'10 Flow but I still fall 9 out of 10 times.

.

yes, that is what I am referring too. and no i dont expect to make everyone, not by far. I can make the small ones now 80%, but big waves less than one in 10 and the numbers are not going up..

[toolate]

If the waves already broken, with white water coming down the face, forget it -- I'm toast, swept off my feet no matter how hard I try to stay up.
But super-late takeoffs, with the wave standing straight up? Doable.
It's harder if you're not moving before the wave gets to you, just standing there as it pops up. But I find that if you can paddle to the wave with some speed, keeping your momentum, then get halfway around and take off almost sideways, with the paddle jammed in the face ahead of you, you can get in and down the line on some surprisingly steep waves ... sometimes!

thanks! That is something i am just finally getting, go into those late ones with some serious paddling spped, not deer in headlightsattitude