Beginner's progress questions: What should I learn next? Clickbait included

[oceanAddict]

 Over last couple of months I begun going out and SUP surfing more often.  I'm getting more comfortable on my 10 ft Allrounder in the surf and even thought that I probably could step down in size a bit. One of the reasons for that that I don't know how to progress, and one of my buddies said - oh, we are surfing beach break and it's difficult to turn your tanker here.  He is beginner  too, but ahead of me.  Well, the board is 169 liters and I'm despite all my effort still around 205/210 lbs. But I think before jumping to shopping I better learn more, and here I want to ask you: what exactly I have to learn to get most out of this board before moving on?  I included a  a short video that shows my abilities at this time. I can catch a wave and go toward the shore slightly angled - left or right depends on the direction of wave. I'm having hard time to change direction in case of obstacles on my way - not completely though, I probably can make a slight turn of the projectile I'm going , but it far from completely changing direction. So here is the video I took last week. Comments are welcome and encouraged.     

[FRP]

Hi O'Addict,

Great question. Nice waves and you are surfing well, good balance and trimming the board. I am not an instructor but a couple of simple things to work on is moving your back foot back a bit and turning more down the line. Your feet are likely going to resist your instruction not move them but even little steps fore and aft are victories. If you can do that comfortably, practice completing the turn on the green part of the wave and "kicking out" the back off the wave. This is the start of learning a bottom turn. If you really are motivated find an instructor and take a couple of lessons. Your surfing will take off. There is a huge temptation to try to improve by changing boards. The board you have you can learn all of the basics on. Have fun and get out in the water as much as you can.

Cheers

Bob 

[ospreysup]

Well said FRP! I have been on a 7-year now sup surfing journey if I would give my beginner self 3 bits  of advice they would be:

1. Time on the water!!! Above all else (I changed boards too often and frequently). Good surfers make it look so easy, don't they?  I appreciate today with incredible admiration and jealousy how much time on the water it took to acquire those skills. You can't skip that step, you have to give the ocean its time. It is like paying your dues!

2. Watch the water. I do this more now than when I first started. I wish I did it more. Sitting on the beach and watching what waves do and how surfers react gives great mental imagery to how you should react to a wave. That does transfer to your surfing. but.....see number 1.

3. The best surfer is the one having the most fun!

[surfcowboy]

Agree, find someone better than you to surf with for sure. It helps.

Also, when you are ready to kick out (I’m goofy too) step your back foot back 6in and a bit to the right. You will fall but you will also turn harder than you ever have, even on that board. You will start to get the feel of what turning is and then as was said you can begin to bottom turn. Same for the other direction. Don’t worry about your front foot yet, just stay into a weird wide stance for a while when turning.

Also on that wave, play with stepping forward and to the right (weight on the rail) to see how fast you can go down the line without stuffing the nose (after you stop in of course.) once you feel those the thing to do is alternately move between them. Back to turn and slow down, forward to speed up.

[oceanAddict]

Thank you all,  going through comments and on one hand find something I'm familiar and something new  and something that need clarification...

  I def noticed that when I'm standing more forward - the board is going faster.  Going back and I loose speed very quick  - does it mean I do it do aggressively? I think I can  control the speed  - in terms of if I feel I'm slowing down I move forward a bit.. Obviously to make a turn I have to move my back foot more back - how quickly (or rather "how early") I should try to do that  after I begun riding the wave?  Because I feel  I want to have longer ride but if I start this tail loading too late the wave is already weak  and I stalling?

 Should I try to end my ride before getting into white water? it's soo tempting to get a looong ride and I feel like the wave is getting second wind  and let me continue. But as a result I'm almost always ended up in a water  vs lot of folks on SUP don't go there, thus not falling at all..

Is the balance something could be better one day and feels like totally gone on another? This session I recorded begun really weird - for a good 30  min I was falling off the board left and right without apparent reason. Then I got the rhythm and rest of the session was no problem at all.

Do you change into surfing stand (from parallel stand) prior to wave picking your board of after?  I think I do later and I'm not sure if this is efficient way.  But I can put out more power paddling this way - trying to paddle in surf stance makes me concentrate on balance more that getting up to speed. Plus it is really awkward to to if wave goes right (I'm goofy).

"step your back foot back 6in and a bit to the right"  - trying to decode this. Do you mean if I go left and standing in semi- surging stand as I have at 1:15 in the video  - I should try move my back foot: a. "back" meaning toward the tail or b. "back" - meaning literally back off the left rail  so my heel would be not on the centerline but on right side of the board? 
 - " bit of the right" - mean closer to my front (R) foot?

And lastly (for now)- do you change side you paddling on when you trying to catch the wave?  Somehow I developed the habit to switch the side literally at the last moment for few more strokes but I don't thing it does any good..   

[supthecreek]

Hi OA... how are you my friend?
Come visit!!

You asked:
 I def noticed that when I'm standing more forward - the board is going faster.  Going back and I loose speed very quick  - does it mean I do it do aggressively? I think I can  control the speed  - in terms of if I feel I'm slowing down I move forward a bit..
Obviously to make a turn I have to move my back foot more back - how quickly (or rather "how early") I should try to do that  after I begun riding the wave?  Because I feel  I want to have longer ride but if I start this tail loading too late the wave is already weak  and I stalling?
All of what you said is correct
But you don’t have to move too much, concentrate more on effective foot placement
Front foot centered, just behind the handle
Back foot toes turned out towards the rail and closer to the rail (pic5)


 Should I try to end my ride before getting into white water? it's soo tempting to get a looong ride and I feel like the wave is getting second wind  and let me continue. But as a result I'm almost always ended up in a water  vs lot of folks on SUP don't go there, thus not falling at all..
Totally understand… so ride it out, take the last bit of energy from the wave and “flick” your board over the wave with a hard turn (pic 1)

Is the balance something could be better one day and feels like totally gone on another? This session I recorded begun really weird - for a good 30  min I was falling off the board left and right without apparent reason. Then I got the rhythm and rest of the session was no problem at all.
We tend to suffer “happy feet” in the beginning, but then our feet get tired and stop fidgeting…. Voila, relaxation happens


Do you change into surfing stand (from parallel stand) prior to wave picking your board of after?  I think I do later and I'm not sure if this is efficient way.  But I can put out more power paddling this way - trying to paddle in surf stance makes me concentrate on balance more that getting up to speed. Plus it is really awkward to to if wave goes right (I'm goofy).
IMO, Good practice to always stand in a “modified surf stance” which keeps you ready to surf, plus adds “front to back” stability that is lacking in parallel stance (pic 4)

"step your back foot back 6in and a bit to the right"  - trying to decode this. Do you mean if I go left and standing in semi- surging stand as I have at 1:15 in the video  - I should try move my back foot: a. "back" meaning toward the tail or b. "back" - meaning literally back off the left rail  so my heel would be not on the centerline but on right side of the board? 
 - " bit of the right" - mean closer to my front (R) foot?
A picture is worth a 1,000 words (last pic)

And lastly (for now)- do you change side you paddling on when you trying to catch the wave?  Somehow I developed the habit to switch the side literally at the last moment for few more strokes but I don't thing it does any good..   
Never (ok… this is really the last picture)

[oceanAddict]

Hey Ricky,  long time no chat   

Thinking about you every time I see Creeks in a water - one day I will own one
Thank you for detailed analysis  - going to reread and reread again, then try and report back, hopefully upcoming week.   

[TallDude]

So..like you need to totally bury the rail .. Like just Like?? Totally bury the rail and kick out hard Dude!

And .. Like stick the paddle!