Tips van Surfing Girlz:

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Tips van 'About':

Learning to catch a wave is the next step after learning to paddle out. The way you take off will vary from wave to wave and is dependent on the wave type (shorey, sucky reef, point break, late take-off, early take-off). Start here to catch your first wave.

1. On fast waves like a point break takeoff on an angle to wave. 
2. For late drops, the drop needs to be straight down the wave, then a quick bottom turn.
3. Sometimes you'll need to paddle hard, other times hardly at all. Timing and judgment will come with experience.

1. The criteria for being able to ride the wave is its steepness. The steeper the wave - the more it will push you along and the easier to catch. 
2. Watch where others are catching the waves [taking off]. This will give you a good idea as to where you can take off.
3. Once you are generally in the correct position in the line-up, wait for the second or third wave in a set. 
4. When your wave comes, turn around towards shore and paddle to get to a speed similar to that of the wave speed. Kick, kick, Kick.

Check de website van About voor meer informatie

Tips van 'Surfing Vancouver Island':

Get into Shape

whatever your physical condition, the more you invest in your body, the more you will be capable of enjoying surfing. Surfing and paddling employ very specific and little used muscle groups. Unless you surf nearly everyday, you'll want to do a little training to enable your surfing to progress. Your goals are;

• increase your wind and endurance

• strengthen your pop up

• strengthen paddling mussels which are very difficult to target in a gym.

Push-ups, push-ups, push-ups and then more push-ups. This will strengthen your arms for paddling and greatly improve control in your popup. Squat thrusts are good and any and all cardio exercises to increase your wind. Chin ups are great but remember to vary the position and direction of your grip on the bar to target as wide a variety of mussels as possible.

Swim laps if you have access to a pool. The breast stroke is close to paddling, but all swimming will help big time.

For may people finding the right person to surf with makes every difference in how far you eventually progress. Although it can be said that a surfer is on his own in the water, for most people, surfing is just plain safer and more fun with friends, especially if you surf and learn with someone close to your own skill level. There are the added bonuses of sharing expenses and sharing the responsibility for each other's safety in the water.

Goofy versus Regular

First you have to figure out if you're goofy or regular foot. You may already know which foot you favor if you skate ski or board. If you don't, stand with both feet together at attention and get someone to gently push you forward. Usually the foot you step forward with will be your power [back] foot on the surfboard. Right foot back is regular, and left back is goofy foot. 

A pop-up takes you from lying prone on your surfboard to standing position. To practice this you can draw a surfboard in the sand, tape one out on your floor or put your surfboard across your bed [simulates water and protects board. Just don't fall on your head!]

You need to find your stance. A good stance is spreading your feet as wide as is comfortable. Both feet centered on the stringer and at 90 deg to the stringer. Do not stand straight up on your surfboard. It will put your center of gravity so high you are sure to fall over fast. Create the lowest center of gravity possible by bending your knees. Your hands should stretch forward and backward along the line of the stringer to help stabilize you further. In order to stay centered on the board your feet and shoulders should stay centered over the surfboard's stringer.

Now lay flat on your surfboard or sudo surfboard taped out floor with your hands beside your chest like your going to do a pushup. Take your power foot and roll it over on your inside ankle. Let the hip above your power foot roll up off the board. Keeping your power foot back, push your chest off the board and start bringing your front foot up beneath you. This should take you in one continuous motion from a prone position to two feet on the board . If you go to your knees in the middle of the pop-up, you will not be able to make the bottom turn and your surfing will not progress.

As you become more practiced, your motion will become smoother and more fluent. You will learn how to end your popup stably planted on your board without putting your hands on the board to balance.

Learning to paddle efficiently is an essential part of surfing. If you can't paddle well, you can't get out to the surf and you can't catch a wave. If you do manage to struggle out, chances are you'll be too tired to enjoy your surf.

We need to find your sweet spot. What that means is you have to find the position of balance on your board where you are neither too far forward or back on your surfboard. If you are too far forward your board will pearl end over end every time. If you are too far back, the submerged tail of your board creates drag and you lose efficiency. Lay prone on your surfboard in the water and extend your arms out to either side. Adjust your body forward or back to make the board float very close to level.

Keep your feet together and begin an overhand crawl. Establish a slow deliberate rhythm and work your breathing pattern into to the paddling rhythm. Fully extend your arms and dig deep. Shallow, short strokes will get you nowhere. The smoother your paddling technique the less energy you will expend for any distance traveled. Don't push too hard. More exertion does not always equal better paddling.

If you have access to lakes rivers or salt chuck, paddle regularly. If you have access to a pool you can even tie the ladder and stationary paddle. Without forward momentum your surfboard will be quite unstable but you'll get paddling exercise and balance training.

The Rules

Don't Snake
In the lineup, if you paddle around someone who is in position and get deeper in position than they are to take their wave you have snaked the other surfer. Sea lions find this particularly arousing, but you never, ever want to arouse a sea lion.

Don't Go Agro
If you go agro with other surfers, surely the same will be revisited on you, tenfold. If you go agro on a wave, we want to watch.

Respect the Locals
Respect the regulars at all breaks. They wait long periods for good swell and then face crowds when the swells arrive.

The lineup is where you wait to catch waves, just a little outside of where they will break. When a set comes in, your position in the lineup will dictate wether you can go for a wave. If the surfers close by you have been waiting longer than you or not will dictate if you should go for a wave or not.

Check de website van Surfing Vancouver Island voor meer informatie

Tips van 'Surf Coach':

1. Select and use a surfboard that matches your age and body type. The ideal beginner’s surfboard should be at least 12 inches taller than the beginner surfer and at least 19 inches wide at its widest point. A surfboard of these dimensions will have the minimum stability needed to maximise the rate of progress. A mini Malibu style surfboard is another alternative, especially for the adult learner.

2. Pick a surfing beach that matches your ability. Look for beaches with waves no bigger than 1 metre or 3 feet. Waves bigger than that are too powerful for the beginner surfer.

3. Find and position yourself in the surfboard’s “sweet spot” when paddling. Positioning yourself in the “sweet spot” makes paddling out through the surf easier and more efficient. A good indication of this ideal paddling position is if the water laps over the rails of surfboard approximately 6 inches from the surfboard’s nose when paddling. Position yourself so your surfboard has a flat, balanced appearance.

4. When paddling in the surf, perform all actions quickly and with confidence. Actions such as duck dives, eskimo rolls, paddling for waves, and turning the surfboard all need to be performed without hesitation. Once in the surf, if an action is performed slowly, the surfer can be picked-up by a wave and dumped, or if caught sideways to an oncoming wave, can be flipped off their surfboard as the wave hits them.

5. When paddling for waves, look over your shoulder to judge the wave’s speed and location. By doing this you know how hard to paddle, and when the wave will hit you. This also helps the surfer make the decision when to attempt to stand up.

6. Practice the standing action on the beach before attempting it in the ocean. Your goal should be to jump to your feet in a fast, one-stage movement, throwing your hands up at the same time your feet land on the surfboard’s deck. Once your hands are off the surfboard, your body’s natural balance mechanism will be activated.

7. When in the surf, make sure you have actually caught the wave before attempting to stand. When catching whitewater waves, paddle until the foam is at chest level before standing, or if catching an unbroken wave, paddle until there is a solid push towards the beach from the wave. Make sure the standing action is performed quickly.

Check de website van Surf Coach voor meer informatie