Learning to surf, a shapers view. Post 2

I went for another Sunday afternoon surf. Sunny, warm, and a fair amount of people out in the small low tide surf. Included in all the people there were a number of beginners or novice surfers in the water.

Once again I noticed how poorly the beginners paddle their boards. One of the things most people say to beginners is start on a longer board. But, even at that if you don’t paddle the thing in trim you will not catch waves. There were a couple guys paddling around on long boards with the noses stuck up out of the water…not in trim. I watched one of the guys paddle like crazy to catch one wave…just wasn’t going to happen with his board/body positioning…sorry.

So anyway, I’ve mentioned judgment. That’s being able to tell how fast you are moving in the water when you’re paddling, whether or not you should maneuver while paddling one direction or another to avoid colliding with someone. If you need to paddle faster to get past a breaking wave, paddle faster or slow down some in order to catch a wave.

Because surfing is about movement, having the knowledge to move freely in the water and being able to tell how your movement will affect yourself and others in the water is judgment.

Example: you‘re paddling out to the lineup, there is someone coming down the line on a wave. Depending on where you are, and the rider is, you should be able to judge if you will get in the riders way and paddle in the right direction at the right speed to not get in the riders way. At the same time if you’re the rider you should be able to judge while you’re sliding down the face of a wave if, when, and how you may need to maneuver so as not run over anyone in the water.

Well, it all that starts with paddling. So what about equipment? Yep, having the right board can make all the difference in the world.

D.R.