out the back

Bub34

hey surfing bout 8 months nw still having gone out the back to get a longer ride on an unbroken wave. seem to be getting on well with catching wave, but I am getting to use, to using the ground to push off with my feet first, then paddle into the wave feels like im cheating! I catch a lot of waves doing it this way so its hard to stop. im still fairly nevous of the water an been out of depts. im not a terrible bad swimmer but wudn be the best either. how do I get over the fear of going out the back? I live in wexford an only get to surf in tramore once a week due to work. PLZ SUMBODY HELP ME AN GIVE ME SUM ADVICE

Geomy

I am only a year bodyboarding I can identify with being nervous, I learned to watch the swell wait for it to drop, then paddle out back, and use the rips. ..
Duck diving is easy on the bodyboard,I find it harder on the surfboards, I prefer the bodyboard, haven't surfed on a surfboard in year's. ..

I also learnt that FOR ME it's much safer out back, they don't dump you into sand or reefs and the wipe out is into much deeper water. ..

I suggest you come down to Lahinch when there's 3+stars and an offshore wind, get advanced surfing lessons, explain to them about your fear of getting out back. ..

Bub34

Thanks for the help

blainj2

My advice would be before going out the back to be able to stand up on the board every time you catch a wave without pushing off your feet from the ground. The quicker you can stand up the better. You most likely need to practice paddling if you are still pushing off.

Also if there is a rip on the beach make sure you understand it and use it. if you have a big board it will be very difficult to get out on bigger days.

If you go out too early you will regret it and it might slow you progress because you will get pounded over and over again.

On smaller days you should be going out anyway. Id say you are very close, but it might be a surprise at how draining all the paddling can be.

dermo909

You need to get more confident in deep water. You've said that you aren't the best swimmer so first port of call would be to get yourself to a swimming pool and do some lengths. If you cant swim any more than 1 or 2 lengths in one go then you might not be able to swim in if something happens when you are out back. Leashes break sometimes so you might actually need to do this.

If you are serious about surfing then you should get a couple of lessons where they'll guide you through the whole process of paddling out and taking off on an unbroken wave. Explain to them what you want to get out of the lesson and focus on that.

Bub34

i am serious bout surfing an love doing it an love that freedom feeling of it, but nw im trap an stuck in the surf...... I do be in deep water at times, one of mates has a little fishing boat an days that its warm enough im normally the first one to jump in an I would be way out of my dept.
My question is, is it normally to be fairly nevous bout goin out the back. how long did it take you lads an lassies to take that nxt step ?? how comfortable wher you on the board, an paddling an been able to move the board around quick and easy to get set up to catch the wave?

thanks for all the help

blainj2

Id say i was fairly nervous the first few times. This was from going out with better surfers before i was ready and getting smashed by waves because i couldn't get under / over them on the way out. Then when i eventually got out i just fell off the first few bigger waves i got and got washed back into the white water so it didnt really accomplish much only make me feel like a fool.

What kind of board do you have?

You should be able to move the board around very quickly as some times when a bigger unexpected set comes in you will realise you are in a terrible position so will have to paddle quickly to get past it. I'm a very strong swimmer so was never worried about getting into trouble in that way. More worried about getting injured or the board hitting me or someone else because i was doing something stupid.

If you are getting up on the surfboard nearly every time and surfing across the white water and unbroken waves that you do get i would go for it soon as you will not improve very fast in the white water.

Go out with a better surfer than yourself and dont be afraid to ask questions even if you don't know them. I wouldn't go out on your own anyway if you are worried about your swimming ability.

Bub34

having convince none of my mates to surfing yet so normally on my own. there do always be other people out never really get the chance to talk to any of them.
I may just get use to paddle around with board, an bite bullet an go for it suppose!

Bub34

anymore tips let me know do

alwayssideways

Bub34 wrote: »

anymore tips let me know do

What part of the the country are you in? Surf Fit Ireland have paddle classes in Dublin every week. Really helped me build up my paddle strength, would highly recommend it. The more time you spend in the water the better.

Bub34

wexford.. wher in Dublin

blainj2

Bub34 wrote: »

anymore tips let me know do

If there are other people out there stay close to them without getting in their way if you know what i mean.

Keep an eye on where you are on the beach from looking at the land. You will move much faster in the water when you are not standing on the ground catching waves. Paddle to stay in the same area

Once you get out take a rest and dont try for a wave till you have recovered from paddling out.

Lots more but half the fun is learning yourself and improving. Im only really giving you tips for safety which are coming into my head.

Bub34

Thanks a mill for the help man went today only very small do, spent most the time paddle around out there. an getting used to moving the board around.
That real nervous feeling seem to disappear as I got confidents been on the board an seem to forget about the fact I was in deeper water an concentrate on catching a few of waves final manage to get a few alrite ones!
I was still nervous enough to keep safe an was keeping myself in the same area all the time an not going out real fare. Was class do felt like I was getting sumwher again and not stuck in a rut like I was.
Think il keep it to the smaller days for another while yet do.The paddling burnt me out do an I would be fairly fit as I do a good bit of running an train in a gym for the last two years.. again thanks for the tips an if ya have more help plz let me know, as I say u know what stage im at..
love surfing even do im no good at it..

Bub34

any tips on paddling

blainj2

Fair play to ya. TBH im no pro myself.

For paddling i have been told longer deep strong strokes are better than shallower ones which seems logical. Never do the double handed paddle right before you get a wave like you seem some people doing, it slows you down ive been told by a few people who are really good.

Make sure the tip of the board is slightly out of the water so you are gliding along the top rather than through the water. Set yourself up early for the wave and get a bit of momentum up and then paddle like a mad man right as the wave is coming to. Hard to give advice really as a lot of it is feel and knowing when to paddle really hard.

Watch the go pro surfing videos on youtube (im addictated) to give you an idea of how much effort the pros put into catching a wave

alwayssideways

Bub34 wrote: »

wexford.. wher in Dublin

In Dun Laoighre on Mondays & Wednesdays from 7-8pm. With the evenings getting darker he may try to run the class as early as possible, maybe start at 6:30. Once the evenings get too dark to paddle it will back on land for circuit training to strengthen the core and help balance,stance and posture. These classes are still very beneficial.

cpoh1

Its like the lunatics have taken over the asylum with inexperienced surfers advising fellow learners about stuff they have no idea about...

blainj2

cpoh1 wrote: »

Its like the lunatics have taken over the asylum with inexperienced surfers advising fellow learners about stuff they have no idea about...

What a lovely person you are. A very helpful and constructive comment to help the OP. Thank you sir for you contribution.

cpoh1

blainj2 wrote: »

What a lovely person you are. A very helpful and constructive comment to help the OP. Thank you sir for you contribution.

Lovely doesn't come into it. If you need paddle practice or lessons and are nervous about going "out back" or out of your depth then you shouldn't even be thinking about it. It should be a natural progression that you dont need advice or encouragement to do.

So my advice - dont do it.

alwayssideways

cpoh1 wrote: »

Lovely doesn't come into it. If you need paddle practice or lessons and are nervous about going "out back" or out of your depth then you shouldn't even be thinking about it. It should be a natural progression that you dont need advice or encouragement to do.

So my advice - dont do it.

:rolleyes: What a load of sh1te. Advice is exactly what the OP needs. Better to be nervous and ask for advice than trying to get out the back and getting into difficulty. All advice for the OP was preceded by words of warning. (See Below)

People like you, with your superiority complex, are one of the reasons this forum is so quiet.

blainj2 wrote: »

My advice would be before going out the back to be able to stand up on the board every time you catch a wave without pushing off your feet from the ground.

dermo909 wrote: »

You need to get more confident in deep water. You've said that you aren't the best swimmer so first port of call would be to get yourself to a swimming pool

cpoh1

alwayssideways wrote: »

:rolleyes: What a load of sh1te. Advice is exactly what the OP needs. Better to be nervous and ask for advice than trying to get out the back and getting into difficulty. All advice for the OP was preceded by words of warning. (See Below)

People like you, with your superiority complex, are one of the reasons this forum is so quiet.

This forum is full of novices who dont have a clue how to surf.

My advice is simple - nervous or need advice about getting out back? Youre not ready.

spaceHopper

cpoh1 wrote: »

This forum is full of novices who dont have a clue how to surf.

My advice is simple - nervous or need advice about getting out back? Youre not ready.

seachto7

cpoh1 wrote: »

This forum is full of novices who dont have a clue how to surf.

My advice is simple - nervous or need advice about getting out back? Youre not ready.

And? The instruments forum is full of beginner musicians as well.

cpoh1

spaceHopper wrote: »

Now you are just spamming the thread, with nothing to add yourself.

seachto7 wrote: »

And? The instruments forum is full of beginner musicians as well.

Beginners are good, no problem with them being here. What is not good is inexperienced fellas giving fellow learners advice that could potentially put them in danger, some of the advice given here is plain wrong. The worst that can happen with a learning musician getting bad advice on your forum is a broken finger nail from a guitar string, people drown in the water when things go wrong.

Getting out back has so many variables, etiquette paddling out and avoiding others, being able to duckdive without needing to ditch your board, having the ability to swim all the way back in and being confident in your fitness/paddling strength to make your way around without getting in peoples way.

If you need paddling lessons, dont understand the rules of surfing naturally through experience built-up (and research, you dont need to be spoonfed!) and watching others you're not ready. There is no replacement for spending time and hours in the water and honestly this kind of thing will come naturally when you are ready.

Hence my comment - if you are nervous or need advice then you are not ready. It should be a natural progressive step!

dermo909

cpoh1 wrote: »

There is no replacement for spending time and hours in the water and honestly this kind of thing will come naturally when you are ready.

It should be a natural progressive step!

I agree with this. When you are ready it wont even feel like you are taking a big step. It'll just be another surf.

If you want to get better real quick, get some more lessons and try to get into the water as much as possible.

Geomy

cpoh1 wrote: »

Its like the lunatics have taken over the asylum with inexperienced surfers advising fellow learners about stuff they have no idea about...

I think the lunatics are those guy's out the back shouting and roaring at everyone taking their waves.
Snaking around everyone not even waiting their turn. ...

alwayssideways

cpoh1 wrote: »

There is no replacement for spending time and hours in the water and honestly this kind of thing will come naturally when you are ready.

Agreed. But if you got down from your high horse and read each post you would have seen that anyone that was lending advice was saying the same thing.

blainj2 wrote: »

My advice would be before going out the back to be able to stand up on the board every time you catch a wave without pushing off your feet from the ground.

dermo909 wrote: »

You need to get more confident in deep water. You've said that you aren't the best swimmer so first port of call would be to get yourself to a swimming pool and do some lengths.

dermo909 wrote: »

If you are serious about surfing then you should get a couple of lessons where they'll guide you through the whole process of paddling out and taking off on an unbroken wave. Explain to them what you want to get out of the lesson and focus on that.

alwayssideways wrote: »

The more time you spend in the water the better.

Geomy wrote: »

I suggest you come down to Lahinch when there's 3+stars and an offshore wind, get advanced surfing lessons, explain to them about your fear of getting out back. ..

The purpose of this forum is for people of all levels to discuss surfing, if you notice dangerous or incorrect advice how about you post something useful rather than insulting people who are genuinely trying to help.

blainj2

cpoh1 wrote: »

Getting out back has so many variables, etiquette paddling out and avoiding others, being able to duckdive without needing to ditch your board, having the ability to swim all the way back in and being confident in your fitness/paddling strength to make your way around without getting in peoples way.

Why could you not have said this the first time you posted instead of the bull**** comment you left. I know pro surfers want to look cool at every possible moment but try take a break from that persona to actually give a helpful comments to someone genuinely looking for advice.

If you need paddling lessons, dont understand the rules of surfing naturally through experience built-up (and research, you dont need to be spoonfed!) and watching others you're not ready. There is no replacement for spending time and hours in the water and honestly this kind of thing will come naturally when you are ready.

The OP came here looking to do some "research" as you say above. From his first post it looks like he has been surfing around 20-30 times so he is not looking at a surfboard for the first time or anything. He came here to see what level he should be at to go surfing in deeper water and he got good advice back imo. The replies were strongly swaying on the side of caution and telling him what he needs to improve on and be able to do. Simply just saying dont go out till your ready would be more likely to put him in danger

.

cpoh1

Geomy wrote: »

I think the lunatics are those guy's out the back shouting and roaring at everyone taking their waves.
Snaking around everyone not even waiting their turn. ...

Maybe setup a different thread about this?

cpoh1

alwayssideways wrote: »

Agreed. But if you got down from your high horse and read each post you would have seen that anyone that was lending advice was saying the same thing.

Sorry but I dont have a horse

alwayssideways wrote: »

The purpose of this forum is for people of all levels to discuss surfing, if you notice dangerous or incorrect advice how about you post something useful rather than insulting people who are genuinely trying to help.

That is exactly what I have done and if im insulting people its not deliberate. You have beginners in this thread advising guys to just give it a lash, thats wrong!

Done now lads!

Geomy

cpoh1 wrote: »

Maybe setup a different thread about this?

Maybe, but I don't need to discuss it, I always have enough time to catch my own waves.
I just get flabbergasted listening to so called pro surfer's fighting out the back, they tend to leave me alone as I wait my turn, and only catch the critical point of the wave suitable for the Bodyboard....
I let the surfer have first try if they miss ill lunge down the next one. ..

Bub34

Man you went off on one for no reason, everyone basically said the same thing you saying if you want to read back over them. Look I know what your saying bout things going wrong out there but the advice I got was giving was exactly what I needed ive been surfing for bout 8 months now an was ithing to start going out the back. im not a total idoit an can swim but in my opinion im not a real strong swimmer but im not that bad. The lads all said that I should be a good swimmer so nw im trying to get to pool to get better. I was advise to go out on small days to get my confidence up, an don't go out on bigger days as I was not ready an would only set me back, or basically scare the **** out of me.
ive been out on small days paddle around on my board an just getting used to paddle around. I started surfing an fell in love with it, its a passion more than a hobbie as I love the sea so much as sloppy as that sounds, as I do a lot of fishing an highly respect how dangerous it is.
I picked up the popping up on the board quick enough an was riding along waves fairly quick, I used to do a good bit of skateboarding an guest that was a bonus to me.
But for the four months nw I felt like ive got no better an knew it was because it was time to start getting waves that didn't break so quick or green waves hence go out the back. so started this tread to see what people had to say, an was very thankful for the advise I was giving as im back learning again. but only on small nice swells an been very carefull out there as everyone warned me to be.
I think you've rub up a few people the wrong way, as you kinda lost the plot on what your saying an getting your point across, I understand what you where trying to say but all the lads had my safety in mine first from what I read anyway.
Now if u want to explain how you started surfing an how you progress up to how ever good you are now I would much appreciate it or anyone else either cause I know il will learn from it.

nickbok

Okaaaaaaaay, this thread is a little all over the place! Half scared of throwing in my twopence worth but **** it here goes. We all gotta start somewhere right? Can get how that transition from white to green area can be bit daunting since you've never done it but if you dont go you wont know. How will anyone progress I'd they don't push themselves and ultimately do whats needed and friggin surf!! All it is, is practice, practice, PRACTICE!!! Get out there as much as you can, in ur own space with friends, if you don't have friends that surf make some! Paddling is a whole different ball game, doesn't matter how fit or how much muscles you got (altho prob helps!) it's about conditioning ur body to do it and do it well! Positioning also is a biggie. Think there's always that slump in learning curve around the yr mark where u feel like you're getting nowhere but once you keep pushing and trying new **** you come out the other side the better for it. That slump crops up again over time but not as bad as first one! Enjoy the waves, be safe with yourself and others and aim to get better. I'm prob a useless kook too so take with a grain of salt lol! Not all surfers are assholes either

Mickeroo

Mod:

I deleted a few posts there as the thread was turning into a mess. May I point out this section of the charter:

Try to be nice
If someone is wrong (even if they are really really wrong) there's no need to be nasty when correcting them. Maintaining a friendly tone creates fewer headaches for everyone.

It's possible to get a point across about the dangers of heading out back while offering advice and still being encouraging. It's also possible to do this by not trying to belittle those less experienced than yourself. If you are not able to do this then don't bother posting. It's really that simple.

Also please report a post if you have an issue with it.

Thanks.