damian 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 anyone else get a wave on the weekend? There was heaps of swell on the coast. Quite a bit of power too. Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 Yeah got plenty of them in the face and other orfices that shall not be named! Went to Chiba, but the waves out there were just too big and scary for 1st year me! I value my life more than the thrill.... Link to post Share on other sites
oddis10 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 It was good on the western coast of america (cali in particular) last week.... Hows renting a board in japan...I'll be there over the winter and could have my 4/3 boots and gloves shipped out if it's anything like N.A. winter swells...? Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Author Share Posted October 17, 2002 mogski - where where you in Chiba? I was at the northern part just before Ibaraki, dont know the name of the area. We were surfing at the foot of some cliffs. There was heaps of guys surfing mush in a corner but 200 meters down the coast it was great. I managed to get slammed on the rock bottom a few times. That isnt soemthing anyone enjoys, but it usually means that you are surfing waves with a little 'meaning' to them, which I enjoy. Plenty of tubes to be had and the water wasnt cold either. I had a ball!! Odis10 - Can you confirm that parts of Calif. are probably the best areas in the world for easy surfing and skiing/boarding? I have been trying to nail down a place where you can do both in good quality conditions. Australia has the surf but poor snow, for example. France may be another contender, but I think the travel from the surfing coastline to the snow is pretty big? Believe it or not, Japan seems to be one of the few places that provides consistent surf and top quality snow. Regarding renting boards... dont know, sorry. I wouldnt try and buy one here - they are about 4 times the price (compared to australia). Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 The foot of some cliffs...I think I may have been there. Parking near a fishing bay and the surfable area on the other side of the breakwater? Strong current to the right? I was at Kujukuri near Kamogawa on the tip of Chiba there. My friends know all these really good places for their 10+ years surfing and my 1- years surfing. Great guys and teaching me alot about the water and the surf. Good sport surfing, but I wish I had started 10 years earlier. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Author Share Posted October 17, 2002 The cliffs near the boarder between chiba and ibaraki? The area you described sounds like where we were on Sunday. Keep at the surfing. It takes a while for it to click. Besides the obvious things like balance and paddling strength, it all boils down to timing. When you are sitting out in the water, the better your timing the greater your chance of catching the right wave at the right time. The more times that happens, the better you will get. I have seen alot of people take along time to learn purely because they were only actually catching one or two waves per surf. They would have got a lot more if their timing was better. After that, the next important thing is committing to the wave. So long as you will not drop in on anyone, once you have started to paddle for the wave you need to go through with it. NEVER hesitate, particularly when the wave starts to pick you up and you are looking down the face as it sucks out under you. NEVER EVER hesitate at this point. It has to be all or nothing. Once that bit is done you need to get to your feet asap. It isnt a matter of "standing up". It should be so instinctive that you didnt even need to think about it. One moment you are lying and paddling, the next you are standing... there cant be any in between stage. Never drag your back knee, just spring to your feet. Practice 1000 times on the tatami at home. Once on your feet the most important thing is to open your eyes. Most people think they have them open but there usually half closed. Just relax your muscles, go with the flow, feel the wave and LOOK AT THE WAVE. See where it is going to break down the line etc. Always look where you are about to go. People try to carve a big turn without looking first. This puts the body at odds with your intentions. As a general rule, look first and your body will follow a lot more easily. It is like doing a backwards summersault... you have to tilt your head right back and try to look over your head, then all that is needed is the flip of the body. Try doing a back flip whilst looking down at your toes... very hard. Other tips: Always use the rip to get back out if it is available. Don't waste energy (particularly if the water is cold) struggling back out through the line up… go around the side. This often means getting out of the water after a wave and walking 100 meters back up the beach to the rip. I do this all the time. Get really good at duck diving. It is really hard to catch a wave if you are sitting to far out the back. Sit just a little further out than the impact zone. This is where the action is. But in doing this you have to be prepared to get caught inside a lot more. Get good at duckdives and it wont matter as much. The only exception to sitting in the impact zone is if it is crowded and you don't feel all that confident… you can get in the way and accidents happen… fin chop. Sitting in the impact zone (or off to the side) is also great as you get to see a lot more waves break up close. This gives you a feel for where the shallow part of the reef/bank is, where the close out section is etc. Don't be scared when you wipe out. You will not hurt yourself very often, so long as you don't dive head first into a shallow bank. If you are getting really thrashed around under water just relax, cover your head and roll into a ball. Never panic, the sea is stronger. You will float up eventually. The more you panic the shorter that valuable lung-full of air will last! I actually enjoy a big wipeout. I am pretty confident that I wont get hurt so I just enjoy the ride. It is amazing the violent thrashing that you can get… with no pain at all. (the enjoyment factor goes out the window when the waves are big… I don't like it when I cant tell which way is up and I am swimming and find the bottom, thinking I was swimming upwards). Spend all your spare time visualising riding a wave. Think about your weight distribution, the angle of the board in the water. How the board turns from edge to edge. Do it is slow motion and then try it in your mind at full speed. This is not only fun daydreaming but it really helps. Every 100 meter sprinter that wins has run that race in his head 100 times before he/she even steps up to the starting line. I really love surfing. I hope you find the same joy in it. Have fun!! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 Great explanation deebee! Go mogs! Go MOGS! That certainly sounds like a sport for people in their 20s. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Author Share Posted October 17, 2002 No way Ocean!! My old man is at least 65 and he still surfs. We always geta wave together when I am in his neck of the woods. Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 Nice post Deebee. I cannot think of any place in California that is less than 3 hours from a decent ski area. This is just off the top of my head though. By my calculations that would be further than Chiba to ski...at least by shinkansen. Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 Deebee you are a god!!! Reading this has answered all the questions I have (and many that I didn't know I had) that I have asked my friends whom seem to be contempt with only giving me parts of the answer. It's almost like they enjoy watching me wipe out! This explanation is incredible! THANKS HEAPS! In fact I have printed it out and will be studying it and memorising it. I think at the moment for me getting over the fear of the pick up and staring down the wave face is a big issue I must confront. Like you say, I have noticed that the sooner you stand up the better off you will be as you cruise down the face for that first turn. In respect of the competent surfers I have achecked up and read all I can on surfing ettiquette in the hope to avoid the accidents and fists I have heard so much about. Learning to surf has reminded me of the forgotten effort and countless disappointments to get myself to a comeptent skier. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 What's the difference between swells and waves? Do swells make waves if there's bumpy stuff underneath? Can you surf swells without having waves? Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 Swell does make waves Ocean... We have groundswells and windswells in surfing with groundswells preferred anyday. With groundswells they are generated a lot further out to see and result in a lot longer period in between set waves. Windswell, which is what we get most of the time up and down the east coast of oz, is generated closer to shore and there is a short period in between set waves. We do see a few cyclone generated in Queensland over the months of Feb-May (?) and some big southerly swells in the winter. In a recent surfing magazine this issue was discussed in depth explaining the difference between the styles of Australian surfers and our cousins over in the US and so on. Because we are more accustomed to wind swell we might be catching 30 or more waves per session whereas the Seppo surfers might be only surfing 10 or so per session. That brings us to another point though... when you are learning to surf the best thing to do is to surf as many waves as possible in a single session. I have seen countless beginners sitting out the back for a set wave that doesnt come through very often. You might get a few good ones but you waste too much time waiting. When you have surfed the crappy waves and got hammered in the impact zone quite a bit and have progressed to an intermediate surfer you have the right to sit there and wait for the sets but I think that it is much more beneficial to sit a bit further in and get used to getting smashed in the impact zone, improving your duckdiving skills and getting a few on the inside. Another important thing that deebee, in her awesome reply, did not mention is that you have to respect the locals. I cant say that I am a local at any one single beach as I drive around a bit before I decide where to surf on any one day... but especially when you are a beginner you should never paddle inside other more proficient surfers and hussle the locals at any beach. Be patient and let the locals get the good ones and if you arent getting any waves then move to the next peak up the beach. The worst are those gooses who are riding mini-mals and they paddle out and paddle straight to the inside, whether this is on purpose or not I am not sure, and continue to snake people, that I dont think they know, have been surfing that beach most days for 20 years. You do, as they say, have to have some respect! mogski... good luck man! Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 18, 2002 Author Share Posted October 18, 2002 Quote: Originally posted by woywoy: her woywoy, just because i have a lame forum name doesnt make me a girl! Please refer to my new signature. Mog... I am glad you found it useful. Probably about time I offered something to the forum (I certainly cant when it comes to snow). Woywoy is right about locals. In general just take it easy and assume anyone who was in the line up when you paddled out is a local (in a way they are, even if they are not). I have not been a local for years as I move around and dont surf all that often. So I just take it easy and enjoy my surf. I must say though, if someone tries to pull the "I am a cool local" trip on me I will usually tell them were to go (but only if I have not done anything wrong). generally the real locals wont behave like a tosser anyway. But if you attempt to snake them they will let you know whos break it is. That is fair. One rule I always have is that if I rock up at a remote break and it is cranking with only a few guys out I always give the respect to the guys already in the water. Probably you safest rule is wait in line for a wave and NEVER drop in. The other golden rule is if you are paddling out and someone is on a wave coming towards you then dont try to take the easy way over the shoulder... you will ruin the ride for him. In this instance you should always head for the white water. This is another reason to be good at duck diving, particularly if it is crowded and there is more than one person on the wave and you need to let someone surf over you. That has saved my scalp a few times. What size board are you riding relative to your height and weight? This can make a huge difference in the early days. Link to post Share on other sites
woywoy 0 Posted October 18, 2002 Share Posted October 18, 2002 Alright deebee... sorry mate! Just thought that you were a chick! Sorry... I thought deebee was like "debby" or something like that. But definitely only a guy would be that up on surfing and all the other stuff that goes with it. Actually one of my best mates used to get wolf-whistled when he walked below a construction site because he had long blonde hair! Everyone cracked up at school and was got toasted for it! Funny. Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted October 18, 2002 Share Posted October 18, 2002 deebee I am riding a friends long board at the moment. It is 9'6" and right mother, but stable as hell. It hurts everytime you say "get better at duck diving" as I am spending most of my time rolling over and holding on for hell in my attempt to move out of everyone's way and avoid getting slammed on the inside. I would really like to move down in size, but I am 195cm, 85kg and I don't know if my body size is really suited to smaller boards. Got any ideas for going shorter? Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 18, 2002 Author Share Posted October 18, 2002 Mate, riding a mal is one thing but 9'6” is over kill. That is a very big board. People often don't realise that a mal can be anything from 7 feet to 10 feet, which is a huge difference. Personally I would scrape the mal altogether, but it depends on what type of surfer you want to be. Either way there is no need to surf anything as big as you are. It wont make life any easier. In fact a board that long will probably make it harder. It will certainly make it harder to surf waves over 3 feet. Wiping out on a mal is also nasty, you really increase your chances of getting hurt. Longer heavy boards also make it a lot harder to paddle out through beach breaks. The basic approach in your first year or so of surfing is to ride a board that is low performance and generally to big for you. Even if you have decided to become a mal rider I don't think that there is any need to ride a 9'6”. Keep in mind however I don't know much about mals. In terms of a short "conventional' board: length will help you catch the wave earlier and thickness will give buoyancy and make riding the board a lot easier. If the board is to thin and light for you it will bog down unless you really know how to make it fly, which is even harder in crap surf. Because you are tall you will need a longer board to begin with. It is not unreasonable at all that you ride a 6'10” or above. Be careful though…. There are two types of longer boards. You want a "normal' board that is naturally that length, NOT a gun. There is a big difference. I have a 6'10” gun that is designed for surfing bigger faster waves. It is not designed for a bigger person to surf small waves. Gun's are long and narrow and have a nice long pin tail with a little extra foam through the middle. You don't want a board that is like this. If you go the conventional board option then what you should look for is a normal shaped board, just scaled up in size until it is big enough for you. Then look for one that is even bigger to take into account the beginner factor. You could go down the road of the mini-mal. That gives you about 7 feet length and plenty of width and thickness for buoyancy. It would suit your build without problem. The biggest mistake people make is trying to ride a board that is to thin and light. They might look cool but they will make it very hard to learn. I don't fancy your chances of finding a big selection of second hand boards in Tokyo/Japan. Further more, the type of board that would suit you isnt all that popular here. There are some exceptionally good surfers here, but I have to say that most surfers I have seen ride boards that are not suited to the wave conditions nor there skill level. Also, the japanese are all quite little (like me) so most boards are naturally going to be smaller and ligher. Take a holiday to Sydney and go to the northern beaches. You will find 100's of second hand boards at very low prices (20,000 yen). By the way, in my previous post I spoke about sitting in the impact zone. Now that I know you are on a mal I would suggest moving a little further out to the horizon as mals pick up waves a lot earlier than short boards. BUT… don't hog the waves. Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted October 18, 2002 Share Posted October 18, 2002 I have discussed this matter with my friends too and they gave me some similar pointers etc. Basically I don't think I want to be a long boarder as I hate the shait I am goign through in trying to get out on big days. Again, trying to get on as many waves as possible sitting in the impact zone is no fun for me at all. In fact I spend more time trying to keep out of everyone's way so I do not hurt anybody and end up tiring myself out just trying to stay alive! No fun. I am taking a trip home to NZ at Xmas and plan to look for a second hand board. With your advice there I think I will stand a better chance of not getting the wrong thing. I will of course test drive, but I can now effectively prune down the selection. I have noticed the difference in boards that you mention. Most of my friends have their guns and can rip really well. I took one for wee ride once and while I'll felt a lot safer I ended up wading in the surf as it was faster than paddling! Definitely not for me! I would really like to go the road of the normal board and am not really interested in Mal's. (Can't store the damn things in my apartment cause they are too damn long ) When you say a normal board scaled up, I am thinking something in the top range of 6', like you say 6'10 or maybe 7'+, but I am stuck for thickness and width. I have tried a mini-mal at 7'x22"(?)x2" but it is too narrow and thin and turns me into the Exon Valdez. What did you use to start with? Thanks heaps for all your comments and stuff. Better than anything I have got so far lurking around some of the BB's. Link to post Share on other sites
oddis10 0 Posted October 18, 2002 Share Posted October 18, 2002 Deebee, I dont quiet know what you mean by easy surf.... You have everything from eady beginer waves to 90foot monsters (malibu to mavricks)... Cali has some of the best surf and mnts on the planet...and I'm open too discussion on this one.... you could in southern cali (the most croweded surf and mnts) surf in the morning and snowboard by the afternoon, about a two hour drive. I don't know what type of surfer & snowboarder/skier you are but the mnts of southern cali are mainly for parks and pipe(some of the best) due to the lack of naturaul snow... However the waters warmer and thus the waves are more crowded. In northern cali you have MUCH better mnts offering everything you could want to play with but the water is COLD and a little further away,(about three hours)....this doesnt mean that the surf isnt worth it. Anyway there alot closer than France..but france cold be alot of fun...Hope this helps some....if you have anymore questions let me know. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 18, 2002 Author Share Posted October 18, 2002 Mog - I started surfing years ago when the done thing for a learner was to start on the biggest single fin pig available. I was 12 years old had a big thick old fashioned single fin. This was over kill but my old man was very old school and to him, this was the way you should learn to surf. I really wish I still had it as these boards are very hard to find these days. It has been so long since they were used as a normal board that very few still exist. After about a year I got a 5'6" thruster. Back then people still refered to boards as being a thruster as they were relatively new on the scene. Really the most vital thing for you is getting a board that will float ok when you are lying stationary on it. Look for heaps of thickness throughout its length, particularly in the tail. Dont worry at all about stuff like channels and concaves, you wont notice them anyway. Oddis - I am not sure what I meant by easy surf either. I was really refering to ease of access, consistency and quantity of breaks. Alaska has surf but I would call it easy. California sounds bloody great. Damn shame I couldt get a job (& visa) there. cheers Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 You guys all surfing up in the Chiba area?? I am down here in Irago near nagoya.. doesn't go off too much but at least I can get wet! Any crew down this way? Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted October 22, 2002 Author Share Posted October 22, 2002 I surf Chiba only because I live in Tokyo. Link to post Share on other sites
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