Do You Make Every Wave?

Only one nosedive and lip launch. I wish I was you. Count your blessings and enjoy!!

I'm 45, been surfing since my early teens and would put myself in the competent category.

You should lighten up a bit. Saturday I had a great surf in some nice head high conditions. Couldn't put a foot wrong.

Yesterday, same spot, bit smaller and tricky with a wonky tide thing happening. My mate was all over it, I couldn't buy a wave. I'd paddle one way and the peak would pop up the other way. The close-outs always seemed to find me. I blew at least half a dozen takeoffs (in front of the pack mind you) and even managed to go over the falls twice. I was seriously thinking of taking up golf at that stage.

But I did get a few good waves which kept me out there. My final wave was a sneaky right, took off banged a reo, little cuttie, speedy little inside section to floater in the shorey. Thought to myself wasn't gonna do any better than that and ran up the beach a bit mad at myself but still happy.

Any surf is better than no surf.

joe public, your getting old...... put 2 more paddles in to save your lip launching, more weight down on your back foot and a touch more nose lift in your next board to stop the nose dive......nip it in the bud now ...try harder ol son. what length is your current board ?

Yep focus on the waves you did make rather than the ones you didn't - bit like life really where it's better to focus on what you do have rather than what you could/should have....

Gidday Joe Public, I reckon its good that you are eating it a bit every session. It shows that you are pushing your limits and still learning, charging, not stagnating. Plus handling wipeouts is a real skill too. One of the best surfers at Blacks didn't have a wipeout for years, but it, the pressure of that, rattled him and slowed him down. He got super choosy, and only went on certain waves. The window of entry that he was prepared to tackle got smaller and smaller. Finally he ate in on an average one, and really got shocked and flogged, which escalated things further.

I agree with putting your head down and paddling hard, but you have to be sure you will be underneath the lip when hooking in. To do that you need to be aggressive, and really want to get into it, with all your weight forward. Pushing and weighting really hard forward. pushing rails in hard, and have rails/plan shape/bottom curve that catch early, way up in the nose and feed in well. Then you are in with instant speed and control, and if you are game, can get your weight back to pump, turn, accelerate even more. You have to commit to powering forward and down the thing, with your rail in, so you have some choices. Even if something goes a bit wrong the drive forward will make up for a lot, even if you eat it. That means forgetting about nursing your way in, and trusting that you will get motoring onto the face, no matter what is staring at you below. Those weight back pin drops are a ticket to doom in real waves.

Here's some good examples. Corey Lopez blows one, on a super bomb, because he cant get the edge in, and is stuck high and dry with his weight back. Then he gets fired up and charges, weighting in aggressively.

Irons was the master, the real king when it really mattered. Love this one, frame by frame, head down, everything forward, rail catches early, charging!

Keep charging Joe Public, stay young!

Don't be too hard on yourself mate, sound like you're going well......learn to love the wipeout

That last link is insane Uplift, thanks for sharing! Full commitment beyond stupidity!

Gidday Craig no worries, I love looking at it frame by frame. The waves that we surfed day in and day out are all major take off orientated, and we would spend ages figuring out ways to get into the 'unridable' ones. I love looking at 56 secs - 1 min 4 secs, every frame, then 2 min 4 secs freezing that frame. Every element covered to make the seemingly impossible possible. Amasing full commitment attack.

@uplift great link, can someone post the link to the wave that one of gaudaskas brothers paddling into at cloudbreak last year.....fucking crazy shit best drop ever in my eyes.

Udo, second wave of the clip.

Mindblowing!

thanks zen twas pat.....wild shit frame by frame.......monster figs ! and a then severe beating after straightening out.