This tutorial addresses the difficulty and fear of transitioning from surfing small waves to taking off on bigger conditions. It provides three secrets that helped the surfer overcome their fear: controlling the mental state, arching the back on the drop, and changing the eye line.
Key Takeaways & Tips
Secret 1: Arch Your Back (The Oreo Biscuit)
When taking off on a bigger wave, arch your back (the “Oreo Biscuit”). This action pushes the tail down, causing the wave to push you forward, and the nose to lift. Resist the feeling of the wave trying to lift you, and you will glide into the wave with time to stand up.
Secret 2: Look Where You Want to Go
Do not look down at the board; this is exactly where you will go (nose dive). Instead, look where you want to go down the line. Looking down loses all information about the wave’s movement.
Secret 3: Slow Down
Slow everything down. If you have too many thoughts going through your head, your mind cannot process all the information. Deal only with one bit of information at a time (e.g., look where you want to go) and let the feeling of the wave guide you.
Practice
Practice gliding motion on small waves that are not going to break to get a better feel for the motion going forward. This makes the point of taking off on a bigger wave much easier.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overthinking
If you try to think too much as you paddle for a bigger wave, you will end up overthinking, and everything goes wrong. You must rely on feeling and muscle memory.
Looking Down
Looking down at the board is the single biggest mistake. It causes you to lose all information about the wave and almost ensures you will flip over.
Fighting the Wave
Failing to arch your back causes the wave to push you and flip you over. The arch creates resistance that uses the wave’s power to push you forward.