When working with experienced surfers and surfers which are self taught and didn’t get an excellent foundation in your surfing, you miss a lot in your skills to keep progressing forward naturally. Do you ever feel like you are reaching bumps in your surfing? If so, You should try…
1.) Relaxing your body by breathing and let go of your tension you may be holding and not realize this is happening.
When our bodies that are tense & holding dead body weight this creates extra body weight from 10-100 lbs or 3-50 kilo’s. With this fact, when you are carrying additional dead body weight, this creates you holding your self back in your surfing. You may be totally unaware of this, and unless you work on this with an experienced coach, who help them you correct your habits and move your surfing to the next level, you could stay at the level you are at. Most the time when you adjust your technique even by small amounts it will make a huge change for your Surfing. If not you are only delaying your progress.
When you are learning to Surf, it can be a steep learning curve for you, so its very important for you to get a professional that has an insight and experience to help you with your Surfing, so you can turn your Surfing around and have so much more Fun!
2.) Another area for you to look at with your surfing is how are you are paddling on your surfboard. What and how your body is positioned on your surfboard. this can make a huge difference in catching waves. Remember keep your body relaxed and your body weight directly down the middle of the board evenly. Your legs need to stay together and relaxed to end of your board or off it if you are surfing on a short board. On any board keep your legs together and directly behind, not off the sides or gripping the rails.
When you paddle use your arms correctly and come smoothly thru and all the way back like a freestyle stroke with each of your strokes. And you will get a much better performance for yourself.
Your torso needs to be up on your lower ribs by arching your lower back. Like when you do the Yoga position the Cobra. We see lots of people with their chest down on their board when they paddle and they wonder why they have a hard time to catching waves! Arch and Lift your body up and your skills will expand.
3.) It also depends where you grab your rails when you go thru waves paddling out and springing up to your feet when catching your waves. Remember to grab your rails at your upper waist for the most part, and this will correct you from pearling if you have a habit of doing so. Or if you land to far back on your surfboard when springing up to your feet this will also help you!
4.) Your eyes should always be looking up and forward to get the Best results with your Surfing experience progress.
Think about when you are driving a car, you are looking where you are going out in front at a long distance ahead of you and being aware of whats coming next.
You are not looking at your feet while driving or the dash board or the front of the hood of your car. So take this with you when you paddle out next time and keep your focus, be mindful of where you are and your Body, Breath and Being relaxed.
You will be quiet surprised how these tips will Kokua your Surfing!
Happy Surfing!