Thread: learning to surf...

Yeah I'm learning to surf, or something like that... So far I've kinda sorta figured out how waves are caught but haven't actually caught many. The water is cold as balls so I can't stay out too long. I'm assuming I need to spend as much time int he water as I can falling a lot and such, but does anyone have tips for moving from skiing to surfing, now that I'm in yakutat for the summer?

I'm just learning too, I have a huge 10' longboard to catch and ride the smallest waves.
- I also like spending time on a bodyboard, it has really helped me to learn how to read and feel the waves (plus you get a lot of rides).

I don't have any learning to surf advice except go out all the time to build your surfing muscles and balance,
-like skiing there are some muscles that get worked only when doing the sport.

I'm in a 6-5-4 with 7mm boots/booties and I'm warm, hot sometimes even, I can be in the water for ~2hrs without issue.
-thin 1-2mm body suits are available, you could wear one of those under your suit.

Keep trying, Have Fun and Hang Loose AK style!

Prepare to swallow a lot of water and keep at it. One of these times you'll pop up quickly / super smooth and it'll just click. Then it really starts to get fun.

And resist your skiing instincts that tell you not to be in the back seat, especially the shorter the board gets.

Some good advice in the posts above. I definitely surf off my front foot though. You can put your weight over your front foot to beat sections and then switch to your backfoot to smash a lip or two. A hybrid is probably the happy medium.

There is definitely a sweet spot to every board, kinda like a baseball bat. Stay in that sweet spot and you're good, otherwise dig a rail or bury a nose. Finding that sweet spot is sometimes equally as important for paddling as it is for standing up and riding

If you are in Yakutat for extended time , the best thing you can do for shortening the learning curve would be to connect with the local surfers there, and log as many sessions as you can, the folks who surf there are friendly and for the most part enjoy sharing their sessions with other surfers.

If there are boards for sale there let me know. My son is interested in buying one.

It's been awhile since I've last been in Yak, but I understand that the Icy Waves Surf shop carries Jed Noll surfboards and Surftech. check their website.

There are a million tips out there. Some are junk, some are so far out of your league you could fill your head with the wrong shit. My best advice is to surf with people that are better than you. This will have the biggest influence on your early development.

Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

Yeah I'm learning to surf, or something like that... So far I've kinda sorta figured out how waves are caught but haven't actually caught many. The water is cold as balls so I can't stay out too long. I'm assuming I need to spend as much time int he water as I can falling a lot and such, but does anyone have tips for moving from skiing to surfing, now that I'm in yakutat for the summer?

My only time spent surfing in the cold Ak surf was at the Homer Spit beach during storms...which by their nature always resulted in pretty short breaks. I started out in a wetsuit and ended up in a Viking drysuit...not exactly conducive to surfing.

My best suggestion for learning to surf in Ak is DON'T learn there. Find some warm water where you're not needing a drysuit or a 7mm. When you're learning, a thick wetsuit HINDERS your movement. When you're already good...you've got your moves down and it doesn't pose a problem. There are tons of warm weather places great for learning to surf. Then, when you've got the basics down, head to Yakutat in your 7mm.
I've got a few friends that have surfed Yak...and EVERY single one of them learned somewhere else....warmer.

BUT
since you're going to be there anyway...you're going to give it a go. Depending on your body's natural resistence to cold, you MIGHT be able to get by with a 6mm...but booties, gloves and hood is mandatory.

So...you've got your board and are ready....I'll tell you the same thing I tell everybody...practice your pop-ups on the beach. In this case, WEARING your full set of gear. The pop-up is the most important thing you need to get down in prep for surfing.
Practice them on your board on the beach until you're SICK of them.

NO...you're not ready yet. Now take your board, and with a buddy holding your board, practice your pop-ups IN THE WATER. Still stationary. You'll want flat-water for this. You'll fall off a lot. Keep doing it.

Pop-ups while the board is stationary are actually harder, since you've acquired no momentum to help you....but you NEED this step to get your pop-ups fluid and dynamic. While you're out there practicing pop-ups and shit, you'll also want to be just getting a good feeling for the board itself....how it floats and how YOU balance on it.
You'll want to get a synergy for the board where you sorta feel at one with it.

And like someone said...surf with some people better than you...but not SO much better that it looks like magic.

--

well I'm all equipped to be in the water... I got on my knees the other day, found the sweet spot on the board for paddling, I think now I just need the road to open up so I can surf a real break instead of the choatic bullshit that is cannon beach. Maybe I'll practice my pop ups on the river... Its basically flat paddle around a bunch too

Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

well I'm all equipped to be in the water...

What did you decide on? (board size & type of wetsuit)

Paddy, getting on to your knees is not popping up. If you're on your knees you're fucked and you won't stand up from there. You need to get straight on to your feet from a lying down position.

Originally Posted by Hayduke

Paddy, getting on to your knees is not popping up. If you're on your knees you're fucked and you won't stand up from there. You need to get straight on to your feet from a lying down position.

^^ He's right. Although I suppose you can learn something about balancing on the board while on your knees, but you don't want to do much of it as that's going to create bad habits in your popup technique.

....and I'm fairly sure you won't need a wetsuit with all that timber you're packing.

update, I'm using a longish board not sure the specs on anything its all just borrowed but I can stay in the water for a while no problem. My plan is to play in the whitewater for the most part because I can catch those little waves no problem and practice popping up there. And low and behold I almost stood up. Also those waves are nice because once you catch it you don't have to figure out what to do next... one thing at a time you know?

Good times so far.

Update: My arms hurt like hell from paddling today. Pretty great session even if I still can't stand up. I "surfed" the spot on the Alaskan IPA bottle today, it doesn't suck... Seriously this is a real place:

Yea, even sucking at surfing is super fun.

good times in Yakutat
(not me)


today I stood up... Surfing is amazing