I always say if you can't do a belly ride on the green face you're not surfing. Every beginning surfer wants to have this little move down. When someone asks you, can you catch a wave and go down the face? Even if you can't stand yet, you should be able to say, "Yep you betcha." If you can do this the part of surfing with the stand up becomes SO. MUCH. EASIER.
What Surfing Really Looks Like Ep 5: Finding the Lip Line
In this video I go over how to position for waves by looking at the lip line. I was struck when I went over this footage about how well you can see the bend of the wave as it comes towards me. It crucial to note that I'm not just waiting for the wave to come towards me but figuring out where the best place for me to be vis a via the peak is. In some cases I move OUT TO SEA to meet the wave. In other cases I have to paddle deeper. And still in others I have to paddle to the shoulder. I don't get it right every time! But when I do I am rewarded. Another point and tip is that you can use GoPro footage like this to diagnose your own tube riding. The session I had after this I didn't film but made many more tubes both backside and frontside based upon my diagnoses from this footage. It's hard to find that balance between being too deep/too greedy and too shallow/not deep enough.
Shot in SW Costa Rica, August 2023 using a GoPro Hero Black 11
Fall Tubes in NY, September 2023
A little mash up of a few tubes I got surfing in NY in September 2023. These are all from unnamed swell events. These are usually better for us than storms that have names because they're closer to land and therefore the interval stays below 10 seconds. All of these days had intervals in the 8-10 second range and wave heights (on the buoys) at 6-8ft from E, NE, ENE, and ESE. Overally the swell was pretty steeply angled from the E and NE due to the early season Noreaster we had that came after Tropical Storm Ophelia. The water is warm but the wind was cold so that is why I'm often in a hood. All the suits are 3mm or 3/2mm. I'm riding my 5'3" Barahona retro fish (yellow) and 5'5" Barahona modern fish (stripes). Filming from land by @mgbruno with my Olympus OM-D 1 and filming from the water by me with my GoPro Hero Black 11 using a handle cam. I paddle into the wave with the handle in my mouth then pull it out of my mouth as soon as I've made the drop. I shoot in 1080p at 30fps just for ease of use editing in iMovie. Song is "Lantern Room" by Torii Wolf from www.epidemicsound.com For more insights into tube riding and my philosophy be sure to become an online clubmember!!!
Philosophical Thoughts About "Paddle Arounds" and Positioning
I made this video for my client, Bastien, who texted me this question: "Hey Dion, I have a line-up related question. Something happened in 62 and happened again in some sessions before. I wait in line for the peak and give some space. The surfer goes for the wave and either the surfer who caught the wave or someone else paddle past me to the peak. I don’t get it because I feel it is pretty obvious I am waiting to go to the peak and was wondering what to do? I always try to wait in line but it seems that there is no structure in Rockaway? Or is it a beach break thing because peaks are not always at the same place? Do I have to be more aggressive and literally stick to the other surfer on the peak? Block the surfer trying to pass me to the peak? I’m trying my best to wait for the other surfers to catch waves before going for one again, or leaving room for even more beginner than me to catch waves. But for some reason it reverts back to unstructured, everyone fights for every wave.”
I told him this was a jackpot question and no way could I answer it in a text. I refer to some stuff in here that you won't get in the exact context of. That's because I'm referring to videos that I post in my weekly interactive Philo-surfy Zines. Subscribing there is like buying me a beer for posting this kind of content!! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!! Happy to hear any of your thoughts. I know that etiquette is a super thorny issue in surfing and in no way do I think that this is the last word on it.
What Is Surfing?
Check this vid to find out my “definition” of surfing. Hint: it’s not merely standing up on a surfboard. In later videos I will expand the concept of surfing even further. More waves more joy!
Correct Paddling Form
Besides wave judgment, paddling is the foundation of surfing. You paddle more than you actually surf! But correct paddling form is deceptive. There's more going on than meets the eyes. Watch the video for the full breakdown. This works on all size boards. Remember that when the nose is going under water you’re too far forward; and when the nose is sticking up too high you’re too far back.