The learing curve
**day 45
the learning curve of surfing isn't appreciated. people who are inexperienced in the ocean think that surfing is a leisure activity involving a level of skill similar to jogging or riding a bicycle. My nephew from Texas, for example, in his recent trip to California, decided that he wanted to go surfing. My aunt called me and asked that I take the two of them surfing. It never occurred to either of them that I would be unable to teach them in the course of an hour at the beach, or that they would be unable to learn. Of course, I readily agreed to play the role of tourist surf school.
The reason for my willing participation, I admit, was sadistic.
Surfing schools in Waikiki use 10 or 11 foot surfboards to teach beginners, as the larger boards stability stable and better floatation than smaller boards. The largest surfboard I own is a 7'6" funboard. The Waikiki surf schools use a beach with a smooth, consistently breaking, small to mid size wave with very little pitch. The conditions at Huntitngton Beach are more challenging. Even on a small day, the surf is inconsistent. Peaks move with the shifting sand on the bottom. There are no safe channels to paddle out on smooth water. Waves can break with varying degrees of power and pitch.
Nothing is more entertaining than bringing a newcomer to the water who legitimately believes that he'll be standing up surfing waves in a matter of minutes. The inevitable failure and degradation is a reinforcement of the value of all the work a surfer has devoted to learning the sport. If it were easy - if one could simply wade out into the water and start surfing - we wouldn't cherish it so much.
In reality, the newcomer must first learn to paddle. Lying on the board to paddle thru the waves can be a challenge. Lying in a position too far forward will cause the nose of the board to sink. Center your gravity too far back, and the nose of the board will stick out of the water cartoonishly as if there was a really heavy guy sitting in the back of the canoe. Additionally, unlike rowboats or canoes, a surfboard will rock from side to side unless one lays directly in the middle. In the midst of attempting to achieve forward, backward, and sideways balance for paddling, there are waves coming, knocking the swimmer any which way they choose. Should the new surfer find an area of calm, he may attempt to sit up on the surfboard in waiting position, as the other surfers are doing. A first attempt at this can have all kinds of results, most of which involve swallowing water.
I give my nephew the pitch. "Rule number one: There is nothing that you can do to stop the wave from getting to shore. Therefore, holding out your hands, standing in defiance, or attempting to hold out the board to stop the wave are all bad ideas."
My nephew asked what the key to surfing is. I ignored him and continued with my instructions, knowing full well that he wasn't listening to a word.
"With this size of surfboard, there are three basic ways to get through an oncoming wave. For small whitewater waves, simply paddle straight through the wave. For whitewater waves which are one to one and a half foot high, do a push up on the board, allowing the wave to pass between you and the board. For anything bigger than that, roll over and hold on the board tightly while the wave passes you by. If you cannot hold to board, and have to let go, push it as far away from you as possible. You don't want it to hit you while you're flopping around under water."
My nephew lasted about twenty minutes, paddling in the surf.
the learning curve of surfing isn't appreciated. people who are inexperienced in the ocean think that surfing is a leisure activity involving a level of skill similar to jogging or riding a bicycle. My nephew from Texas, for example, in his recent trip to California, decided that he wanted to go surfing. My aunt called me and asked that I take the two of them surfing. It never occurred to either of them that I would be unable to teach them in the course of an hour at the beach, or that they would be unable to learn. Of course, I readily agreed to play the role of tourist surf school.
The reason for my willing participation, I admit, was sadistic.
Surfing schools in Waikiki use 10 or 11 foot surfboards to teach beginners, as the larger boards stability stable and better floatation than smaller boards. The largest surfboard I own is a 7'6" funboard. The Waikiki surf schools use a beach with a smooth, consistently breaking, small to mid size wave with very little pitch. The conditions at Huntitngton Beach are more challenging. Even on a small day, the surf is inconsistent. Peaks move with the shifting sand on the bottom. There are no safe channels to paddle out on smooth water. Waves can break with varying degrees of power and pitch.
Nothing is more entertaining than bringing a newcomer to the water who legitimately believes that he'll be standing up surfing waves in a matter of minutes. The inevitable failure and degradation is a reinforcement of the value of all the work a surfer has devoted to learning the sport. If it were easy - if one could simply wade out into the water and start surfing - we wouldn't cherish it so much.
In reality, the newcomer must first learn to paddle. Lying on the board to paddle thru the waves can be a challenge. Lying in a position too far forward will cause the nose of the board to sink. Center your gravity too far back, and the nose of the board will stick out of the water cartoonishly as if there was a really heavy guy sitting in the back of the canoe. Additionally, unlike rowboats or canoes, a surfboard will rock from side to side unless one lays directly in the middle. In the midst of attempting to achieve forward, backward, and sideways balance for paddling, there are waves coming, knocking the swimmer any which way they choose. Should the new surfer find an area of calm, he may attempt to sit up on the surfboard in waiting position, as the other surfers are doing. A first attempt at this can have all kinds of results, most of which involve swallowing water.
I give my nephew the pitch. "Rule number one: There is nothing that you can do to stop the wave from getting to shore. Therefore, holding out your hands, standing in defiance, or attempting to hold out the board to stop the wave are all bad ideas."
My nephew asked what the key to surfing is. I ignored him and continued with my instructions, knowing full well that he wasn't listening to a word.
"With this size of surfboard, there are three basic ways to get through an oncoming wave. For small whitewater waves, simply paddle straight through the wave. For whitewater waves which are one to one and a half foot high, do a push up on the board, allowing the wave to pass between you and the board. For anything bigger than that, roll over and hold on the board tightly while the wave passes you by. If you cannot hold to board, and have to let go, push it as far away from you as possible. You don't want it to hit you while you're flopping around under water."
My nephew lasted about twenty minutes, paddling in the surf.
posted by travinator @ 5:52 PM
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