I can relate to this...

For a while now I've been going going rock climbing regularly, and started getting pretty good. Then, about June I fell and had a really bad injury (broke the radius and ulna in my left arm) and spent quite a few days in hospital.

Since then I've gone back to the wall and was terrified at first, especially making the big moves... but by taking it slow and working up strength again I eventually found I had the confidence to just let it happen.

If anything I'm a better climber now because I don't take stupid risks anymore.

Bedroom practice

Hey Nell,
Surfing is a fantastically beautiful and frustrating sport. Catching waves and wave selection is probably the hardest of all the surfing skills to learn but the problem being that you have to learn the most difficult thing first when you have the least experience!!

When you pick a wave and turn round to line it up - you paddle with your head a bit lower pushing forward a bit in order to keep the board as flat a possible so the board glides through the water. Then as the wave starts to pick you up (this is the tricky bit - being in the right place), just when you think you've caught it put one extra paddle in (it usually makes the difference between cleanly catching the wave and just missing it).

Then as you go to pop to your feet put your hands as far behind your shoulders as possible with your weight heading a bit further back (trying not to nose dive). Now it may feel a bit 'gimpy' (loads of surfer do this - but don't tell any one...) but practising your 'popping' at home in your bedroom is really valuable and can help you smooth it out.

But at the end of the day a lesson is always a good idea, surf teachers usually have lots of little tips and trick to help you get a better feel for it...

Anyway I hope a bit of this rambling babble helps...

I agree

Hi im new too, but I wondered why you nose-dived and re-read Itsovermyhead's post, turns out you were too far forwards on the board, I used to have this problem too but my instructor helped me. I'm nervous about going out back too!!
Anyways thanks for asking the question that i was gonna ask!!
Jeez I haven't been surfing for a while, gotta go out now and get my surf-blood going again!!
~~Moz~~

cute bunny!

i like your bunny! whats his/her name?

glad i could help by asking the question!! : ) roll on weekend!
(yes i know it's only monday but work sucks)!

thank you!

thanks for all your help guys! i will have to try that bed thing...! going to scarborough in a couple of weekends time so will let you know whether i manage to catch anything other than sand! : )

see ya.

nell.

Clench Bum

Best bit of advice i ever got about paddling into waves is arch your back and bring yor chest off the board.

When you arch your back and lift your chest off the board (takes a bit to strengthen your back muscles) your centre of gravity moves back on the board which brings the nose up. This will allow you to lie a little further forward on the board when you're paddling around so you won't feel like you're pushing water. Then when you're paddling for the wave clench your bum, and lift your chest off, up comes the nose and bingo! The other advantage is that your head is off the board and you can see where you're going.

If you watch the groms who've been doing it since they were 5 you'll see that they paddle with thier chest off the board all the time.

Hope this helps

Good tip

This is a really good bit of advice for some people who have been having the same 'nose diving' problems as Nell. The way to build lower back strength is practising your 'Up Dogs' , which is a yoga position. It helps extend the spine, open the chest, and keep the hips loose. All good for surfing.

lots of thanks!

thank you again! all this advice is great... i can't wait to get into the water to try it out! : )

Yoga Classes

Sam,

Are there any Yoga classes around Pembrokeshire that you know of?

Not that I know

Sorry Salty - not sure about Pembrokeshire. The only advice that I can give is that if you are interested in doing Yoga sometimes it takes a while to find a good teacher - another thing is that I've been doing Ashtanga yoga for a while which is a very physical form of yoga, which I find much more interesting than slower more relaxing yoga.

Check out this picture of Ashtanga - don't worry you won't be made to do that on your first night - and no way can I do that!!

Nice pic on the front page by the way - looks warm...

Yoga in Wales

Hi Salty,
Check out yogainwales.co.uk as they have a list of teachers and other yoga info... I'll ask my teacher (in Aberystwyth) if he knows anybody in your area as it's always nice to get a recommendation and he is by far the best teacher I have ever had.

Let me get this straight...

What the lot of you are saying is that a bit of up-dog-bum-clenching-in-the-bedroom is going to help my surfing? :)

yeah like everyone said, put

yeah like everyone said, put a surfboard up your bum once a week for a year, then clench buttocks whilst patting a dog in your bedroom....simple and effective way to stop nose diving.