OMBE Surf Co

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Exciting Changes Ahead! 🌊We’ve restructured our footage review process to make it more beneficial for everyone. While live sessions will be on pause as we adapt to new dynamics with our two candidates, we’re thrilled to announce a fresh approach: your submissions will now be reviewed and shared here in the community!Here’s why we’re embracing this new method:✔️More Engagement: Posting reviews here encourages interaction and brings our quieter members into the conversation. Lives were limiting, as only those free at the time could participate.✔️Flexibility for Clay: With a packed schedule of retreats next year, this setup allows Clay to review submissions remotely during his downtime—ensuring faster and more consistent feedback.✔️Easier Access: Every review and takeaway will be visible to everyone, making it simpler to learn and improve without sifting through past live sessions.✔️Focused Feedback: This organized system will help you concentrate on specific areas to improve.🔔 A few reminders: • Submit one video at a time to give everyone a fair chance for feedback. • Avoid submitting distant or surf-cam footage—Clay needs clear visuals to provide effective, actionable advice.We can’t thank you enough for your support, patience, and understanding as we work through these changes together. Your willingness to adapt and grow with us means the world, and we’re so appreciative of this amazing community. 🙏P.S. I’ve added a Google sheet in the comments for tracking your submissions. If you’d like your older footage skipped, simply select “Y” in column F. This will indicate you’re uploading newer training footage. If you select “N,” Clay will proceed with reviewing your current submission. Let us know if you have any questions!

Graham Marsden

August 27

The remains of Hurricane Erin were throwing some big swells towards the UK today, which looked promising.

Unfortunately it was also sending 20mph+ winds across too, meaning the big swells were turning into blown-out, close-out mush :(

But I decided to go down to Bracklesham to get back on the Ombe Ambassador 6'11 board that Clay shaped for me a year or three ago and which I hadn't ridden for a while.

Firstly, in a fit of enthusiasm when I got there, I decided to try to get out the back, but the conditions were just hectic for me, however I did manage to (sort of) achieve a few duck dives (Yay!) but...

... Important technique note: If you lose control of the board in a duck dive, it's a really good idea not to try to catch it in your teeth!

Ouch :(

One slightly split lip (but no damaged teeth later), I decided to stay on the inside in the foam.

I was hoping that my recent experience with doing a short-board walk-up on my 8'2 Torq would help, except I was having great difficulties even catching anything.

Despite my best attempts to do the Oreo technique, so often either I was too far back so the wave just didn't push me, or I was too far forward and nose-diving.

Even when I did catch something, I wasn't managing the walk-up because as I was pushing down with my front knee, the nose of the board would pitch up, causing me to either lose the wave or not be able to get the front foot through.

I did catch a few eventually and was actually in the right position for the webcam, so I could do a video I've wanted to do for a while.

Ok, the walk up wasn't great on this one either, but I was getting stacked on the front foot and being a lot more relaxed and stable.

https://youtu.be/hZbAJzT-RXk

So it wasn't a great day, but at least there were some positive benefits from it.

John Kuras

August 26

Month of Surf Training in September:

Decided I am going to dedicate myself to 1 month of surfing/ surf training everyday for at least 30 mins a day.

If there are waves ill surf even if it is just catching white water on a foamie. I'll practice my pop ups and weight shifting and how that effects board movement.

If no waves I will paddle up and down the beach for 30 mins. Work on paddle endurance and low back strength.

If it's inclement weather and I can't get in the water I will surf skate, weight train, stretch, bosu mind surf while watching a John john video.

30 days of training or working towards my goal of improving every day.

I'll come back on October 1st and let every one know how I progressed.

My current baseline: I can pop up with little to no issues. I'm comfortable in the ocean regardless of wave size. I can get down the line with minor compression and extension.

Goals:

Paddle endurance

Working towards line 3 surfing (compression/ extension, arm control, utilizing more than the bottom of the wave.)

Doing a turn! Any turn will do to start....

Really want to get cutbacks down.

Let's see how it goes!

Graham Marsden

August 23

• Edited (Aug 23, 2025)

Some surf skating footage from the park in Barnstaple.

I did some warm-up runs around the park to get the feel of it, then tried some backside and frontside turns in the bowl.

The bowl is much nicer than the one I usually ride in Portsmouth, bigger and with a "split level" setup, although it did take some getting used to.

As mentioned in my previous post, it's depressing when you feel like you're getting up the wall with your head low, but then see the video and it's... meh... 🙁

I think my main issue at the moment is simply gaining enough speed to be able to get further up so the centrifugal force will allow me to lean more, but I'm not sure how.

I've watched the surf skate videos of Ozzy and Kai in the OMBE bowl and they're getting so much more height with seemingly much less effort, so if anyone has any suggestions on what I can do to improve, please let me know!

https://youtu.be/z1GILhtXf4Q

Graham Marsden

August 21

Recently I got back from from 10 days holiday at Croyde in North Devon, although I actually spent a fair amount of it surfing at Saunton (the next beach along) because it has a more mellow wave.

I have to say that this was the best surfing I've had in over 20 years, the conditions were generally clean and with easy breaking waves which gave me the opportunity to practice without having to worry about wind chop or close outs.

Not only was I getting my shortboard walk-up working (I was using it for practice even though I mostly rode my 8'2!), but I was getting more stacked on the front foot and managed to compress and extend along the wave face.

Frustratingly, on the day I did my best surfing, I had forgotten to take my GoPro with me and I wasn't in the right place to get footage from the surf camera, but Hadyn Wood was there and witnessed it!

I also got to try out a better skate park than my usual one, which I did get some video of (will follow up with this in a later message), but it was depressing when I watched it back, thinking I was getting up the banking with my head low, only to see that the reality was a lot less impressive... 🙁

Oh well, it's an improvement anyway, so I'll take what wins I can get!

Elizabeth Vasquez-Johnson

August 20

00:10

Hello, hello! Had a surf lesson today. This is the second time I got recordings of myself, and I noticed I still need to work on my stance. I would appreciate any feedback that will improve my surfing! Thank you 😁👍🏽

Michiel van Gerven

August 19

In packing for two days of surfing in Cape Town as we speak. Anybody have any tips for waves I should check out? Last time I was there I spent some time at long beach at Kommetjie and had a blast but I think it'll be onshore there so planning too check other spots. Will have a car so we're pretty mobile.

Bettys Bay is on the list as an option, anything else off the beaten track I should be aware off?

Also: the Kalk Bay reef looks really cool, is it worth checking out or is it super sketchy?

Any tips would be very welcome!

sebastian

August 19

00:10

Hey guys! I’m uploading this video from Cabo Matapalo, Costa Rica, to get some feedback. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I need to improve from everything I’ve learned in the Ombe videos, but I’d love to confirm these points so I know I’m on the right track.

I’ve been surfing consistently for over 8 years since I moved to Costa Rica. I’m 35 years old and currently riding a 5'10" Pyzel Alien with 30 liters of volume.

I haven’t practiced much on a surf skate — only a couple of times — and I know it would help a lot. I hope to add it to my training in the future.

Here’s a summary of the points I think I need to improve:

1. I feel like I’m not putting enough weight forward after the drop to generate speed down the face. I also think I could take a more aggressive line on the drop to set a deeper bottom turn into the pocket.

2. I think I need to keep more compression during my bottom turn, and I also notice my front arm getting a bit in the way.

3. When I go for a manoeuvre, I feel like I’m still not turning my head and shoulders enough — I’m not rotating my body as much as I should for a more radical turn.

Thanks! Pura vida 🤙🏼

Tom Tebbatt

August 18

Absolute light bulb moment from Clay’s new YouTube, lifting at the top of the wave!

Immediately made an impact in the bowl on the carver and can’t wait to try it in the water on Friday 💪🤙

Paul Doan

August 17

00:17

First time back on a HPSB in awhile. Any tips appreciated!

Rohan

August 17

00:51

Last weeks surf sesh. Didn't have a lot of waves this day... Was a day of the paddle... and duck diving. Seemed the biggest sets were always on my head... Typically. Was fun, and didnt have any expectations because of my fitness levels and the ocean was a bit rough. First wave I still have energy, second wave was after about 1.5 hours and the last was my last wave after roughly 2 hours.

Pop up exposes my level of fitness at the moment, I was almost unable to push myself up for Oreo. Grateful to be out in the water and for the lesson of embracing the suck never the less.

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