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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:βœ”οΈ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.βœ”οΈFlexibility for Clay: With a packed schedule of retreats next year, this setup allows Clay to review submissions remotely during his downtimeβ€”ensuring faster and more consistent feedback.βœ”οΈEasier Access: Every review and takeaway will be visible to everyone, making it simpler to learn and improve without sifting through past live sessions.βœ”οΈFocused Feedback: This organized system will help you concentrate on specific areas to improve.πŸ”” A few reminders: β€’ Submit one video at a time to give everyone a fair chance for feedback. β€’ Avoid submitting distant or surf-cam footageβ€”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. πŸ™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 β€œY” in column F. This will indicate you’re uploading newer training footage. If you select β€œN,” Clay will proceed with reviewing your current submission. Let us know if you have any questions!
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  in  πŸ„ ombe-community
August 31
β€’ Edited (Aug 31, 2025)

Excuse the length of this, but, for 21 years (yes, twenty one bl**dy years!), I've been surfing and, in all that time, getting to my feet has been an issue.

I could kneel on my back leg and stand up, I recently worked out how to push up on the front knee, get my back foot under me, step the front foot through and stand up and, of course, I can do a completely ungainly "scramble to my feet and hope I can keep my balance and not fall off...!"Β πŸ˜•

But, in all that time, I've only ever done multi-stage moves and, despite watching lots of videos and practising different techniques etc, I've never been able to do that smooth, single movement onto my feet and up.Β 

Recently, following my surfing holiday at Croyde where (once again) my back started acting up during sessions, I've been doing more back raises, pikes and knee-to-chest tucks on my Swiss Ball etc to try to get a bit more strength in my back and core.

Also, during the recent session at Bracklesham, I kept missing waves when trying to do the "front knee, back foot" walk up, because I ended up pushing down on the back of the board too much, so it was making the nose pitch up meaning I couldn't get the front foot through and the board would stall.Β 

So I was watching one of the old Zoom Lives today (and fell asleep half way through!) but when I woke up, I was thinking about the Bracklesham session again and wondering how I could get more forward to keep the nose down as I walked up, to let me get my foot through and stop me losing the wave.

I experimented with a few things, then tried just pushing up on my toes and lifting my hips, when something like this happened:

Β https://youtu.be/MdRlbwrM8FAΒ 

Ok, that's actually after already having done a few tries, but somehow I finally found out that I could actually Walk Up as a Pop Up, getting the back foot to land first, followed by the front, and get upright!!!Β πŸ‘Β 

It's not perfect in the video (I know my head is moving around too much and drops at one point instead of staying looking up and forward) but I was concentrating more on just getting the basic feel of the technique and I'll work on the details later.

I don't know why I've never been able to get that before and I'm only currently doing it off my toes as I can't yet do it from my knees as if I was on a short board, but, hell, after 21 years, I'll take any win I can get!

So, take it from me, if you think you can't do something, just keep doing what you can and, one day, you might just surprise yourself!Β πŸ€™

3
  in  πŸ„ ombe-community
August 30
00:22

Need more twist in my life, right? I’m fully platued, help.. haha

11
  in  πŸ„ ombe-community
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 :(Β 

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 :(Β 

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.Β 

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.Β 

https://youtu.be/hZbAJzT-RXk

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

7
  in  πŸ„ ombe-community
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 WoodΒ 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...Β πŸ™

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


4
  in  πŸ„ ombe-community
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 πŸ˜πŸ‘πŸ½

13
  in  πŸ„ ombe-community
August 17
00:27

Hi Clayton and Team, I need some help with my top turns and cutback. Any advice would be super helpful.

2
  in  πŸ„ ombe-community
August 11
β€’ Edited (Aug 11, 2025)
00:39

Any advice on what you should be doing to generate speed to get out of the foam when you get behind it. I do β€œscoots” and pray, but have no idea what the physics supports as an approach. The sooner you catch back up the more time you have to play.

5
  in  πŸ„ ombe-community
August 17
00:17

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

2
  in  πŸ„ ombe-community
August 23
β€’ 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...Β πŸ™

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

27
  in  πŸ„ ombe-community
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 β€” only a couple of times β€” 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 β€” I’m not rotating my body as much as I should for a more radical turn.

Thanks! Pura vida πŸ€™πŸΌ

6