Same question here, too compressed, should I be extending now?

Hi everyone, do you think I’m compressed to much here or just right?

Just wanted to share with everyone in the community and Clayton Nienaber.
This video is me working on one simple turn with the help of a few posts in the community and 20 mins a day in the bowl to practice.
3 turns over the course of 7 calendar days or so, practicing 20 mins a day in the bowl before work, posting my clips and taking the advice of the community members and Clayton.
I do realize it's still far from perfect and I have much to work on but the improvement I see in myself with y'alls help is amazing. I just wanted to say I'm proof that putting yourself out there and using the community can be an amazing resource.
Now to take it to the water...but im fully stoked on the results. Thank you everyone for all your help.

Hi everyone, super sad to say that my daughter and I can no longer go on the Nicaragua surf camp March 17-23. Would anybody like to take over our spots on this awesome trip?

Back in the saddle again...

Went into this session and decided NOT to worry about the second turn and focus on the first and get that down.
Goals were:
1. To be more upright, not as chest to knees as before and try to keep my arms up. (Don't know why I have such a tendency to drop them right before the turn.)
2. Toss the ball, soften the knees, open the thumb like in circling a pole, pass the coffee.
3. Not be as chest to knees working into the cutback or 2nd turn.

Overall feel it was pretty successful. The first turn does feel easier. Still want to keep those arms up more, but at least I feel like my back is straighter.

Just trying to get that 1% better each time...

Progression in surfing is challenging because it requires a fundamental shift in how we understand balance, speed, and control—concepts that often conflict with our instincts and prior experiences. Let’s break it down:

1. The Balance Misconception

Most beginners think of surfing as primarily a balancing act, much like standing still on solid ground. However, surfing introduces a dynamic environment where balance is inseparable from acceleration and thrust. Newton’s first law comes into play: when the wave propels the surfboard forward, inertia pulls the body backward, leading to a fall. True balance in surfing isn’t static—it’s dynamic and tied to understanding the energy of the wave.

Analogy: Riding a Bicycle

Just like riding a bicycle, balance improves with speed. When you’re stationary or moving slowly on a bike, staying upright is difficult. But as speed increases, momentum stabilizes the ride, and you can relax into balance. Similarly, in surfing, speed generated by the wave creates a stable platform, allowing the surfer to relax and flow with the motion.

2. The Need for Speed and Control

In surfing, learning to harness speed from the wave is critical. Without speed, every movement feels forced, and small mistakes are magnified. But with speed, the wave does the work, and the surfer can begin to flow. However, speed introduces its own complexities—like timing, positioning, and line selection—which require practice to master.

Comparison to Vehicles:

• Car: Like driving a car, a beginner surfer learns the basics—getting moving, turning gently, and staying upright. But in a car, sharp turns at high speeds can lead to flipping, just as abrupt movements on a surfboard can cause wipeouts.
• Motorbike: A motorbike adds complexity. To accelerate effectively, riders lean forward to reduce resistance, much like surfers must lean into the wave’s energy. Motorbikes are also more agile, allowing sharper turns—similar to how more advanced surfers take tighter, faster lines on waves.
• Airplane: An airplane represents the ultimate freedom in movement, with no friction or terrain limitations. To achieve lift, it must accelerate enough to reduce drag and use its design to glide effortlessly. This parallels advanced surfing, where understanding lift, drag, and energy allows surfers to access the wave’s full potential.

3. Limitations of Equipment and Lines

Each surfboard acts as a mode of transport, with its own set of limitations:
• A longboard is like a car—stable, smooth, but limited in agility.
• A shortboard is like a motorbike—more dynamic and responsive, but requiring more skill.
• An advanced board with high rocker and thin rails is like an airplane—allowing for three-dimensional, free-flowing movement on the wave.

Beginners often don’t realize that their equipment limits the lines they can take, which in turn limits their understanding of what is possible. This creates a cycle of frustration, where they “don’t know what they don’t know.”

4. The Role of Coaching and Equipment Progression

Coaching breaks this cycle by exposing surfers to new ways of thinking, feeling, and moving. Changing the board or approach can expose surfers to previously unknown sensations, teaching them what they didn’t know they were missing. However, to progress, surfers must let go of preconceived notions—emptying the glass—and approach the lesson with an open mind and curiosity.

The Learner’s Mindset

Progression becomes fun when surfers embrace the unknown and commit to discovery. Each new sensation or breakthrough unlocks deeper levels of understanding and connection with the wave. The journey is as much about unlearning rigid patterns as it is about mastering new ones.

5. Why It’s Hard: The Learning Curve

Surfing progression is tough because it requires the simultaneous mastery of multiple layers:
1. Body Awareness: Adapting to dynamic movement rather than static balance.
2. Wave Reading: Recognizing the wave’s energy and learning to position and time movements.
3. Equipment Adaptation: Transitioning from stable to more responsive boards.
4. Mindset: Letting go of fear, embracing failure, and trusting the process.

Each level builds on the last, and the limits imposed by the surfer’s mindset, board, and understanding create bottlenecks that only exposure, practice, and guidance can overcome.

Final Thought

Surfing is not just about standing on a board—it’s about learning to harness energy, adapt to a dynamic environment, and move with freedom. Each step in the journey—like moving from a car to a motorbike to an airplane—offers new challenges but also greater possibilities. With speed, agility, and lift, the surfer moves closer to effortless flow, where the wave’s energy becomes an extension of their own.

John Kuras You motivated me to give the figure 8 a go. I've practiced single turns in these corners but never tried to link them. I had a bunch of failed attempts before finding a little rythm. I kept jackknifing on the front side turns in my early attempts and stalling on the backside. I found the main thing that helped was looking for the opposite wall as I went through the turn. I can see this being helpful for getting the head around on turns in the water, but I've found these sharper turns aren't necessarily realistic for where I am at in my surfing. Having corners opposite each other with a more mellow turn would probably be better. Something closer to the OMBE bowl.

Anyone have specific board recommendations for line 3? Im surfing in florida where the waves are generally pretty mushy and powerless. I’m currently riding a 7’2 nsp funboard and I definitely feel like Ive moved on to line 3 and am now looking for something more responsive. Since Im dealing with mushy soft waves I know (based off watching everything i could find on this site) that i want something with a wider nose and a swallow tail. I’m just not sure what brands, specific boards, and dimensions I should be looking at getting.

I’m 5’9 (175 cm) and weigh 195 lbs (88 kg)

New seat..same old struggle bus. Really enjoying the suck though. Managed to chip a fairly big piece of concrete off the bowl on this first one.
Last one is about as close as I got. I'm gonna get it though...just takes time.
Feel like I could have made that last one IF I would have looked to the next target and not been so scared of that little ledge from the roll in, and IF I kept my left arm out in front instead of letting it get all crazy like.
So there's the goals for tomorrow....
Would also like to add here: I do realize my arms are low, and as Coach Clayton says I should point where I'm going. I was working on that as I got more comfortable with the angles of approach so that I could work on getting under that little ledge. I just didn't include those clips. BUT I do realize it needs to be fixed. Small progress every day.

Great little 5 minute Film of 73 year old Eric Davies at my local break 🤙

tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-c1RgwEY4)