Do you really need one? Probably not. But it’s your board, you can do whatever you like.

Your back foot will move. And once you start going more vertical it might move fully back on pivot style turns. Will a tail pad help you then? Maybe, but consider Mason Ho does all his surfing without one. And he’s basically nuts, and so is his surfing.

It's a bit of a masterclass. Those legs are so busy.

I've recently gotten into the habit of doing yoga every day. Let's say I actually do it 5 out of 7 days every week. Nothing fancy, there are these 30 days of yoga routines on youtube. It's easy to fit into a busy life and helps with flexibility and some core work too. The basic philosophy being It's the little things you do every day day.

Try hitting the closeout section. Do a snap or foam climb for instance. It's a good habit to get into. Trying for floaters can also help you make it past closeout sections.

Probably one of the hardest skills to learn in surfing is to read waves well. You could probably spend a lifetime and still improve.

You will have to adapt your pop up to the wave but the basic technique remains the same. Depending on the shape of the wave it may for instance need to be quicker. The glide phase might be really long or virtually non existent etc. If you want to compare to complete opposite ends of the spectrum have a look at Batu Balong (know as the wave that never breaks) and something like Pipeline or Teahupo’o. The basic technique is the same but speed of execution is different. Also fast waves might require you to really knife the takeoff.

Adapting to what that specific wave needs is part of the learning process. And this is of course also why looking at the wave as it stands up and during your takeoff is so crucial. You will sort of adapt automatically.

Giles Oatley do you really think so or are you just giving yourself a reason not to go? (Sorry, bit of tough love).

Just go for it. Nobody is going to mind you being there as long as you're actually trying. The skateboarding community are some of the nicest and constructive people you'll ever meet. They'll genuinely be happy to see you progress.

If you go first thing in the morning you should also be able to beat the crowd.

Hi Roger, what stands out to me is that there's a lot of movement going on in your upper body but the board is not really reacting that much. Maybe try slowing it all down and leaning a bit more too instead of twisting so much. It also seems to me that your legs are quite locked. A bit of skating would probably really help. Have you ever tried it?

You've done the hardest part. You've put yourself out there and asked for feedback.

What stands out to me is tension in your body. Your staying compressed for a very long time. When you're just rolling there's no need to. Stand up and chill a little. Only compress when you're about to jump up. For instance when you're bmaboit to go up a transition.

Jeremy Dean is usually the man to talk to

Your feet, your back foot especially, are probably going to move around a fair bit. I'd recommend not worrying about it too much. Try to be front on and your feet will follow.