John Kuras may I ask about your line of sight? I may be wrong but you seem to be looking somewhat down (diagonally). I think you might open up your body a bit more and get your hands higher if you move your line of sight up.

Maybe something to try is to out beercans on the coping at various points and to try to look at those to bring your line of sight up. Also, you could have beer after.

Yeah that's my basic thinking too. This one is a 4'10 though. Which sounds pretty crazy.

In one of Luke Hardacre podcast episodes he describes the motion of a turn as a "motion". Right now that turn at the top left looks like a held position. Might be worth checking out. Can't remember which episode it was exactly though. Maybe Luke can chime in ?

Try anything you might not try normally because you might lose the wave. It's going to happen no matter what you do so you might as well send it.

Also it's a great way to practice steep takeoffs. Your going in the washing machine anyways.

I use surf ears, basically year round. Most people I know do. Except for some very rare windless and warm days. And usually even then.

Context: the Netherlands. Water down to 4 °C and below freezing air temperature in winter. Summer water temperature is about about 20 °C

How's the deck on your smoothstar? Would the Carver trucks fit?

I bought myself a three euro selfie stick that also works as a tripod at Action. Has helped me to get more reliable footage.

Brian Park it all starts with awareness of what the wave is doing. There is no single right answer that will help you on every wave. Here's a clip of Kelly surfing J-Bay, famously a very fast wave. Look at the wave that starts at the 36 second mark and how he starts to change his lines depending on if the wave is running quickly or slowing down. If the wave runs, you may need to run. If the wave breaks more slowly you can more easily do top to bottom surfing. Etc.

https://youtu.be/ty6Ofpd7HWA?si=2Lx0I__SrsWQg52o

Libby Stano Si is right, the positioning of the boxes is somewhat different. But then again, there's nothing to stop you from having a go just to see how it feels. On a 5 fin I would probably opt for the outermost boxes to try that. But you can experiment with that too. It's your board.

More information in the get the right board course of course.

You may not like this answer, but: nobody will give you a chance. You need to create that chance yourself. Unless you're in a very atypical lineup it's not line drawing a number at a store.

Simply put, the surfer at the peak has priority. It is up to you to put yourself in that position. Now that can mean sortof moving up the queue when that surfer takes the wave. Of you then do not move towards the peak, there's nothing stopping someone else from taking that position.

Short version: it's up to you to be active and take the peak.

That also applies when you're surfing a shifty beach break. But you're paying the price for being new because haven't got your eye in yet. Very experienced surfers will know where the peak is going to much sooner and will have an easier time getting in position.