A soft top is a good idea. Depending on your height/weight you may be able to go shorter... like 8 ft or 7ft. I'm 6'3" 170 lbs or 190.5cm 77.1 kg for you metric system people and I started on an 8ft board.

Any brand would do they are all similar. Catch surf/ Odysea or the Mick Fanning ones. As long as you have fins, lots of foam to floar you and a leash you'll be fine. They do make special wax for foam boards which does work a little better than wax for a normal PU or Poly board but any wax will work.

There should be more of these. Honestly I love the lessons and short video drills breakdown. But I feel like watching these I learn more. I watch the learner making the same mistakes I probably make, and Clay correcting him and it gives me a clue as to what to do to fix my issues. I do wish I had a few hours in the bowl with Clay giving me those little pointers, feel like I'd be ripping in no time.

Thanks. I'll give those tips a try. These 3 turns are not even what I consider my best turns of the session as far as height and speed of the turn goes and of getting the board on rail. But my higher faster turns I was not opening up as much and I was looking down at the end of the turn to check my kissing knees position so I didn't submit those as examples. Next time back I definitely want to get the higher faster turn WHILE opening up more down. I also really need to work on my backhand turn as that is no where near as fluid as these.

Switching from a goofy foot to a natural stance while skating as been a challenge but im hoping it improves my surfing which is where I really want to see the results. If I could buy some Swell for South Carolina on a day I don't have work I may actually get to test it out in the water sometime. BUT I'm excited with the improvements I've made and the comfort of being up higher on the ramp.

So when Ant does the turn you have him keeping is hand low and pointing the thumb. Why is this different then wanting the front hand up (closer to the head, like in the forehand turn video in the advanced surfskate section) and opening the shoulder?

Maybe an odd question but is there a difference in technique if you don't have a bowl to skate. My park only has ramp, like half a half pipe. Doesn't have a corner section to bank around.

I've been practicing and feel like my legs are too extended at the top of the turn, thinking maybe I'm trying to do too much compression and extension, watching this over it appears Ant is just gently bending that back knee to drop in and turn and I feel like I'm over compressing and then over extending and putting myself in impossible to make situations.

Good, went back today for my 2nd hour of practice. Trying to stack more over my front and lunge instead of squatting. Also trying to keep my coffee cup out in front. I was projecting more towards 11, rather than 10 o'clock today, not quite 12 yet but was getting an extra few inches of elevation on the extended upwards. Watching my videos from today I realize my left (trailing) hand was rolling down windows, so next time I'm taking a stick with me to work on that and keeping those hands leading.

Just was able to make my first 3 in a row of these today. Never skated a ramp/bowl before so it took a few attempts to make my first one without falling off. I will say kissing the knee made it feel more fluid and making the farting sound with my lips made it happen. Stoked to keep working at it. I used to skate goofy foot, am now learning natural stance since I surf that way, and my first time on anything with any elevation to it to work on compression and turning to hand off the coffee cup. EXCITED to keep working at it. Yeeewwww

Think I'm in this same boat. I stand on a skateboard and feel so much more balanced with my right foot forward. I've been trying to learn skating natural footed and it just feels sooo awkward to me. I do pop-up better into natural footed when surfing though... think I may have to train that pop-up to be goofy as well. Tried skating on a ramp today for first time and natural footed felt impossible well goofy footed felt much better.

What do we do if we have no bowl to skate?

Booked my 10 night stay at Turtle Bay on Oahu for next September. Now just to figure out how to surf MUCH better before the trip. So stoked to take my girls to Hawaii...yeeeewwww