Surf Bigger Waves!

HOW TO
SURF BIGGER WAVES!

Do you want to ride bigger waves?

Let's face it, every surfer wants to progress their surfing since they rode their first wave. From catching white water as a beginner to paddling into unbroken waves. The progression is only a natural pursuit in search of challenging oneself to improve skill & confidence to ultimately have more fun and fulfillment in the water. However, everyone has their limits when it comes to wave size. The perception of what’s big is subjective based on the surfer, their skill level, confidence, and overall experience. Some surfers are comfortable not pushing their limits and that’s fine. Knowing your limits can save you from getting into bad situations and for those who wish to push their limits this can be the beneficial starting point from which to work from.

Progression is a process.

Progression into bigger waves starts with a series of steps towards ever-increasing wave size that will lead to improvement. Knowing what your limits are can also answer what your limitations are. Perhaps your limitations are poor cardiovascular fitness & flexability. Maybe breath-hold training could boost your confidence to know you could handle heavy wipeouts and extended hold downs. Does your skill and technique need some improvement to pop up and take off on bigger waves? Are you riding the right equipment for the waves you are surfing? There are a lot of variables that you can take into account to improve your chances of success in bigger waves. Know what your strengths are and fine-tune them while doubling down on your weaknesses. Remember, preparation and continuous improvement happen over time with consistency and discipline. This will supercharge your confidence.

Evaluate your abilities

Knowing where you’re at can set you up for ticking off the milestones toward steady incremental improvements over time instead of throwing yourself off the ledge and stunting your development. Ask yourself these questions to determine if you’re ready to move the dial to the right! Are you comfortable with your upper limits of wave size? Are you positioned well and getting the set waves? Are you comfortable taking late drops? These types of questions will give you an idea of how far you are going to push your limits.

Paddling out.

So you ready to take yourself out of your comfort zone and push your limits in bigger surf? Paddle out in surf that’s a couple of feet bigger than what you are used to or push yourself out the back to the bigger set waves. Be observant and watch the surfers who have the place dialed in. Look at where the waves are consistently breaking and let a few sets go by while sussing out the lineup. Who's catching the waves and who is just floating around like seaweed? Don't put any unrealistic expectations on yourself. You're probably not going to get the best-set waves out there but you want to snag a few bigger waves than you used to so your confidence builds. Get a couple under your belt to find your feet to build up some momentum.

Equipment

Riding the right surfboard for the conditions will be favorable for you getting into bigger waves. Depending on how far you are pushing your limits from the size of waves you would normally ride at the top end you may not need to tweak your equipment as much. However, having some extra length and buoyancy can certainly give you that extra steam to paddle yourself into bigger waves faster and get to your feet sooner avoiding being too late and going over the falls. Even if you ended up going over the falls you can also find positive outcomes here. If you have been working on your breath hold and you can come out of a wipeout relatively unscathed then this can build your confidence and make everything else seem like a piece of cake! Lastly, if you are dusting off your bigger board try to create some familiarity within yourself and the equipment. Catch a few in between waves or get a few sessions in riding it in the lead-up to the swell.

Conditioning

Your overall physical fitness is going to play a huge part in your mental game. As mentioned before if your fitness is a weak point then you need to double down on it. Training in the environment you going to be in will be an advantage and if you can do it under stress you will be better equipped to deal with hairy situations with increased confidence moving forward. One of the training practices most surfers know of is Hawaiian Rock Running. This involves diving down to the ocean floor, picking up a rock and running with it for as long as possible, and then coming up for air for a moment and then repeating the process. You can also do this in a pool setting with a plate, dumbbell, or kettlebell.

Other more modern ways of training can include surf apnea. Training that includes breath hold techniques and recovery breaths such as hook breathing. This type of free dive training can be used to improve breath-hold for surfers. Stay tuned for a free PDF guide on this coming out soon!

Don’t rush!

When you rock up to the beach and it’s pumping it’s easy to rush out there when it’s within your comfortable limits. However, if the session is going to be outside your comfort zone then it’s best not to try and be overconfident and rush out all guns blazing. This is the time to be patient, calm, and collected. Get your pre-surf routine sorted. Check your equipment, stretch, and collect your thoughts. If you've built a solid base of physical conditioning and been working on improving the chinks in your armor then you should be going into the session with a good level of confidence. Part of your pre-surf routine should also include sussing out the lineup from the beach. Watch the sets roll in and see where the waves are breaking. If it’s a new spot look for where the majority of people are paddling out from and coming in without getting washed onto the rocks, reef, or sand. Getting this right off the bat will set you off to a good start and not getting a million sets on the head and getting washed in like a kook. Once you're out there take your place in the lineup and get in the moment. Calm the nerves and draw on your training and preparation to swing around and paddle for the wave once it’s your turn.

Choose wisely.

If it’s your turn to go and you're going to commit, don’t half-arse it. If you are not ready be sure to let others in the water know early that you passing the wave up. There is nothing worse than seeing someone let a wave go by and not giving that opportunity to someone early if you not going to commit. You'll get more respect in the lineup this way. When your upper limit is surfing 4ft waves and you've paddled out to push yourself to ride 6ft waves then this should be your goal. Catching a few in between waves is fine however aiming for the 6ft set waves should be your goal. The same is true if you scale up in wave size. Generally speaking, the largest set of waves will be breaking in deeper water and the in-between waves in more shallower water. Don't get sucked into hanging out on the inside too long catching the in-between waves as you’ll run the risk of getting multiple set waves on the head. Remember your goal is to ride bigger waves so get out the back and push your limits!