For anyone who may be looking for any longboard coaching video analysis, we're getting things up and running and I'd be stoked to assess and set up a plan for what you're looking to improve on! If you are at all interested please feel free to email at longboardcoaching@outlook.com
Cheers everyone!
Ben 🤙

Great topic. At age 70, here are my tips:

(1) Paddle really slowly when feasible (when you're not in a rush). For example, when no sets are on the horizon, exert very little push with each stroke.

(2) Rest. I often get a "second wind," and I recently realized that that happens after a significant lull. So, let some good waves go by.

(3) Pick a good takeoff spot and let the waves come to you. This will give you some more rest time, and you'll end up with a higher wave count.

(4) Deal with sweep efficiently. Watching videos of my surfing, I realized that I'd let the sideways current move me way out of position, then I'd rush to paddle back to the best spot. It's better to paddle a little at a time to stay in the best spot.

(5) Every time you go from sitting to paddling, use the cork pop technique to get the board moving (push the board down into the water so it will propel you forward when it pops up. Include a frog kick). This gives your paddling muscles a break.

(6) When paddling out through breaking waves, avoid the tendency to paddle harder when you're going backwards.

(7) Learn no-paddle or short-paddle takeoffs using the cork-pop technique.

no worse feeling being absolutely spent on energy and the best wave of the day comes rolling in...

Step One:  Wait for me to paddle out and get caught inside by 20 long period swells.  My surfing buddies actually do this.  I've had a rocky relationship with King Neptune for 50 years.

Excellent material as always.  Thanks Ben

Thanks again for this video, Ben. This is all very helpful and pertinent, and I look forward to the next one.

This answers some of the questions I had about various peaks, shoulders, left/right breaks and/or closeouts. Although I study the surf forecasts (almost obsessively), I can’t usually get to the beach ‘til midday, but now I know why surfers do “dawn patrol”. Since I’m also not prepared for winter here in the NE USA, I went out for two last days on this late autumn weekend to test winter surfing. As a competitive swimmer, free and fly, paddling is supposed to be my strength! (The rest of my “surfing” is what needs work.)

Friday, however, was high offshore winds and choppy conditions, easier to paddle out than in for waves. Also, I found that sitting for too long, waiting for sets, I’d often drift too far outside. My Sunday Glide was better, but with cooler temps (50F) I realized that no matter my fitness, expending energy and losing body heat in cold water makes paddling that much more tiring. Earlier in the fall season, I got caught inside by another surfer coming down the shoulder. Since I hoped to avoid that, I realized I was missing some nice practice waves as you said.

Anyway, it’s all good - part of the learning process for a novice like me.🤙

Amazing instruction Ben, very helpful

Nice One. Position is key. For short boarders you can actually take off closer to the peak and pacing yourself to accompany the wave is a game changer. For a long time I was thinking I need a bigger board when in actuality a smaller board was better for takeoffs - that is once you overcome the fear of the steeper part of the wave. I agree that there are a lot of people that are positioned too far out - but you can use the first wave of the set to help you get in postion/find a takeoff spot - if you missed the first wave with light paddling then you may not be to far from a good takeoff on the second which in some breaks can be a little bigger than the first as water is displaced making the break more shallow.

thank for your upload!😊

When I get tired I blame Dan Andrews

🍻

Thanks for watching! If you want to go more in-depth on strategies to get out the back easily watch this video https://youtu.be/hPf5HbIL2ok

Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see, yewww! 🤙🙏

At beach breaks I use the run outs to get out to the line up.