Smiles Update-Questions

So I feel comfortable to go out by myself for an hour locally if it is not too wild out there (wild for me means 3-4 feet :)) . I am going to try today after work. I went out last weekend on Sunday at El Porto and there were three girls out. Sweet! We kind of looked at each other and laughed, because our boards were all nearly five feet bigger than us and we all had the good sense to stay 10 feet away from each other at all times. I know I look totally crazy trying to get my boat down to the water. I can't rap my arm around it, so I have to hold it with both hands or walk with it on my head (neither option makes me look anything other than goofy). It will be nice when I am not "a beginner." Also getting the wet suit off while keeping your bikini top on is evil!

I just sorta of practice on the mushy white water after the stuff breaks to get use to standing up, paddling into it (sometimes I am trying to paddle over and away from it-I am not going to lie). So I have a few questions: (1) friends say to practice on the actual waves, and old school father says no waves until I can stand up and ride the mushy white water stuff (the small stuff there is very little momentum so nearly impossible to stand up and the big stuff is still scary for me). Who is right?
(2) what the hell are the little hats everyone has on that match there wet suit? Are they cold? Is it for protection? Oh... and other than looking at the wave size, and tide is can someone explain to me what I should be looking at for a good day for a beginner? All the wind directions, ect. makes absolutely no sense to me.

hey Smiles.. today is looking pretty small and mushy. It might actually be a great day for you to get the "boat" out there and practice on the small stuff. I was hoping to get out near my house in Torrance but it looks entirely too small for me (I only have short-boards, so I need actual powered waves to get any surfing done).

How big of a board is it and how tall are you? Makes me wonder if maybe there is a "too big" of a board for a person. hah.

Also.. getting the suit off whilst keeping the top on.. TELL me about it. hah jk. If anything though, you might make some surf buddies a lot quicker than I did. haha.

but seriously.. Okay, on to your questions:

1. I tried teaching someone in the white wash before.. and just like you are saying.. they couldnt find any with enough push to actually stand up on. On the bigger days (when you start seeing all the shorty guys out there shredding the bigger stuff), I would suggest you stay on the inside at El Porto and snag the white water. El Porto is great for actually having what they call "re-form inside waves." They will be big out in the break, crash out, the guys will bail.. then the white water will hit the inside sandbars and "reform" into a smaller breaking wave again with a little power. Everyone will have an opinion on this one.. but MY opinion: Try it out on the normal waves on the 2-3ft days we usually have.. stay inside on white water on the 4-5ft days we get every once in a while.
2. Yes, that sounds like people wearing hoods. I'm wondering where you are seeing this. I don't think I see people in Porto wearing hoods very often. However, this HAS been a pretty cold winter. So Its possible. If you aren't cold.. you don't need one. But some people have lower tolerances for cold water.
3. Tide pushes in the south bay are tough. I prefer to surf in the middle of changes. Mainly because I find at high tide at many breaks, you end up getting "too much water" and it's really slow and mushy.. and then at low tide, you dont have enough water and its super shallow and too quick for me to paddle into. I would suggest taking note of the times you go and checking them against what tide it is.. If you go out and have a nice wave day.. see where the tide was during that time you went. If you went out and hated the way they were.. check that too. Develop the tides that YOU like surfing. Its different for peoples different preferences and it will change as you get better and want better waves. Wind directions around here.. Winds blowing from the East tend to be better (usually only see those in the mornings) as its blowing out off the sand into the face of the wave. Gives it better shape. In the afternoons, the wind will turn to blowing from the West which will make the waves crumble quicker and make the surface bumpy and choppy (harder to surf).

Okay.. enough of this book.. Time to get back to work. Hopefully we can hook up for a surf sesh sometime. I work right up the street from Porto and get off at 4pm. We'll have to surf sometime during the week one of these days.

My board is a 9'1 and made by Becker. I don't know how wide it is, but wider than the length of my arm by two feet, or so it seems. Its huge and green! Okay... second vote for practicing on the white wash, and people have hoods on in El Porto, plus booties. I feel instantly cooler than them now that I can freeze and fall off my board without these aides. I have been practicing on those little "re-form inside waves"... I guess. I should have listened to my friend that kept insisting that I wear a rash guard. He finally told me it wasn't just to keep warm, but to keep from taking everything off at once! Those 12 year olds totally bug by the pier with their 3 foot boards :)! One was rolling his own smoke and looked at me like I was 40. Had the last laugh when his mom picked him up. :)

My couple cents thrown in …

1) Practice on waves. Practicing on whitewash is fine for the first couple of times but beyond that will only hinder your progression. Same with getting up on your knee then your feet – might be ok for the first day but an awful habit to get into beyond that.

2) Yup they’re little hats. Keeps you warm where warmth escapes the most – your head. Some are literally hats that strap on under your chin while others are hoods connected to the suit.

3) Tough to tell – this like with so many things in surfing is something you get used to over time. Shoot I’ve been surfing Seal Beach forever and I still can’t nail down what weather variables equate to a “perfect” day at that spot. And note that yes it is different for every spot … and it changes depending on changes to the typography of the ocean surface.

As far as whether your board is too big. I don’t think so. Generally I think a 9 footer is decent learning size for any adult. Beyond that I think is overkill. And don’t worry a lot of people carry their longboards on their head which I think is the most efficient way to do so.

You seem stoked on surfing … definitely stick with it!!

Went out yesterday by myself. It was really intimidating...because it was my first time with no safety net. I know I am a strong swimmer and paddler so I wasn't that terrified (plus I know lifeguards are there till 8), but it was really busy. There was at least 20-30 guys out out there and I so didn't want to be in anyone's way. Can God just make me a beach with no one there, no rip tides, and nice rolling calm waves, pretty please?

I think the game plan is to go out when it is 1-2, and actually try to surf. On the 3-4 days play in the white wash. I see what you mean about getting on my knees and staying there. On a lot of the white wash I get there but don't feel like I can stand, so I just do that.

I kind of just played in the white water. Got pulled into a crazy rip tide, which after you have been pretend surfing for an hour, on a 40 pound long board, can be a little nuts to get out of. The lifeguard actually came out of his tower and I think he thought he was gonna have to get his little trunks wet. Took me awhile to make my way in, but I swear if I was going to have to get off my board and drag that sucker back, that lifeguard was not gonna come in the water. When I got in I said: "did you think you were gonna have to give me mouth to mouth?" He started to laugh and then spent 30 minutes with me talking about the water and what he thought I could improve on. He must have been watching me the whole time. Must have been my mad skills and amazingly cute Roxy wetsuit. He was kind of cute too, so it made it less embarassing. :)

Lesson: El Porto is probably not a great spot because I am too new, so I am regulated to Marine. Rip tides are mean and I have to ask the lifeguard about conditions before I take my little butt out there alone. I don't need a hat or hoddie, and I want a lighter board already. Probably not a good idea to go for a 6 mile run at lunch and then surf when you suck, because carrying your board to your car turns into a marathon. On the plus side the lifeguard said by Summer I should be "good for a girl."

haha. sounds like a good learning session. Good stuff. Keep it up.

On the plus side the lifeguard said by Summer I should be "good for a girl."

LOL!!!!!!!1

Lots of good advice here, El Porto isnt the best wave for a beginner but learning on it isnt a bad thing as its a fast wave at falling and low tides, much faster than say Huntington. Learning here will make other breaks much much easier to surf.

El Porto is best on a combo ground swell with easterly winds. its generally ok up to about 4-6mph westerly winds, if the wind hasn't been on it all day.
For learning mid/high tide is better as the waves are not as steep, they are more forgiving when learning/perfecting how to stand up and going straight.

One thing that is often forgotten is fin position on longboards, the center fin is adjustable. moving it all the way to the back/tail will help make the board feel a little bit firmer and turn a little less. Worth giving it a try on your board.

For lighter boards its really all in how it was made, my 9'2 is a hap jacobs and weighs 8-10 lbs (eps& epoxy, 2.5" thick, 6oz & 6+4oz glass). Lighter longboards are actually more difficult to ride, the board you described sounds great for learning. Keep at it!

Lighter longboards are actually more difficult to ride …

Can you or anyone else expand on this eums? I’ve been trying to convince my wife to go epoxy but mostly because I hate to see her struggle carrying the board. Well … ok … I hate to see myself struggling to carry the board for her. But it never occurred to me that an epoxy might be tougher to ride. Having ridden them before, I do notice the obvious stiffer feel and added buoyancy but didn’t really think it was tougher to ride.

Lighter longboards are actually more difficult to ride …

I do notice the obvious stiffer feel and added buoyancy but didn’t really think it was tougher to ride.

from what i've read (i've only ridden eps/epoxy boards) that is what most people complain about. and that may be why people say it's more difficult to ride. especially for people who are used to PU/PE and are transitioning to EPS/Epoxy.