Staring down head high waves at Surf Ranch

When the stars align, you go

When SWA posted they were going to the Surf Ranch in March, I emailed to check the dates. I had low expectations of it working because March is a crazy busy month with school events and spring break. In what could only be diving timing, Surf Ranch fell on pretty much the only day that month that could have worked. It was perfect, so I grabbed a spot.

Queen of the 3’ wave

I booked in the late fall and had ~4 months to get ready. While I had caught head high waves before, it wasn’t my comfort zone. I was “Queen of the 3’ wave” — but I planned to get plenty of practice in before March. It ended up being a very windy winter, so despite wanting to go out with smaller boards on bigger days, most of my sessions ended up being on waist high waves and longboards.

After a fun winter of long boarding, I really wasn’t ready for the wave at Surf Ranch, but it was a huge opportunity to just go and make the drop.

Facing the drop

The takeoff at Surf Ranch reminds me of my home break in the summer — fast, heavy, and angled. If waves have a personality, my home break is indifferent to your suffering, and takes delight in humbling you. It goes whether you’re ready or not. For me, when it’s over 4’, catching it is accidental, not skillful; and if I look down…I choke.

Getting over fear isn’t just about courage. You also need knowledge.

So when I arrived at Surf Ranch, being able to catch a wave like that was in striking distance, but I wasn’t there yet. If you look at Surf Simply’s skill levels, they say

Level 3 surfers can consistently catch head high waves without assistance.

- Surf Simply

I was probably at level 2.8. There were a few things that hadn’t clicked yet.

I like tying level 3 to consistently catching head high waves because there are bad habits and techniques you can have and still consistently catch waist high waves, but you’ll need to understand and fix these things to do it on a bigger wave.

The coaches at Surf Ranch saw what I was doing wrong and quickly taught me how to catch that wave. The coaches are world class, but I don’t recommend going there to learn. In my case, I think the universe knew I needed the option of taking a smaller wave removed. Set waves only at Surf Ranch.

Wave caught - now I just gotta stop looking down!

A wave with a penalty forces better technique

There were a few things I needed to correct, but the most critical was probably actually looking high on the wave and digging the rail. I knew about this, but there’s no real penalty if you don’t do this on a small wave…you’ll still catch the wave, and you’ll ride some kind of line…it just might be straight.

With poor technique, I normally drop to the bottom of wave and then do a turn. You can’t really do that on the wave at Surf Ranch - the speed of the wave enforces the penalty.

So the penalty of falling, plus the coaches yelling “LOOK AT THE FENCE!!” was exactly what I needed to get my takeoff sorted out.

Sometimes you know what to do, but you still need a push.

To get me over the fear of the drop, the coach pushed me into a few waves — which forced me past the point of no return. And it was fine. As long as I looked somewhat in the right direction I didn’t going to go straight to the bottom. And when I looked in the right direction, the wave slowed down...not by magic, but because I was taking a horizontal line rather than a vertical one.

A few weeks earlier, I saw a dad push his grom onto a head high wave and tell him ‘now you know how it feels’. Next set, the grom paddles to the peak and did it himself. I had my grom moment at surf ranch. 🥴

But it worked, so….

Let’s goooooooo!

So, that’s that! I didn’t get barreled, but I did learn how to take off on a fast head high wave which means I can surf my bully of a home break all summer!

Would I go back? Absolutely … but it’ll be in a few years - after I know how to get properly barreled.

When to move on, from the Wavestorm

“I don’t want to be a longboarder, can I go straight to a short board?”

This is for the surfer that wants go short, fast.

This was me. Actually, as an intermediate surfer, this still IS me.

Everyone will tell you to just get a longboard, but I actually don’t feel that they’re telling you enough to be helpful. Here’s the discussion that would have helped me progress faster, and then we’ll talk about how to drop volume faster.

First we have to talk about a few concepts…

Two bad reasons for not wanting a longboard

You’re nosediving

It’s fine if you don’t want to end up as a long boarder, but it should be a red flag if you don’t want a longboard because you think it’s the board length causing you to nosedive. It’s not the board, it’s your takeoff. If you’re nosediving a lot, get a few private lessons and ask your instructor what you’re doing wrong.

You don’t want to look like a beginner anymore

I won’t belabor this - just look at experienced surfers on longboards and foamies. They look good. You may not want to hear this, but if you look bad on a foamie, you’re going to look worse on a shortboard. Doesn’t mean don’t get one, just saying it’s not the board…

Can you really drop a lot of volume fast?

Not exclusively.

Not every wave, and not every day is a small board day.

Shortboard only is for hollow waves, which isn’t what we’re surfing at this stage, so first, you have to learn to identify which days/waves are your shortboard days.

As a beginner, I really only recommend getting a small board at all if you have access to a small, kinda punchy, uncrowded shore break because until you’re good, heavy waves, crowds, long paddle and current all mean bring more volume.

Do I have to get a longboard?

No, you can get an 8’ board. But even if you have a good shortboard wave, you should still need an “easy” board because while you’re still learning, you’re not going to get priority often enough on a short board as someone will be always sitting deeper, whether it’s a longboard, a mid or a better shortboarder. And the waves they let roll through may not be punchy enough for you to catch. To progress, you need a board that will let you get your wave count up and that’s what your easy board is for.

As for what board, I’d say talk to surfers in your area about what an ‘easy’ board for your conditions are. I don’t think you should go larger than ~9’. There are a few types of longboard, and this article from Hawaiian South Shore sums up the difference. I got the 9’1” Harley Ingelby HIHP.

If you want to go shorter, you can also get something like an 8’ Ova. I haven’t ridden that board, but the volume is almost the same as my longboard, and I’ve heard that for it’s size, it turns like a dream.

I wouldn’t over think this, just don’t go too long (since you don’t wanna to be a long boarder), and don’t get one people describe as ‘boaty’. You can always sell it later. But most importantly…

Resist the urge to get a 7’ mini-mal/funboard as your easy board.

This board shape won’t scratch your ‘I want to shortboard’ itch and it’s actually going to be hard to ride on weak waves at first. For a beginner unless you’re quite light, it’s going to be the worst of all worlds.

So having discussed why/when you need a longboard and what good choice for one is, here’s how I dropped length quickly.

Step 0: You’re an advanced beginner surfer and you can ride down the line.

There’s a point in your skills progression, that before which, it just is a waste of time to drop size. So before you drop volume/length aggressively, make sure you’re learned to catch green waves, can take off near the peak of a 2-3’ wave, and can angle down the line. If you’re still going straight, you gotta break that habit on an easy board first otherwise you’ll just end up in the flats with rides that don’t allow you to learn anything or worse, caught inside.

If you look at the guide for barefoot surf, you’ve just passed level 1.3. If you look at what surf simply has to say, you’re right at the end of level 2 surfing and you’re comfortable in waist high surf. I agree with their time estimation that you can achive this in a few weeks to a few months. 3 months in (assuming you surf 4-5x a week) you still need a longboard but you can absolutely start to play.

As for wave size, you may not be on shoulder high waves yet but you don’t have to be, the boards I recommend below work all work on knee to waist high waves.

Step 1: Master the shortboard pop-up on super easy, but small, board.

If you only ride a longboard, it’s hard to know for sure, if you can do a shortboard pop-up. The only way to know, is to take away a few feet of length.

For this, I wanted to drop length, but not too much volume. So I got a 6’6” Odysea. At 55L it was only 6L lighter than my longboard so it was still very easy to paddle. The rails on this board are fat so don’t think you have to master short board turns on this board, but in addition to dailing in your pop-up, you can work on turning and kicking off the wave. This board is a confidence booster for sure.

Step 2: Remove volume, learn to paddle

This step, is a much bigger skills jump than the last, but as long as you’re expecting it, and are willing to get out of your comfort zone, it’s fine.

It’s nearly impossible to know without trying a few boards what size to get, but for me 42L was the sweet spot (however I only learned this after going too small). Remember our goal is to go small fast, so we’re skipping the large mid length step so we are forced to learn good paddle technique, but still be able to catch some waves.

The board that really worked for me as my first ‘short’ board was the 6’10” Pyzel Mid Length Crisis. As an advanced beginner who wasn’t totally comfortable in head high waves, I liked this board on 2-3’ days, and my longboard on heavier days.

In the low 40s, the board isn’t going to compensate for bad technique so I highly recommend getting one (or more) private lessons to be coached on your paddle, wave positioning and board positioning. There are plenty of videos out there on this, but sometimes it helps to have someone see what you’re doing. I took this board to a SWA camp, and the instructors got my weak paddle sorted out. I don’t think I would have figured it out on my own, but they spotted my issues instantly.

How often you take this board out vs your easy board really depends on the conditions and what you’re looking to get out of each session. But a key skill to pick up as a growing intermediate surfer is board selection for the conditions, so if you brought the wrong board, well, at least you learned a thing…

Step 3: remove volume, remove length

At this stage, your confidence is going to be high, and you’re going to be tempted to get a small, high performance shortboard. I’m not going to tell you not to…but I’ll just say, if you’re still 1-2 years into surfing, you probably don’t want to remove so much foam from the front of your board yet.

I dropped ~4 liters here because my breaks usually come with a long paddle, but you could definitely drop more if you’re surfing shore break. My 38L boards range from 5’9 to 6’3” and I have a hydra, a puddle jumper pro and a hypto krypto. I’ve been eyeing the white tiger, but I’ve heard you really want to get that board small, so I’m waiting.

So, that’s that. I tried about 20 boards to figure this out, but as long as you have an achivable board and an aspirational board, you can get to surfing smaller boards faster. You don’t want to go so small that you can’t catch anything, but if have some patience with yourself and you’re at least somewhat organized about what you’re trying to learn with each session, it’s totally doable - you don’t need to wait 2 years to get off of the longboard.

How to know if your board is too small

There is a point, where you’re struggling so much, it’s not even worth it. If you can’t get out back, for whatever reason, you need more volume. But if you can get out back, but just can’t catch a wave, it’s up to you to decide if you want to size up, or work on your technique. Get a lesson…

Am I too old to surf?

This is a question every adult surfer asks themselves about 5-10 sessions after their first lesson in the whitewater. Once you realize, as easy as the pros make it look, you’re not going to be doing cutbacks…soon.

Is 40 too old to surf?

Is 30 too old? Is 25, with a career and real time commitments, too old? It’s true, life gets in the way when you have responsibilities, but is it too late? Do you have to be under 12 to learn how to shred?

No, you’re not too old, but learning how to surf as an adult will be different than how the groms learn.

One advantage kids have is they are small. 3-4’ days are head high. They are also light - a performance board that fits on a 3’ wave has more than enough volume for them. And even better (for them), their parents are there, pushing them into waves they can’t paddle into yet, so they get the confidence boost of making the drop, without having actually earned the wave. Kids learn how to rip on waves of little consequence. They are good long before they experience their first hold down or under water dragging - you know the ones that are just long enough where you have time to think about your life choices.

So, most of these things won’t apply as an adult learner. I mean, you can get pushed into waves…but…after your first lesson, please don’t. As an adult learner, your instructor can teach you in better ways.

I learned how to surf in my 40s.

I had taken a lesson here and there much earlier, but I didn’t start to surf, seriously, until I moved to Hawaii, and surfing didn’t really start to come together until I committed to surfing every day. Learning to surf is hard, mentally and physically. I’m out in the waves a lot, so I see a lot of adult learners stall and never really get past the whitewater or the go straight stage. But is it because they’re too old? Probably not. You’re not too old, but…

…you might be too afraid, too out of shape, too unfocused, or too uncommitted.

None of these is a problem though. Age, is out of your control, but these things can be mastered. And you can work on them slowly. You don’t have to turn the dial up to 100 right away - especially when it comes to fear.

So let’s talk about the first reason why you may not be able to learn to surf as an adult.

What if, you’re too afraid…

This one doesn’t always happen at first. It can happen after a minor (or major) injury, or after going out in surf that is too big, too soon. You don’t have to charge into waves you’re not comfortable with and this advice comes in three parts; small waves, and big waves, other people. Note: I’m assuming you can swim, and that you’re surfing at a distance from shore, that you can swim back from, if you had to.

Getting over fear: Small Waves

For small waves, I’m going to call this 3’ and under. At this size, assuming you’re not over shallow reef, while the waves, and the uncontrollable churn of the ocean does seem scary when you’re new to surfing, at this size, falling off or getting tumbled by the wave, has very little actual consequence. You may get water up your nose. You might swallow some. You might be uncomfortable, but you’re going to be okay.

Navigating surf, of any size, is a skill. Go with a friend, or hire an instructor and tell them you want to focus on learning where to sit and how to get past waves. For this category of fear, one where the consequences are small, I recommend you push through; taking a breath, paddle out, and remember the 2-or-3 rule.

What’s the 2-or-3 rule

When you’re learning how to surf, you don’t usuallly need to be out for long. It’s more important that you’re going regularly, and getting your wave count up over time. To take the pressure of any individual session, I have a 2-or-3 rule. On days when I don’t really want to be out long, I have to either catch two or really try for 3. Usually, that’s enough to keep me out longer, but I could be done in 20 minutes.

Getting over fear: Bigger Waves

Big waves. 4’ isn’t really a big wave, but at this size, you might get some cleanup sets of consequence, depending on where you’re surfing. At 4’+, getting hit by the wave may sting if you find yourself in the impact zone, or if you get hit by the lip. So, while not major, I’m not going to put a 4’ wave in the category of easy breezy. The consequences aren’t yet serious, but it’s also big enough for the fear to become paralzying if you can’t surf yet. You’ve seen it - when the person doesn’t paddle for the wave, they brace for impact. So anything 4’ and over, I say go slowly. Just remind yourself that every surfer was once afraid of this size. Go out with a friend, learn where to sit, and learn when to paddle outside. Give it time. One day, you won’t even realize it changed, you’ll just notice that you’re comfortable in larger surf. Don’t worry about it, and don’t rush it.

And the last one, other people.

I’ll keep this brief here, but as you get better at surfing, understand etiquette, and have more control over your board, your comfort in crowds increases. For their sake, don’t rush it, find a relatively uncrowded peak. Bring a bigger board so that you don’t need to take-off right at the peak if it’s crowded. Don’t worry, as your skill gets better, you’ll get there. You’ll get the peak, you’ll get priority. But really, as a beginner, you should be at less competitive waves, for now. Not forever.

If you’re scared of other people hitting you, this is valid. An experienced surfer will generally let a wave go or kick off early if you’re unavoidably in the way. So, with experienced surfers, your shouldn’t worry about them hitting you, so much as you should worry about ruining their wave. With beginner surfers, they’re generally going straight, so don’t be directly in front of them, paddle out wide.

When we’re talking about crowds, I’m assuming, you’re not surfing malibu on a day like this. This is a gorgeous wave, but nothing about this scene is for learning. When I’m not in Hawaii, I live near here. I learned a location specific technique from my LA friends. The party paddle. I do it a lot with my kids in Hawaii. Don’t do it to a stranger.

What if, you’re too uncommitted..

Really, just pick some days, ideally 4-5x a week, and commit to going. I find it’s easier if I don’t over think it. I just toss my board in the car, and go. Don’t over think what you’re going to wear. Just get your surf outfit, whatever it is. Don’t worry about snacks and drinks.

As for conditions, you need to consider them, but don’t overthink it. This is assuming that on a bigger day, there’s some out of the way whitewash where you can practice pop-ups, or there’s a place that breaks much smaller.

You should stay committed to just getting out there regularly until you’ve hit a reasonable milestone. Something like what Barefoot Surf calls level 1.3 - where you can take off on a green wave, and angle down the line.

What if you don’t live near surf?

This is an interesting question, and here’s the truth. The learning curve is steep, and if you’re only surfing once/week, it’s going to take years, and may never happen. The advantage you have though, is if you’re going to travel for surf, you get to pick the ideal learning wave. You can pick any of the surf schools in Costa Rica. A month surfing a goldilocks wave, with coaching, will progress you much faster than surfing waves that are too big or too small.

But if you don’t live near surf, it begs the question of why…I’m not here to stop you though.

What if, you’re too out of shape…

Honestly, don’t worry about this. Get a board with enough volume to make it easy - no need to even get a hard board at this stage. If you’ve committed to going out 3-7x a week, but you’re tired, or your arms are sore, just remember the 2-or-3 rule. You don’t have to be out for long. I find that my arms stop hurting once I actually get in the water. If you’re going out regularly, fitness will come over time, so don’t stress this one. You also don’t have to charge on the smallest board possible - volume is your friend.

What if you’re too unfocused

This is one that most learners won’t realize is holding them back. Surfing should be fun and relaxing, but while you’re learning, you should have some sort of a plan about what skill you’re working on for that session. If you’ve ever taken ski lessons, it’s the same principle. When you’re starting out, the instructor is having you focus on something specific. It’s much faster than accidentally discovering, well known techniques.

So, it’s up to you how you do this. You can hire an instructor, you can buy a beginners progression course, or you can DIY on youtube, but either way, you’ll progress faster if you’re surfing the right size wave, with the right size board, and have some idea about what, specifically, your next step is.

Surfers Eye…what to do?

I didn’t start getting surfers eye, until I started surfing every day. So, I think there’s probably an obvious solution…don’t surf every day.

If you’re here, I’m assuming that’s not an option. When I looked on the internet, the only option was surgery, and for me, that’s a last resort. So I’ll share the things that helped me with surfer’s eye. Standard disclosure, I’m not a doctor. These are home remedies that worked for me, and that I’ve heard surf coaches (who have to be in the water every) say helped.

Surfer’s Eye Prevention

The first step, if you can, is sun protection when you’re in the water. There are surf hats with chin straps that work well, but I personally, use another method. Mentioning the other hats, since may way requires having longer hair. So for hats, I prefer a stiffer brim - for me it blocks the sun better on the sides of my eyes. So, I just put a half pony tail through the back, and then tie it together with the rest of the hair in a pony tail, so basically your hair is holding your hat on. This way isn’t totally foolproof - the had does sometimes come unbuckled, but I haven’t lost it. And when you go through the wash cycle, you gotta fix your hat before the next set dumps on you. So, it’s better for smaller days. You can duck dive and turtle roll with a hat on. Again, your hair is holding it in.

The other way, is sunnies. I wear sunnies in waves as big as I’m willing to sit out, so ~6’. I like knockarounds or blenders, with the blenders strap. Bascially you don’t want to spend a fortune because eventually the salt will ruin the lenses.

I’ve tried these things in 6’ Hawaiian waves, and these have gone over the falls, duck dived, turtle rolled, and most importnatly shreeded

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.