Howzit pes78, I was 60 years old when I got cancer and had to stop surfing due to the trauma from the operation and radiation and I had been at the top of my surfing since I was around 40 since I didn't have to work so all I did was surf so I feel that the more yu surf the better you will get. I hate to say this but it is something I have noticed over my 50 + surfing life and that is people who didn't start surfing at a young age just never quite get the whole thing. I have friends who started surfing in their early 20's and 30 years later they still have a kookish style about them. It may have something to do with getting the balance down at a young age or something else but it happens that way. I went surfing for the first time at the young age of 5 and it just got better from there. Aloha,Kokua
Kokua, i think you might be right. I started at 25, though i did play around with it as a teen. I have a friend who has been surfing since 10 or so. He had a foot operation and could not surf for 6 months. I busted my arse surfing a rivermouth beachy ( his home break ). I improved a lot, but on his first surf back, i watched him get a sick backhand barrel. He paddles back out and says "fuck, im a bit rusty". THat completely destroyed my confidence in my surfing ability hahaha. But that's ok, im happy just to be able to surf often, and be able to crank out a few basic turns. Surfing is just too much fun to stop, and for some reason when im surfing my confused, jumbled, and scattered mind stops thinking about everything and anything and im just..... there, then.
Aloha Pes 78:
I am a weekend warrior surfer. Iuse to scale in as much as 309 lbs. Now I am down to 245 lbs. I am also 5'8" and 56 years old. I make my own boards because I can make boards that work well for me. My short board is 8'2" x 25" x 3 5/8". I have an assortment of fun and long boards that range from 9'1" to 11'3". I surf in Hawaii so paddling well is essential for catching my share of waves. I do catch a bunch of waves. I try to surf on the weekends. On week days I try to swim 1 to 2 km three to five times a week,
Surfing is good medicine for me. I love the paddle.. I have a bunch of fun every time I go out.
Uncle D
Aloha Pes 78:
I am a weekend warrior surfer. Iuse to scale in as much as 309 lbs. Now I am down to 245 lbs. I am also 5'8" and 56 years old. I make my own boards because I can make boards that work well for me. My short board is 8'2" x 25" x 3 5/8". I have an assortment of fun and long boards that range from 9'1" to 11'3". I surf in Hawaii so paddling well is essential for catching my share of waves. I do catch a bunch of waves. I try to surf on the weekends. On week days I try to swim 1 to 2 km three to five times a week,
Surfing is good medicine for me. I love the paddle.. I have a bunch of fun every time I go out.
Uncle D
Kokua speaks truth - it is the rare surfer who can start later in life and become both competent and stylish. Mostly because only when we’re young do we have a couple of thousand water hours to spend learning the art and training our bodies.
Regarding surfboards - there is no ‘magic’ shape that will overcome fitness and ability issues. The best thing to do is get a well balanced surfboard that will let you focus on improving, not trying to figure the board out. Certainly consider a plan shape with a wider nose - will help with paddle and glide if done right. A half dozen shapers on this forum would probably have different ideas on what to make you based on your needs and their respective shaping beliefs - and they would probably all work just fine.
So talk to the shaper you’re comfortable with, come up with a design plan that will meet your needs, and then just put in the water time, everything else will follow…
Howzit beerfan and ICC, It was something I noticed quite a few years ago and I feel that not everybody can be a Slater and as long as you are having fun then that is what matters.I am just glad I started at a very young age and have always felt comfortable with my surfing and mving to Hawaii was the best thing I ever did for my surfing since I really liked the Juice. Aloha,Kokua
yes,I am happy with my surfing.probably because i surf boards i know I can ride,no matter what shape,lenght,thickness.I can take a look at a board and right away know if it’s for me or not.and for where i am going to surf it.am doing chemo right now,2 months + into it,another 4 to go.can surf every other week right now,on my off chemo week.close to 57 years young.it’s in the mind.surf till you fricken cannot walk.can always get better Pes78,at least in our minds.try this exercise to stay surf ready,i do it when too sick to surf.get a swiss ball,put your feet on it and get in a pushup position,hands apart like when you are getting ready to stand up on your board.do a push up,keeping your back straight ,thenas you are coming up,roll the ball with your feet towards your chest,rising your butt in the air.then roll the ball back ,and keep doing.sounds complicated,but really not.it’s like a pop up on your board,and stabilizing the ball works your whole core.it’s fun if you imagine popping up on a nice wave.keep doing and you will get better.then go surf as much as you can.Aloha.
yes , it's a good question , indeed ! !
... also ...
are you happy you can surf ,
or
are you UNhappy , because you CAN'T surf ?? .....
well im still trying to decide what to do. i need to sell two boards to get the funds for a new board. i did look at some used boards the other day. gonna paddle out this afternoon and have some fun. and yes it harder to start surfing later in liffe most of you have a big advantage growing up surfing.
Howzit kava, What kind ofcancer did you have? I wish they would have used Chemo on me since they did radiation and overdid it way to much and ruined my throat and now I have to puree my food to get it down my throat all because I had cancer of my tonsils,but I have been cured for 2 1/2 years now and dodged the bullet by 3 months. Aloha,Kokua
Bolsu Ball is what I use.
Kava is it like a Swiss Ball?
[quote="$1"]
Hey Everyone,
I thought I was doing well with a 8'6 quad that I caught a lot of waves with got to my feet most of the time and was able to go down the line a bit. Now I have couple different boards 8ft and under that are just not going the way I thought they would. So I feel I have wasted the last 1.5 years trying to go shorter because that's what the goal is right?
Paul
[/quote]
No this is not the goal. The goal is to ride what feels comfortable for your ability. Before moving down in length you need to be competent on your present equipment. Dropping down too soon is a recipe for non, even rearward progression.
sounds like you answered your own question
Have gone out the last two days and actually had some fun out there. Caught a handfull of waves on my 8’ and just focused on nothing. I think part of it was I was thinking to much. Looking at getting a 9’ to 9’6 single fin gonna go 23 and 3 3/4 most likely order it this week if I can get one of my boards sold. And chrisp I guess I did answer my own question. Hope everyone had some fun today in or out of the water.
[quote="$1"]
Have gone out the last two days and actually had some fun out there. Caught a handfull of waves on my 8' and just focused on nothing. I think part of it was I was thinking to much. Looking at getting a 9' to 9'6 single fin gonna go 23 and 3 3/4 most likely order it this week if I can get one of my boards sold. And chrisp I guess I did answer my own question. Hope everyone had some fun today in or out of the water.
[/quote]
Don't order the board yet......you might want to do a little Swaylock's networking and test drive a few boards....There's more people actively posting on Sawylock's from San Diego County than anywhere else in the world........I can loan you a 9'3" but it has banna rocker and is really thin at the nose and tail.....and....most guys I know own a long board....let's see
...for test drives(not worried about dings) I can get you a 10'7 and a 9' something....
3 3/4 is way too thick ....it's more about foil not max thickness.....your shaper can explain that....and...I have a 10' blank that I was going to make into a Velzy pig that I can sell you for cheap so you can make your own surfboard...Ha ha ha ha
Yes, It's all about having fun.....
Stingray
Stingray Thanks for the offer. Most of my boards have a thicker tail and thinner noses. Is the 9’3 the one in Quiver from 09 that’s a nice looking board. I would be willing to try a couple to see how they go. Always good to try before you buy. As far as shaping goes the thought has crossed my mind I would need to find a place to do it. And read up on how to do it since there’s a lot of stuff to think about. Went and looked at the longboard with pulled in noses thread and would look into something like that because all I want is catch waves and go down the line not into the nose riding. Thanks again