ive been snowboarding for a long time (15 years) and surfing for 6-7.
because of the snowboarding i use a “wrong” technice when i turning. (im a little afraid to dig my rail to deep, it seems) so my radius is to long. (turn to slow, frontside cutbacks this is.)
i would like my frontside turns to be faster, (shorter radius).
is there a board that could help me? (like more tail rocker or something??)
sounds more like technique than board . a 6’2" board depending on your weight should be fairly nimble in the turns. iwould be interested in where you position yourself on the board . i have a problem with popping up to far from the tail on occasion which causes the board to be tight (long turns) check and see what your foot position is and try planting your rear foot over the fins pressing down on the fin area of the baord when turning. just a thought
yeah my techniqe is not the best, some bad habits from snowboarding i think. but my back foot is over the fins.
and on bigger waves i usually grab my rail cause i think i dig in deep, which is not the case…
i find it hard to turn any other way, so i thought a different shape might help out. the thing with a more narrow tail sounds interresting. but it might not help at all…
I guess the best thing to do would be to try different types of boards that your friends use to see if the problem is the board itself. ive had a few that were tight up to a certian speed or size wave. the other thing if you have removeable fins would be to try smaller fins twin config fin ect… expeirment with it . good luck
my gut feeling thought ? … have someone video you surfing .
watch the footage , in slow motion , to determine where your weight is distributed during turns , your foot placement , how much rotation you are using in your upper body during your cutbacks , that sort of thing.
then watch slater or curren [if you are a natural footer], or machado [if a goofy] in slow motion , and see what they do .
A 6’2 “should” allow you tight arcs in your cutties , unless as Rich hinted at ‘rocker’ [if the board for some reason is a bit "flat?]. [‘a natural edge’ is his signature , by the way…]
I would tend to think it is a technique thing rather than the board… as you stated , too.
Please , do you have some photos and other measurements of your board , as well as a description / photos of the waves you most often surf on it ? {these may help as well. ]
Another thought …
“Dry land technique practice” = a [longer] skateboard …this could help you re-train your body and mind ‘away’ from snowboard techniques while surfing .
okay , Sev ,
this is just my aussie .05 , I hope some of this is helpful to you , mate !
Its technique…particularly your back foot placement.
If your foot is too far forward the board will reposnd very slowly.
Your stance width may be too narrow (I have the same problem)
For all around top turning, I like my back foot on top of the leading edge of the center fin or just slightly ahead. Pros ride with their back foot on top or behind the center fin (my foot is too big for that and I dont like the feel either)…
long story short…thrusters have a sweet spot…and youll know it when you find it.
If you can, you can also use a bit smaller center fin…that will give you a bit of release and make the board pivot about its center easier. good luck.
I’m with everyone else here that it’s a technique thing. Snowboard turns you have to put your weight forward right? I’m guessing there’s some snowboarding technique you use to put weight forward that you’re carrying through into your surfing causing you to bog on your rail turns. Head forward, arms forward? Have you tried planting your back hand into the wave on your frontside cutties? Should help to move weight towards the back of the board a bit and also give you something to pivot about. Agree with chip that getting somebody to video you is a great way to fix technique problems.
The other option might be to get a board that you can move you weight forward on rail turns. Isn’t that what you can do on the old single fins? Cause they have wide point further foward and more volume, they don’t tend to bog so easily. Maybe try to borrow one and see if the techniques you’ve picked up from snowboarding don’t cause the same problems on that style of board.
The big thing I noticed my first day snowboarding was that you don’t drive through a turn with your back foot. Instead you turn your shoulders/hips and your backfoot kinda slides around while you set your edge.
For your cutback you need to really use that backfoot and push HARD as you drive through the turn. Put it on a rail and really lay into it. It will take some practice, but you should work on the technique instead of getting a board shaped that makes up for lack of technique. You will be a better surfer in the end for it.
Snowboarding at a relatively elite level from 18-15 years of age totally hampered my ability to figure out how to make a surfboard “go” when I started learning at 27. Snowboarding fast requires a very solid feel over the board, sucking up bumps and controlling vibrations. Surfing is the opposite and requires a light feel with a fluid body mechanic. Snowboarding all happens from the hips down; mostly from the knee down. Surfing happens all the way up to the head. Totally different techniques required and now, being back in snow-land and not surfing much, I can say clearly that even in deep pow, a cutback on a snowboard requires much different technique and feels nowhere near as good. Gawdamn I miss the ocean. Best piece of advice ever Lee.
