Who’s learning to surf this summer?
Wow I really walked into that one, I’m usually pretty good with picking things like that up, doh!
It’s an awesome wetty Mizu, super flexible and warm. I didn’t pull out my full 3/2 at all this winter however there’s a few caveats there. I wasn’t surfing too much through winter and when I did it was usually during the middle of the day or arvo. Didn’t have any early morning sessions in howling sou’westerlies and 12 degreee air temps, if I did I probably woulda gone with the 3/2 but for every other kinda of winter surf it’s been epic. Despite my total lack of general wetsuit care it still manages to keep me totally dry when I first jump in the water, then it does that suction thing whereby it pretty much disappears your manhood until you open the neck for a half cup full of water to provide some relief ha ha!
Thank fuck for the elasticity in the neck hole!!!!!
I have heard about Box Head most of my life but I’m kind of ashamed to admit… I don’t actually know where it is…...
I know there’s a spot way out the back of Umina, is that it? Or something else.
I’m gunna be honest and say the “real breaks” that I hear surfers talk about all the time are probably out of my league. I genuinely wonder if I would drown swimming out that far. I suppose I have a board to rest on, but man, that seems dangerous to a rookie.
AND GET A WETSUIT they help with buoyancy and paddling!
Really? I didn’t know that!
I get buoyancy but how does it help paddling?
Taking my new mini mal out tomorrow! So excited to see how it rides!
That was a quick post (as I was getting the kid ready for school) and not very clear/thought out - the poor spelling indicates I didn’t proof read!
All I meant was that the extra buoyancy would help with paddling. And maybe (like swimsuits) drag.
Wettys in no way make paddling easier because they resist your muscles and require more effort/strength.
They can act similar to compression gear to relieve fatigue on long sessions and reduce muscle damage caused by cold.
There’s much less effort paddling bare chested.
Paddling with a wetty will make you stronger and give a noticeable difference when you surf without one.
I just to my new board out for her first surf. F##KING; AWESOME!!!
I had my doubts, I thought a board that looks this cool probably doesn’t ride well. I was wrong.
WHY THE HELL didn’t I get on a board this size in the first place!?!?!?!
It was fast, buoyant, it caught waves with ease and it turned just as easily as my short board. Actually it felt MORE nimble and controllable because I was getting on the face of the wave better. The only thing I would change is the nose is quite low (my other board curves up much more). But once I found my balance point on the board I was set.
I was bottom turning as well as I ever have almost straight away and after about 2 hours of getting to know the board, it finally happened. I got up, bottom turned, and rode across the face of the wave LIKE A BOSS. All the way to the end of the wave. Then to prove it wasn’t a fluke, I did it again on the next wave. That has been my goal in surfing for so long and it felt SO DAMN GOOD! I definitely understand peoples addiction to surfing now. This is the first time I’ve really surfed like I wanted to.
I got home hours ago and I’m still stoked! 
Also I should say cheers for all the tips, they are definitely helping and I’m starting to get my head around it all now. Paddling as early as possible feels like it’s doing nothing but I definitely get on way more waves that way and have noticed I’m more likely to get to the bottom of the wave instead of stuck in it or on top which can be… less than ideal.
Something I noticed with the new board, was I got on waves with ease in the beginning but then it began to become as difficult as my short board. I realised that I was in a channel (part where you can feel the water sucking out if you stand still on the bottom… I don’t know the term for it).
Am I right in saying you don’t want to surf in those spots?
Nice!!!!! 
A Channel is also commonly called a Rip!!!!! It’s where the mass of water from a wave flows back out into the ocean!!!!! A great place to paddle out as these are the deeper sections of the sand bank where the waves either don’t break, or break with least force!!!!!
Oh right… a rip… I probably learned that when I was 5 
I thought maybe there was a different name for it though, cause sometimes rips take you sideways too right? But I guess it doesn’t need a different name. Any water current = rip. Makes sense.
Stoked for you mate, its so nice when all of a sudden something clicks lime that. Rips can a tuall be good places to surf, ever heard the term rip bank? With that said they can be one of the most tiring banks to surf as you need to constantly paddle to stay in the right spot, not really beginner friendly at all. Keep at it mate and keep updating us, its good to hear.
Yeah, been in some where ya constantly paddle for 30mins + before ya finally wake up to yaself and call it a day!!!!!
Was surfung Aussie pipe on a solid day and it was like that, constantly had to paddle as hard as possible once you rode a wave to get back to the take off. Current was hectic!
Yeah… nah haha. Too much hard work!
I seem to catch almost no waves in a rip and it wears me out to fast. I guess later I will learn the right place to be to catch them and probably be stronger at paddling (I’m getting there)
For now I just want to stay out as long as I can and enjoy.
Of course if I ever saw some little barrels caused by a rip, that would be a different story.
The rip is where you want to be when you are paddling out!!!!! Deeper water that’s carrying the water flow!!!!!
Once out past the area where the waves are breaking, head across to where you see the breaking shoulder of the wave!!!!! The shallower water where the bank/reef causes the wave to break!!!!!!
Repeat as many times as possible!!!!!
I’m up the Coast moving between Tweed and Byron Bay.
Just brought a sick 6"3 Stuart Smith FX1 fish board off a drunk guy for $40.
Going to start putting some hours in this afternoon with the S winds coming in.
First proper season surfing. Excited to get out there !
Trying to get over or deal with my snow addiction. Until I can shredd in March.
Board sports > than everything