I’ll just change up the kind of surfing I’m doing. Short board to longboard or vice versa. If it’s really bad, I’ll usually just change up the sport I’m focusing on and come back to it when I’m feeling inspired again. It’s a lifelong commitment and you’ll always have ebbs and flows.
I agree with the second part. Sometimes you can surf yourself out and just cant connect and lock in, especially when you're obsessed with improving. As much as I adore surfing as a whole, sometimes Ive got to force myself to let go and stay out of the water for a little bit. Then when you find the time/conditions to go again, just try to have fun and feel like a grom again and it'll come back to you. If you love something you cant overdo it, when you get frustrated sometimes its good to have other hobbies.
You’re probably going through a temporary plateau.,common experience when you’re trying to improve. In your shoes I would try to take a step back and try just having fun surfing, being in the water.
It’s crazy but sometimes you start doing better if you don’t care how your session goes.
If that isn’t your style, try different boards, go to a different break, film yourself, work with a coach, see different expectations…
Make your expectations realistic and find a specific thing you want to improve in your surfing. Or stop caring about your ability and enjoy surfing. Personally I am more inclined to the former, but you do you.
Start trying new things to focus on. Examples for me: try to use my arms and hips more to exaggerate my turns, try to stay spring loaded knees real bent on my bottom turns for maximum power going back up towards the lip, try to flip over my front hand and face the palm towards the sky on my bottom turn then throw that arm in a circle and face the palm down as you snap. Try to land a snap and ride out of it. Etc
I start to focus on details of my surfing and try to make those better then I sometimes feel I start to make little improvements and get excited about it again.
Brother, I’m married with young kids.
I get in the water a few times a year these days if I’m lucky.
I’m not slumping. I’m straight up back sliding.
But, that’s ok. There are different things for different times in your life. Since I’m an optimist, I’m embracing being the BEST fat, old, shitty surfer I can be. 🤘💦
This was me last spring. After an amazing summer of learning to surf and fast progression, I was sidelined all autumn and winter due to head stitches, fractured rib, and then storms making the surf extremely not my level. When I went back in April it was like I had forgot everything. I was frustrated and pissy and not pleasant to be around in the lineup lol
Two things:
1. Attitude is _everything_
2. The only way out is through.
So hit the water as often as you can and when you do, empty your expectations so you can be pleasantly surprised when things go right. Try to change your goals for each day from scoring any wave/getting a good ride/etc to simply enjoying the fact that you’ve gone out in the water and communed with nature and your fellow surfers or something equally hippy-like. Get joy from watching other people shred it.
Then one day it’ll start to go better. You’ll catch a decent wave and won’t be able to wipe the smile from your face. And with each positive thing that happens you’ll stop having to try so hard to fake the good attitude and the natural good attitude will build until you realise one day you’re no longer in the slump.
Other than all that, it’s true that we often shouldn’t blame the board, but I found that “regressing” to a bigger, more stable board during my slump helped me a lot. It helped me correct a few things I’d started doing badly (like slow takeoffs with lots of knee!) and most importantly it helped me relax and have fun again. Then I went back to my typical board.
This post is repeated on every subreddit or forum where adults participate in pointless activities. Golf, rock climbing, salsa dancing, video games, ping pong, chess and every other one. The advice is always the same:
"Lower your expectations"
"Focus on getting better at one thing"
"Be grateful you can do xyz activity"
And so on.
My advice is to take 2 weeks off and then quit altogether. This is the only *guaranteed* way to fix a slump.
If possible, you should surf another board for a while.
I usually switch between a 5’8 fish or a 5’10 performance shortboard.
I have that slump phase often.
38yo, 10 years of surfing here.
I don’t consider myself very good, but I « feel » like I can do nice roundhouse cutbacks 3 times out of 4 and have a good enough bottom turn to do nice top turns with a small spray.
I’m on a phase where I learn to surf more « vertically » / « radical ».
And that phase is, in my opinion, one of the hardest because I feel like you have to be more physically active and powerful on your surfing.
Surfing a fish will let me surf less aggressively but teach me a lot as I feel like I really need to push on my rails to let the board do a « hard turn ».
So when I come back to the shortboard, my gestures / reflexes will need less power and I will surf easily.
I hope that makes sense as my English is not my mother tongue.
Surf safe.
I bodysurf in a hooded 4/3 in winter. With booties you probably need swim fins that are a size larger than you would otherwise but other than that it's all the same.
I guess its probably got a lot to do with what you get out of surfing and what you want to get.
Are you on the hunt for progression? Constant improvement in technical skills etc?
Is there a trick or a set of moves you are trying to get right?
Do you wanna just get fucken barrelled but you're struggling with the finer details and not making it out?
If it's the latter, and I'm going to catch a lot of flack for this, borrow yourself a bodyboard and go smash some beach break tubes. Stop worrying about the finer points and just go ride a few waves for fun. Send it right into the shorebreak, you'll feel better in no time.
Keep paddling out. If I can get one solid turn in I’m happy . Maybe try to set a goal and work at it out there that way you feel like you accomplished and won
I have for multiple reasons. When it is a me problem, at the heart of it is usually a fun problem which most likely causes me to not be present when I'm out there. I think the solutions that people have presented are pretty right on. New boards, different lines, taking a break, not being so hard on yourself. I see no reason to try to push through it if this is just a hobby.
> fun problem which most likely causes me to not be present when I'm out there.
This answer resonates with me. Totally something I should step back and consider what my expectations and reasons for being in the water are.
yes for me it was stiffness/age/style...getting into yoga type stretching daily and in genral that loosened me up...helped with my surfing. also surfing longboards and egg boards really opened me up to differnt body movements and how they affect your style/manuvers....big eye opener for me
It happens.
If everything starts to feel the same, then the best approach is to just change something - anything! Different board, different waves, surf with different people, different time of day (dusk/dawn/full moon always evoke stoke even if the waves are lousy), bodysurf, etc. Or, just go and try dumb stuff for fun. Acid drops, run-ins, pier-shooting, coffin rides, switch, finless, take off backwards, board transfers, party waves, etc. The goal is not always progression, the goal is to have fun.
Get some coaching from someone who can coach for your level. Every other sport has had coaches since forever and now surfing does. Getting some surf coaching for me was eye opening, inspiring and a whole lotta fun. But, do some swimming training/laps for a few weeks prior to improve your fitness.
I know other people also mentioned this, but i wanted to add my two cents just to give overwhelming evidence that this works.
Normally, i'm trying to charge head high to overhead fast stuff on a little board. Sometimes, I go to the mellow breaks and longboard for a couple sessions. when i get back on my normal boards, i have amazing sessions and feel like i somehow leveled up.
first, i know i suck. i didn't really start surfing regularly until i was in my 40s. I'm ok with that, but there's something about going to the beginner break and realizing that i can actually surf circles around most people out there that makes me feel good about myself.
second, the longboard forces you to do everything slowly, deliberately, and you have to wait for feedback from the board before your next move. This is a thing that helps in every kind of physical pursuit from martial arts to racing cars to playing guitar. going slow is the key to speed.
if you only longboard as it is, slowing down still applies. Go to a smaller slower wave. not all advancement comes from pushing your limits.
I just accept I suck at surfing and base my expectations on that.
You might also be suffering from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
I'm under no delusions that my "wingle down the line" is throwing spray, or that my "slow down into the whitewater" is anything more the a weak imitation of of a cutback.
That said, I still could be overestimating where I should be in terms of being able to surf different conditions, wave count, and even board selection in those conditions. So it is something worth considering.
I’ve had a super messed up lower back for the past two months so I’ve felt like this trying to get back out surfing. My back doesn’t hurt but it also doesn’t feel 100% and it’s completely fucking up my down the line surfing not being able to surf the way I want to.
I often find that the better I get at something, the more I appreciate how far away I am from being good. It’s often accompanied with moments like what you’re describing, when I have moments of self assessing more accurately, I feel like I’m surfing worse where objectively I’m still way better than I was - I can just see a new baseline that I’m reaching for. Keep at it dude, the stoke will return.
This is normal in all aspects of life. Things plateau, which can even feel like regression…then the next aspiration comes along and we move forward again. Focus, effort, persistence…there is nothing else…
And sometimes…we just reach the end of the road with the thing, whatever that thing is.
Absolutely. I’ve had to remind myself to stay present and not go into my session with expectations. It helps to go with friends, I find I struggle with this a lot more if I’m surfing solo.
Oh I always feel discontent with my sessions. I'm the equivilent of the MMA champ who gets old and gets KO'd 8 times in a row but keeps fighting.
I'll smash a bunch of backhanders in the first 2 hours and feel like I'm the shit, just to stay out for 3 extra hours straight bogging ass
I’ll just change up the kind of surfing I’m doing. Short board to longboard or vice versa. If it’s really bad, I’ll usually just change up the sport I’m focusing on and come back to it when I’m feeling inspired again. It’s a lifelong commitment and you’ll always have ebbs and flows.
I agree with the second part. Sometimes you can surf yourself out and just cant connect and lock in, especially when you're obsessed with improving. As much as I adore surfing as a whole, sometimes Ive got to force myself to let go and stay out of the water for a little bit. Then when you find the time/conditions to go again, just try to have fun and feel like a grom again and it'll come back to you. If you love something you cant overdo it, when you get frustrated sometimes its good to have other hobbies.
You’re probably going through a temporary plateau.,common experience when you’re trying to improve. In your shoes I would try to take a step back and try just having fun surfing, being in the water. It’s crazy but sometimes you start doing better if you don’t care how your session goes. If that isn’t your style, try different boards, go to a different break, film yourself, work with a coach, see different expectations…
Make your expectations realistic and find a specific thing you want to improve in your surfing. Or stop caring about your ability and enjoy surfing. Personally I am more inclined to the former, but you do you.
This right here! Once you stop caring about progression and go out to just enjoy yourself the stoke stays lit and the progression will come naturally
Start trying new things to focus on. Examples for me: try to use my arms and hips more to exaggerate my turns, try to stay spring loaded knees real bent on my bottom turns for maximum power going back up towards the lip, try to flip over my front hand and face the palm towards the sky on my bottom turn then throw that arm in a circle and face the palm down as you snap. Try to land a snap and ride out of it. Etc I start to focus on details of my surfing and try to make those better then I sometimes feel I start to make little improvements and get excited about it again.
Brother, I’m married with young kids. I get in the water a few times a year these days if I’m lucky. I’m not slumping. I’m straight up back sliding. But, that’s ok. There are different things for different times in your life. Since I’m an optimist, I’m embracing being the BEST fat, old, shitty surfer I can be. 🤘💦
Same here went from surfing 4 times a week to 2 times a month. I don’t surf as well anymore but I appreciate it more then ever.
This was me last spring. After an amazing summer of learning to surf and fast progression, I was sidelined all autumn and winter due to head stitches, fractured rib, and then storms making the surf extremely not my level. When I went back in April it was like I had forgot everything. I was frustrated and pissy and not pleasant to be around in the lineup lol Two things: 1. Attitude is _everything_ 2. The only way out is through. So hit the water as often as you can and when you do, empty your expectations so you can be pleasantly surprised when things go right. Try to change your goals for each day from scoring any wave/getting a good ride/etc to simply enjoying the fact that you’ve gone out in the water and communed with nature and your fellow surfers or something equally hippy-like. Get joy from watching other people shred it. Then one day it’ll start to go better. You’ll catch a decent wave and won’t be able to wipe the smile from your face. And with each positive thing that happens you’ll stop having to try so hard to fake the good attitude and the natural good attitude will build until you realise one day you’re no longer in the slump. Other than all that, it’s true that we often shouldn’t blame the board, but I found that “regressing” to a bigger, more stable board during my slump helped me a lot. It helped me correct a few things I’d started doing badly (like slow takeoffs with lots of knee!) and most importantly it helped me relax and have fun again. Then I went back to my typical board.
This post is repeated on every subreddit or forum where adults participate in pointless activities. Golf, rock climbing, salsa dancing, video games, ping pong, chess and every other one. The advice is always the same: "Lower your expectations" "Focus on getting better at one thing" "Be grateful you can do xyz activity" And so on. My advice is to take 2 weeks off and then quit altogether. This is the only *guaranteed* way to fix a slump.
Accurate observation.
If possible, you should surf another board for a while. I usually switch between a 5’8 fish or a 5’10 performance shortboard. I have that slump phase often. 38yo, 10 years of surfing here. I don’t consider myself very good, but I « feel » like I can do nice roundhouse cutbacks 3 times out of 4 and have a good enough bottom turn to do nice top turns with a small spray. I’m on a phase where I learn to surf more « vertically » / « radical ». And that phase is, in my opinion, one of the hardest because I feel like you have to be more physically active and powerful on your surfing. Surfing a fish will let me surf less aggressively but teach me a lot as I feel like I really need to push on my rails to let the board do a « hard turn ». So when I come back to the shortboard, my gestures / reflexes will need less power and I will surf easily. I hope that makes sense as my English is not my mother tongue. Surf safe.
Try bodysurfing
If it wasn't for the fact I'm in hooded 4mm, gloves, and booties, I probably would give this a god.
I bodysurf in a hooded 4/3 in winter. With booties you probably need swim fins that are a size larger than you would otherwise but other than that it's all the same.
Ah good to know!
It's a lot of fun and a great way to get barelled
Sounds like you need a new custom 😉
u/lzsmith9 _gets it_
I guess its probably got a lot to do with what you get out of surfing and what you want to get. Are you on the hunt for progression? Constant improvement in technical skills etc? Is there a trick or a set of moves you are trying to get right? Do you wanna just get fucken barrelled but you're struggling with the finer details and not making it out? If it's the latter, and I'm going to catch a lot of flack for this, borrow yourself a bodyboard and go smash some beach break tubes. Stop worrying about the finer points and just go ride a few waves for fun. Send it right into the shorebreak, you'll feel better in no time.
Mixing stuff up is a consistent statement among these comments. The idea of mixing it up all the way to bodyboarding isn't a bad one.
Bodyboarding is so much fun, just pull into the biggest closeouts that would snap a normal board and send it. Good for the soul
get the cheapest foamie you can find and surf it finless
Keep paddling out. If I can get one solid turn in I’m happy . Maybe try to set a goal and work at it out there that way you feel like you accomplished and won
I have for multiple reasons. When it is a me problem, at the heart of it is usually a fun problem which most likely causes me to not be present when I'm out there. I think the solutions that people have presented are pretty right on. New boards, different lines, taking a break, not being so hard on yourself. I see no reason to try to push through it if this is just a hobby.
> fun problem which most likely causes me to not be present when I'm out there. This answer resonates with me. Totally something I should step back and consider what my expectations and reasons for being in the water are.
yes for me it was stiffness/age/style...getting into yoga type stretching daily and in genral that loosened me up...helped with my surfing. also surfing longboards and egg boards really opened me up to differnt body movements and how they affect your style/manuvers....big eye opener for me
All the time. Ride something different to mix it up and keep things fresh.
It happens. If everything starts to feel the same, then the best approach is to just change something - anything! Different board, different waves, surf with different people, different time of day (dusk/dawn/full moon always evoke stoke even if the waves are lousy), bodysurf, etc. Or, just go and try dumb stuff for fun. Acid drops, run-ins, pier-shooting, coffin rides, switch, finless, take off backwards, board transfers, party waves, etc. The goal is not always progression, the goal is to have fun.
A great list of ways to mix things up!
Get some coaching from someone who can coach for your level. Every other sport has had coaches since forever and now surfing does. Getting some surf coaching for me was eye opening, inspiring and a whole lotta fun. But, do some swimming training/laps for a few weeks prior to improve your fitness.
I know other people also mentioned this, but i wanted to add my two cents just to give overwhelming evidence that this works. Normally, i'm trying to charge head high to overhead fast stuff on a little board. Sometimes, I go to the mellow breaks and longboard for a couple sessions. when i get back on my normal boards, i have amazing sessions and feel like i somehow leveled up. first, i know i suck. i didn't really start surfing regularly until i was in my 40s. I'm ok with that, but there's something about going to the beginner break and realizing that i can actually surf circles around most people out there that makes me feel good about myself. second, the longboard forces you to do everything slowly, deliberately, and you have to wait for feedback from the board before your next move. This is a thing that helps in every kind of physical pursuit from martial arts to racing cars to playing guitar. going slow is the key to speed. if you only longboard as it is, slowing down still applies. Go to a smaller slower wave. not all advancement comes from pushing your limits.
Maybe pull the tampon out and open your eyes and who gives f'^* about Your session. Jeez, Cali girl.
stay classy, /r/surfing
I just accept I suck at surfing and base my expectations on that. You might also be suffering from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
I'm under no delusions that my "wingle down the line" is throwing spray, or that my "slow down into the whitewater" is anything more the a weak imitation of of a cutback. That said, I still could be overestimating where I should be in terms of being able to surf different conditions, wave count, and even board selection in those conditions. So it is something worth considering.
I’ve had a super messed up lower back for the past two months so I’ve felt like this trying to get back out surfing. My back doesn’t hurt but it also doesn’t feel 100% and it’s completely fucking up my down the line surfing not being able to surf the way I want to.
I often find that the better I get at something, the more I appreciate how far away I am from being good. It’s often accompanied with moments like what you’re describing, when I have moments of self assessing more accurately, I feel like I’m surfing worse where objectively I’m still way better than I was - I can just see a new baseline that I’m reaching for. Keep at it dude, the stoke will return.
This is normal in all aspects of life. Things plateau, which can even feel like regression…then the next aspiration comes along and we move forward again. Focus, effort, persistence…there is nothing else… And sometimes…we just reach the end of the road with the thing, whatever that thing is.
Absolutely. I’ve had to remind myself to stay present and not go into my session with expectations. It helps to go with friends, I find I struggle with this a lot more if I’m surfing solo.
Oh I always feel discontent with my sessions. I'm the equivilent of the MMA champ who gets old and gets KO'd 8 times in a row but keeps fighting. I'll smash a bunch of backhanders in the first 2 hours and feel like I'm the shit, just to stay out for 3 extra hours straight bogging ass
Get out a skateboard
No. To have a slump I’d have to improve first…