The Journey Towards Having More FUN Surfing

"One such surf technique lesson I’d learned from Clayton made such a profound impact on my surfing, I not only felt it behind the boat, but immediately upon continuing that practice in the ocean.  I had struggled with this for ages.  Sometimes I would have flashes of brilliance, but I wouldn’t know why.  As I explained this frustration with him, I could see he was ready with an answer.  And the answer that came out surprised me like no other. "

In July and August of 2018, I traveled with my family to Australia.  The idea was to conduct my Level 1 Paddling Workshops to the many surfers on my email list that hadn’t had a chance to visit me in Northern California.  It was a lofty endeavor.  Eight total workshops, two different locations, almost four weeks with two kids under 10. 

It took months of preparation contacting various venues to see if they had the set up I needed to conduct the Workshops, looking at...

Part 3 of 3 on how to catch waves easily: Kolohe Andino paddles into this wave with no stress or effort.  Kolohe’s wave is different than Mason and John John’s (from Part 1 and Part 2 of this training series), but we discuss how to adjust our strategy while using the same method to catch waves easily. 

Hope you enjoy and get something from this.  These concepts are taught in greater detail in the Level 2 Paddling Technique Course where we focus on Catching a Wave - Positioning, Timing, Sprint Technique, Pop Up, and more so that you can learn how to catch waves with ease. 

Here is part 2 on how to catch waves easily: John John Florence and his ease of taking off so casually.  Here, John John takes one stroke and uses a vastly different strategy to catch this wave, but we discuss why that is.  We compare Mason's wave from Part 1 in this training series to John John's, and then in Part 3, we compare both of these to Kolohe Andino's southern California wave.  

Hope you enjoy and get something from this.  These concepts are taught in greater detail in the Level 2 Paddling Technique Course where we focus on Catching a Wave - Positioning, Timing, Sprint Technique, Pop Up, and more so that you can learn how to catch waves with ease. 

Ever wonder how the pros catch waves easily?  While there is a lot to talk about to truly understand all of what is going on when we takeoff on waves, in this three part series, I analyze the takeoff of Mason Ho, John John Florence, and Kolohe Andino and share some insight into the strategies they use in catching their very different waves.  

This is part 1: Mason Ho's mutant beast of a wave.  Here, Mason seems to paddle fairly hard to catch this wave, but we discuss why that is.  In Part 2, we compare Mason's wave to John John's and then in Part 3, we compare both of these to Kolohe Andino's southern California wave.  

 Hope you enjoy and get something from this.  These concepts are taught in greater detail in the Level 2 Paddling Technique Course where we focus on Catching a Wave - Positioning, Timing, Sprint Technique, Pop Up, and more.  

Sometimes, you just have to mix it up with your surfing workout.  This day was our second time out trying to dial in the right wake.  While we were working on that, we took a few cracks at it.  

By the end, my legs were toast!  Funny how a few dozen bottom turns and off the tops will wear you out.  

When we talk about building long term strength and muscle memory, it's all about repeating a motion (correctly) over an extended period of time until our brain skips a step.  When learning something new, the brain takes two steps to get the body to react.  Over time, through perfect repetition, it reduces that to one step.  

This is most likely a human adaptation for survival - the brain is realizing that the things we do repetitively might be important so it tries to speed it up.  

Unfortunately, with surfing, we get few chances to repeat a motion.  That's why workouts like this, skateboarding, snowboarding, and other similar...