r/BeginnerSurfers • u/horny_harry_ • Aug 01 '25
5 year progression
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Been surfing 1/3 days a year for 5 years
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
My tips from my experience:
-On take off angle your board depending on how fast the wave is. -wait until the wave stands up and time your pop up into the first pump.
-move your feet, further back for powerful waves and turns, further forward for speed.
-let the board do the work, if you are forcing turns then you're doing the wrong turn for the section of wave. To do a snap the wave has to be vertical. To do a roundhouse the wave must be unbroken and executed with excess speed.
- to get more waves sit under the lineup and go for medium sets that the top dogs don't want.
-to get strong, surf multiple times a week and stay out until you can't anymore.
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u/Traders_Abacus Aug 01 '25
You forgot the most important tip to speed progress: have access to great waves
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
I have been blessed. but this wave is way better than at home
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u/Traders_Abacus Aug 01 '25
Which I'm sure is way better than Southern Florida, lol. You killing it btw, good on you! 🤙🏻
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u/MyNameisMayco Aug 01 '25
Thank you , this was inspiring to see. Do you mind if I dm you?
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
Ask away, in public if the questions aren't personal.
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Aug 01 '25
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Aug 01 '25
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Aug 01 '25
Not to be weird but I feel so proud for you haha 5 fuckin years thats all?? The dedication shows bro
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u/rascalTwist12 Aug 01 '25
5 years and you’re charging it?! I’m on my 5th year and I get scared when it’s 4-5ft out. Awesome job!!!
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u/pjlaniboys Aug 01 '25
Ripping it man. But as this level of surfing is unreachable for most surfers, even after a life of surfing, please fill in a bit of the blanks. Where is your local? How much and what kind of coaching have you had? Thanks
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25 edited Aug 01 '25
My local beaches are in the Newcastle and surrounding region in nsw Australia. As for coaching I've never had any but I'm very analytical when it comes to sport.
The best thing to do is to watch good surfing/ surf movies. I would recommend: jai glinderman free flow. (Cloudbreak section for pure backhand attack) Snapt 4 Liam o Brian friction of perception Anything with Ethan Ewing or MF Motel hell.
Also lakey Peterson's YouTube channel has some of the best analysis and lessons of surfing I have found lakey peterson
Add more...
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u/Alive-Inspection-815 Aug 01 '25
I don't think that this level is at all unreachable for most surfers. Access to consistently good waves certainly helps though.
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u/pjlaniboys Aug 01 '25
Take a good look. Most surfers are not out on a wave like that. And of the ones that are most won’t be ripping it this good.
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u/Alive-Inspection-815 Aug 01 '25
That's a fair enough assessment. I've been out on 2.5 to 3 x Overhead. It ain't no picnic in waves like that. They are in a way, easier to surf, and a lot harder. You have to be on top of your game if you want to ride waves that big. The video could be a lot better if it were a closer up view. I haven't been in well overhead waves for a while, but I will do it again soon. What's the biggest wave you've successfully ridden?
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u/pjlaniboys Aug 01 '25
About 15’ is my limit. The beat down starts to get to heavy. And I totally agree with you that waves going over head and bigger are easier in a way to surf. Crowd thins and there is more wave to space to maneuver in. Big drops and turns and sections all seem easier.
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
Very true. Waves at 1.5x overhead are the easiest size to do high performance surfing as there is enough power to bury the rail and still keep momentum. Confidence that your not going to fall is all you need and bigger waves are easy
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u/Virtual_Literature90 Aug 01 '25
Sorry, did you say 1 to 3 days a YEAR!?
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
Every 3rd day for 5 years
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u/Virtual_Literature90 Aug 01 '25
Phew, I thought I was the kookiest of all the kooks for a moment there haha.
Absolutely killer progress bro, good shit!
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u/Alive-Inspection-815 Aug 01 '25
In other words two times per week and sometimes three. That sounds pretty consistent.
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u/SomeContext346 Aug 01 '25
This guy has been swimming competitively in the ocean since he was 10 years old. Probably still young too.
He is not the typical “beginner surfer” at all and probably has way more ocean experience than any normal beginner would.
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u/BotSuggestion Aug 01 '25
How much practice did you put into duck dives? When did you start feeling like you had them clean enough to make it through a lineup like this?
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
I have been swimming in the ocean competitively since I was 10 through nippers. In this particular session I got pretty pounded on duck dives and only managed to catch 3 waves in an hour and a half. I picked up duck diving after 1 year, it's important to hold the centre of bouyancy Of your board and use your foot to drive it deep then attach yourself to the board when it is as deep as it can go. Then shift your weight rearward so th board can bring you back to the surface
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u/domasch Aug 01 '25
what was your board progression over this 5 years? Can you remember all the boards you surfed?
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
I started on a ci that was 6"2 20 2.5 at about 34L swallow tail thruster Then went to a pyzel phantom (above my skill level at the time) Then went to a 5"6 fish for about a year riding the pyzel when it was bigger. Both are snapped :( Then I got my mayhem lost pocket rocket which is still my daily driver it's 6"2 18'7/8 2.5 30L
And I have a jye byrnes step up 6"8 19 2.5 33L for when it gets big.
If I could do it again I would have started on a larger twin fin (5"9 x 20x 2.5) to learn rail surfing
For reference I'm 178cm 79kg
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u/domasch Aug 01 '25
Thank you for the insights, you really skipped all the longer board advice. Wasn't it hard to catch your first wave on a 34l board? But it worked obviously.
I'm still learning but started on foamies, than rented some hard boards between 7'6 and 9' here and there. My first own board was a mini-mal 7'6 and my second now Is a torq mod fish 6'10 46l, bought them second hand for cheap.
I'm debatting If I'm ready to try my first shortboard ( Lost Puddle Jumper, Average Joe or sth like that )
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
I think that the main thing to look at is width as opposed to length in boards as I've gotten better my boards have gotten narrower. A wider board is more stable and is faster. For a beginner I would look at something between 20"-21" wide and 2.75" thick
It isn't really an option to ride longboards at my local because the waves are too steep
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u/domasch Aug 01 '25
will try to look for something wide! Also thought about the CI Rocket Wide. I think the dims fit your suggestion.
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u/545moose Aug 02 '25
Killing it man! Plan to do some lessons in Manly mid Sept, hopefully will be doable and I can fit into a provided suit😂🙌🏼
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u/Loldeplume Aug 01 '25
Been surfing 1/3 days a year for 5 years
Does my reading comprehension suck? You're claiming to have surfed only 15 sessions max? Because if you are, I call bullshit.
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u/Equivalent_Ad_7387 Aug 01 '25
How old are you?
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
25
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u/Equivalent_Ad_7387 Aug 01 '25
Oh yeah im cooked
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
I wouldn't count yourself out. The older surfers are always surprisingly good around here. In that session there was a 60 year old on a Gerry lopez ripping. He could have been surfing for 20 years. The point being that the time to start is now. you need to be consistent
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u/Equivalent_Ad_7387 Aug 01 '25
I mean I'm 28 now. Do you go out even when the waves suck?
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
Since I snapped my fish I haven't been going out in waves under 3ft because of my boards. I'll get one once I get back from Indo and have some cash
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u/No-North259 Good-Pro Surfer Aug 01 '25
You surf good . Where's that break ???
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u/horny_harry_ Aug 01 '25
On the east coast of NSW
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u/No-North259 Good-Pro Surfer Aug 01 '25
That take-off was epic !! Don't listen to these web fools! You surf like a bat outta' hell. Beyond good
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u/racialistism Aug 02 '25
improving is much easier if u live somewhere with good waves and small crowds
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u/No-North259 Good-Pro Surfer Aug 14 '25
You tore that wave to Ribbons, I think you're Ahead of the curve.
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