Lately I've been trying to get more time out on my funboard. It's strange that whatever board I choose for the day seems like the right one. With the storms in the Gulf, every other week or so, the waves are just big enough for me to take the shorter board out. Usually, I need my 9'6" or my 9' just to get any ride. I've had a ball. It's a lot more work, but when I manage to get up, I have a great ride. A couple of times, the waves have been really rough, but I still manage to paddle out. This is a real accomplishment for me since it requires a lot of upper body strength and a good deal of balance. I'm still struggling with the pop-up on the shorter board though. I'm not sure how to get from the prone position to my feet without using my knees. Last week, I stopped to talk to a shortboarder and ask him. He said that he somehow put his feet on a pad at the back of his board. He pointed out a lip on the pad that he says he uses to propel him forward into position. I don't have a pad on my board, but I'm not sure I would even know how to use it if I did. I'm itching to get back out on it and give it a try.
In addition to getting up, I'm also still looking down at my board instead of out where I want to go. I had a good day on my longer board practicing that over the weekend, but I really have to concentrate to make myself look outward instead of down. It's true, though, that like cycling, where you look is the direction you go. In other words, when I'm riding my bike and I see a crack or bump in the road, if I look at it, I'm sure to hit it. When I'm surfing, if I look down, I'll just surf straight to shore, but if I look to the direction of the wave, I can get the board to change direction a bit.
I'm excited that a gal I knew from high school came to town and took a lesson from Brian. She wants to learn to surf, and I definitely think she should continue to practice when she comes back near the coast.
