Surf Talk Guru

When most people think of tow in surfing they think of giant waves and the worlds most hard core big wave riders searching for the biggest wave ever ridden. This is only one face of the exciting sport of towin surfing. Another aspect of tow surfing that I think often gets overlooked is small wave tow surfing.

By using a waverunner to pull a surfer into a wave you gain a significant advantage over paddling in with your arms. The waverunner allows you to catch waves over a much greater area, get into the wave earlier and ride more waves during a surf session. However, learning to drive a waverunner in the surf is a skill in and of itself. In order to get the basics and set yourself up to be succesful, a tow in surfing lesson where you are taught to drive the waverunner is a must.

If you’re surfing multiple days in a row, you can get rubbed raw from all the paddling. Protect your armpits and nearby areas by investing in a rash guard. Rash guards come in many styles: long- and short-sleeves, low and high necks, and even hooded. An added benefit of rash guards is warmth. As your wetsuit gets older, it loses its ability to keep you warm. A rash guard will add warmth and help you get the most time out of your wetsuit.

Many people are starting to wear rash guard shorts. These are usually Lycra shorts that also help prevent chafing and increase warmth. Xcel wetsuits has a good line of rash guards of all different styles. Also keep in mind that rash guards get worn out over time, so they may need to be replaced if they’re not giving you the protection they once were.

As the winter weather kicks up the action in the Pacific Nortwest, the surf scene takes on a different look as well. Beginners, tourists and longboards are seen less and big wave surfers, tow in surfers and waverunners begin to appear.

Regardless of how strong of a paddler you are, it is just not possible to make it outside when the swell is much more than 10ft. This can leave you standing on the beach with perfect conditions and nowhere to surf. If you find yourself wishing you could make outside to those larger waves, consider a tow in surfing lesson.

When looking for a pair of surfing boots, you will need to decide about two things: thickness and style. Here in our chilly Pacific waters, with our even chillier fall air temperatures, you’ll want booties that are at least 5mm to 7mm thick. That way your feet will stay functional for as long as you need them.

As far as bootie style, you’ll see round toe and split toe boots. Round toe boots may help your feet stay warmer because all the toes are together, and there is no risk of the leash getting caught between the toes when wearing round toe boots. But some people say that split toe boots make it easier to surf. They’re able to feel the board better with split toes, especially the side to side rolling motion your feet make when turning the board. Balance also seems to be a pro with split toes. They free up the big toe, where most of your balance comes from.

I would suggest trying both types of surfing boots. Your preference might depend on seasonal weather, water temperature, and surfing ability.

Keeping your surfboard deck clean is one of the least discussed topics in surfing, but it is an important one. A lot of surfers keep their boards waxed up all the time, never cleaning it off and looking underneath. Dings can occur on the deck and you’d never see them if you didn’t strip the wax once in awhile. The top can also delaminate, or separate the fiberglass from foam, which you’d want to know about before it’s too late.

If, in this soon-to-be dreary Oregon coast weather, you plan to take a surf trip to somewhere warmer, you’re going to need to strip off your cold water wax with a wax comb and wax remover and get your boards ready for the heat. Start with the base coat of your favorite surf wax (mine is 100% natural and organic Matunas Surf Wax). Research the water temperature of the place you’re going. Cool water wax is designed for water about 56F to 68F, warm water wax will work best in 64F to 74F water, and tropical is for water 75F and above. Buy a few bars of the correct wax to bring along with you.

This is the time of year when beginning surfers can get into trouble. Oregon surfing in the summer is a whole different story than Oregon surfing in the fall and winter. In the past, many beginning surfers have paddled out into a big fall or winter swell and haven’t lived to tell about it. As a beginner it’s your responsibility to know how to read the surf forecast and to check conditions thoroughly before attempting to surf Oregon’s waves.

The most important numbers to check when deciding whether to surf or not are the buoy data. The buoy data will give you the wave height, the wave period and the swell direction. The wave period and swell direction are the most important indicators of conditions. A 5 foot swell with a short period of 7 seconds will create smaller surf than a 3 foot swell at 18 seconds. The longer the period, the bigger the waves. Know what your surfing abilities are and don’t go out in anything that’s too big for you to handle.

This summer I saw a lot of people new to surfing venturing to the beach to surf our smaller summer swell. They had new equipment, new boards, new suits, everything–and they just treated their stuff like crap. I saw one guy plop his really nice shiny shortboard on the pavement, fin side down, then sit on it to put his clothes on. I don’t know if these people are just idiots or if they have money to throw away, but it’s sad to see people destroy perfectly good equipment, especially the most expensive surfing investment you’ll make–your board.

I suggest that if there’s one surf accessory you get to make sure your board is protected for years to come, it’s a board bag. If you just surf during the day and bring your board back inside at night, get a daylight bag. If you travel with your board, or boards, going on trips or camping on the weekend, get a travel bag. Travel bags are awesome because you can usually fit all kinds of other stuff in them. Your suit and booties, clothes, towels, whatever. Then you can throw all those wet things back in the bag on the way home so you don’t have to put them in your car.

This weekend during the big swell, I saw a couple surfers swimming for their boards because their leashes broke. Now that the waves are picking up, they’re breaking further out, so if you lose your board, it’s going to be a long swim.

If you haven’t ridden your board for awhile, or even if you have, it’s a good idea to check your surf gear, specifically your leashes and cords. Ideally, these should be replaced every year. They’re not that expensive and it could save your life!

This weekend’s double overhead plus swell proved that the big surf of the fall season is here and ready to ride. Longboards, fun shapes, and fishes are fine for the short interval summer swell, but the long period ground swell of fall and winter requires something a little racier.

High performance boards like guns, semi guns, and rounded pin shortboards are what you need for the solid waves of the colder seasons. If you’re thinking of a new surfboard, check out one of these high performance options to challenge yourself and take your surfing to the next level.

Most forms of outdoor recreation are dependent on weather conditions, but none more so than surfing. Experienced surfers know that the degree of difficulty for a given session is heavily reliant upon location, wind conditions and a phenomenon known as wave swell. Surfers owe it to themselves to pay plenty of attention to local weather forecasts before setting out for the coast.

Lines on a weather map are called isobars, and they denote wind intensity and direction. If the lines are bunched close together and pointing toward land, it’s a good sign that that region will experience large swells. These conditions are commonplace in Oregon surfing, so you’ll need to find locations with swell sizes that suit your skill level. Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew as a surfer, but don’t be afraid to challenge yourself either.