There’s a simple reason you’re not catching more waves.
No matter what board you ride, one physics fact remains: You must match the speed of the wave you wish to catch.
When you are paddling for a 2 foot wave on a 9'6" longboard, this is fairly easy to do. Even a moderately good paddler can get that board gliding fast enough to catch that wave.
As your board gets smaller—or as the waves get bigger—the effort you have to put forth goes up.
Bigger waves move faster.
Smaller boards take more effort to paddle at speed.
Don't interpret this as some type of discouragement, it's just a reality to be aware of. If you are struggling to catch waves, or you miss waves that you paddle for, it's likely because you aren't paddling fast enough to match the speed required.
You can solve this in a few ways:
1. Paddle harder & more efficiently
Focus on long, smooth strokes. Pull with your lats — the big muscles down your back — not just your shoulders. And dig your hands deeper in the water.
2. Get a longer (or bigger) board.
Longer boards will nearly always glide better than shorter boards. Yes, you can beef up a shorter board and the added volume with help the float, but at a certain point, you cannot replace length.
3. Sit in a different spot in the lineup, so you are taking off at a better place in the wave's formation.
Reading waves and knowing exactly where to sit is a skill you will continue to master as long as you are surfing. At my favorite spot, I know that the first wave in a set is usually kind of a tease, and the second wave of a set is the one to go for—and it usually swings a little bit to the left from where the first one breaks.
That little bit of subtle knowledge is something I've slowly developed over many, many years and helps me get into the right spot to snag a decent wave every once in a while.
Next time you paddle out, remember this: the wave doesn’t slow down for you, you have to match its speed. There’s no shame in riding the board that lets you match the wave—even if that means surfing a board with a bit more foam.
