Regrouping (Check yourself before you wreck yourself)….Two reasons why surfers have frustrating surf sessions

By Len Barrow

When I was younger I used to have a problem when I surfed.  Sometimes I would lose my rhythm.  As I caught a wave I would go into a cutback and fall off.  On the next wave I would paddle hard for the wave but miss it. Then I would turn around and get pounded by sets that I failed to realize were coming in.  This led to my mind to go astray and my attention began to get frayed.  Frustration would creep in and I would begin to lose my focus and attention.  At times I would get so agitated that I would paddle in.   This influenced the rest of the day for me in a negative manner.  I don’t want you, the reader, to repeat my mistakes.

Len Barrow, paying attention and using Low Volume to Match Low Volume Wave

I would be surprised to find a SUP or surfer who has never had one of these days.  As I grew older I was shown a few techniques from one of my Hawaiian uncles.  These ideas are simple and can really enhance your SUP or surfing experience and I wish to share them with you here.

uncle showed me the idea of what he termed “REGROUPING”.  If your surf session is going badly you need to PAY ATTENTION by analyzing what you are doing wrong.  I know this sounds strange but stop your surfing and paddle to the inside of the break to take time to watch the waves and “reset your rhythm”  You will find that your mistakes usually fall into a two simple categories that I shall explain here.

Here are the primary two reasons why many surfers have bad sessions. 

1.Being Out of Rotation

You may find that every-time you wait for waves, they don’t come or when they do you are stuck on the inside trying to paddle out.  This can be very frustrating, yet there is a solution to this.  Again, stop what you are doing and “regroup” yourself in the following manner.  Paddle to the inside of the surf break.  Why the inside of the break you may ask?  By sitting in front of the whole break you can get a better perspective as to what is happening.  The point being is “how to observe the whole break” in relation to “how the water and waves are moving”.  Once you observe and understand this you can regroup yourself get back to the “pulse’ of the ocean!  You cannot get this perspective by sitting all the way on the outside of the surf point.  By sitting on the inside you may watch, observe and pay-attention to the totality of what is happening in the break .

As you sit, breathe deeply, and calm down.  Pay attention to the patterns of waves coming in.  Never forget that surfing is 80% observation and only 20% physical surfing.  You may notice that the waves are coming in flurries of set (larger waves) at certain time intervals.  Take note of the interval.  Maybe the sets come in every 8-10 minutes.  If this is the case, be patient.  Wait for 8-10 minutes and when the flurry of sets come you can get a wave.  Even if you don’t get the set (due to crowds) you will start becoming more in tune with the timing or pulse of the ocean.  If you do catch a wave at this interval you are beginning to flow more with the ocean!  Slowly paddle out again and wait for the next set.  Bingo!  You are now in what surfers call “Nature's Rotation” and are tuning in to what nature is trying to tell you to do!  This technique seems simple but  it takes a long time to learn yet your surfing enjoyment will go up exponentially.

2.Surfing Too Loud.

Sometimes you may find that you are falling off your board to frequently.  This can get really frustrating. Again, one needs to regroup and pay attention to why one is faltering.  One of the primary reasons that people fall off their boards is that they are surfing to “loud” for the given wave.  Let me explain this phenomena .  If you are on a soft rolling wave, you cannot put too much power or pressure on your board.  If you do this you will dig a rail or your surfing style will look “overdone” and ugly.  Adjust your “volume” to the wave that is given to you.  “Lower your volume” or put less pressure on your rail when you cut back or when you go off the top.  Instead of trying to attack the lip on a soft and mushy wave just lightly “pop” the board off the top.  Remember, you are not supposed to drive 100 miles an hour in a 25mph zone!  This is called “surfing light”.   This will help you to stop digging rail and falling off.   If the waves are big and fast, then you may turn up the volume and really jam the rail into the water.  Until then, take it easy. 

It is important to understand that it is we that must fit our surfing in to nature, not the other way around.  Any good surfer has this figured out.  So the next time you are having a bad day surfing, sit back and regroup using the tips above.  I assure you it will enhance your surfing experience!

2012 Molokai to Oahu race coaching bootcamp by Robert Stehlik

If you ask anyone who has raced in the Molokai to Oahu race what the hardest part of the race was, the answer will most likely be: the last few miles.   Being prepared and training for this last part is key to having a good race, so for the last couple of years, I offered to coach some racers on race strategy, picking a good line and doing a run from Sandy Beach to Hawaii Kai to prepare for the Molokai race. 

This year, Jeff Chang and I joined together to offer a Molokai race training workshop the Wednesday before the race and we had a great group of nine first time Molokai racers sign up.  Although all the participants were experienced racers and have spent a lot of time training and preparing for this race, everyone said they learned a lot.  

The M2O race is considered the ultimate challenge in SUP and when I first got into SUP racing, completing the M2O race became a big goal of mine.  I often hear from new SUP racers that completing this race is on their bucket list.  I have talked to several paddlers doing this race for the first time that say they enjoyed my race recaps and videos on this blog and that it helped them prepare for the race as there is not much information out there.

I decided to put together this post and the narrated video to put out more information for anyone planning to participate in this race.  

Here is a video of the workshop:

We are planning to hold this workshop again next year, so if you are interested check back with us a few weeks before the race as we limit it to 10 participants.

Here is a recap of our workshop.

Molokai to Oahu race coaching workshop

Stand Up Paddle race technique workshop, presented by Blue Planet Surf and Wet Feet, open only to racers signed up for the M2O race.

Coached by:  Robert Stehlik and Jeff Chang

Date: Thursday July 26th, meet at the dirt parking lot close to the finish line of the Molokai race, look for the trailer.

8 am - load boards on the trailer, go over race strategy, explain objectives. Set finish of race as waypoint on GPS for navigating.

8:15 to 9:00 - drive to China Wall (Portlock point)- go over reef areas and talk about options and strategy depending on conditions on race day.

9:15 to 12:00- drive to Sandy Beach, launch through break and paddle downwind along coast, past Hanauma Bay, along Portlock to finish through rough waters to prepare for last few miles of Molokai race.  Faster paddlers will paddle past China Walls several times, exploring several lines.  Debrief on beach, Q&A

M2O bootcamp course- this map shows the course we paddled as well as the straight "rum line" from the start to the finish and the recommended line for the Molokai race.

This map shows the whole M2O race course, with the straight "rum line" and the recommended line: going a little north of the "rum line" at first and ending up along the wall at Portlock point.

I did the race as part of a 3 man team this year, partnering with Jeff Chang and Doug Lock, sponsored by Bluerush Boardsports in Sausalito, CA.  Some of the screenshots in the video show the actual course we took during the race. Here is the complete GPS data from our race:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204630679

Below is a gopro video of the start and first leg of the Molokai race:

Aloha, Robert Stehlik
www.blueplanetsurf.com