Week 2: WAVE CATCHING PLUS TECHNIQUE
Welcome back!
Week two of the UNDER CONSTRUCTION NEWSLETTER, is here.
I hope you had a great week.
We had some awesome feed back this week and I wanted to share a note I received from Dillon in San Diego:
“Bro loving the newsletter. Keep up the good work! It genuinely feels like a good base for community engagement the way you're mixing forecasts and challenges with your personal experience by way of vlog. It feels very encouraging.”
I'm really passionate about what we're doing here because surfing has connected and glued me to some of my best friends and incredible life experiences.
My goal is that you find that and that you enjoy the process of progressing every week.
This week we’re going to:
1. Deliver a new challenge for wave catching.
2. Give some technique for all levels.
3. Include the forecast outlook via Surfline with a “Day of the Week” to plan your surfs.
Let’s get to work…
Weekly Challenge:
Beginners - Intermediate
Catch 15 Waves in total this week. Ie: 3x waves a day, 5x waves for 3 sessions, etc.
Intermediate - Advanced
Catch 15 waves in total this week that have 2 turns or more on them. Bonus points for big maneuvers (1 air, 1 layback, etc.).
Turning Tips:
- Low Back Knee: The benefits to have your back knee bent in, is to keep your center of gravity low. You’ll never go faster than your fins, so stay on your back foot!
- Quiet the Arms: Arms paddle you into the wave and they help you stand up but they do not make you go faster. You can use your arms to point into the direction you want to go but quieting your arms will help you focus on surfing off your back foot and staying low.
- It’s all in the Hips: Just like Chubbs in Happy Gilmore (RIP), you can do ALOT with your hips. Staying on your back foot, using your hips and feeling the transition back and forth from the toe edge to the heel edge on the surfboard will open up a whole new world. And you’ll go faster!
Surf Spots with sandbars to keep your eyes on:
South Bay: North Torrance, South Side Manhattan Beach Pier, North Side Manhattan Beach Pier, Dockweiler, Playa Del Rey Jetties.
North LA: Venice Break Water, Sunset Beach, Topanga, Malibu, Joe’s, County Line.
OC & Beyond: Huntington Beach Pier, Oceanside.
Forecast:
Monday AM
1-2 Poor to Fair
1ft at 14 sec SSW
1ft at 5 sec W
Low Tide 8:03am 1.4ft
Surf Spot Recommendation: Similar to last week, we’re starting the week off with some small scale swell. Probably best to stick with the beach breaks if you want to get out there! Not enough in swell height for the points.
Board Recommendation: Bring out something with VOLUME! Paddle power increases momentum and momentum increases stability.
Tuesday AM
1-2 Poor to Fair
1ft at 13 sec SSW
0.9ft at 5 sec W
Low Tide 8:35am 1.8ft
Surf Spot Recommendation:
Find somewhere that’s breaking. Any kind of pier or jetty that has been building up sand all summer is a good option. MB Pier, Huntington, etc.
Get as many opportunities to ride waves as possible, because the rest of the week is looking more promising…
Board Recommendation: FOAM, FOAM, FOAM.
Wednesday AM
2-3 Fair
1.5ft at 6 sec W
0.9ft at 12 sec SSW
Low Tide 9:19am 2.2ft
Surf Spot Recommendation: The wind swell increases! Tide isn’t too low. 2.2 is a medium tide. This is a good recipe for the South Bay beach breaks and some spots north of Dockweiler/Marina Del Rey. The SSW swell lingers. Probably best to avoid the points. Stick to the beach beaks and find a sandbar. Probably mixing in more rights then just only going left with the small cross up of swells.
Board Recommendation: Hopefully you’ve gotten some reps somewhere on Monday and Tuesday and you’re feeling looser. Might be a good day to break out a fish or the small wave performance board. Or, keep the big board glide going!
Thursday AM
2-3+ Fair
2.8ft at 7sec W
1.2ft at 16sec SW
Low Tide 10:25am 2.5ft
Surf Spot Recommendation: We’re at 2-3ft+ baby! Looking like the DAY OF THE WEEK. Wind swell is great for the South Bay. We face straight West. Huntington, Oceanside, beach breaks could be fun too with the combo. Not big by any means but should have a little more strength in the wave. Get your wave count up and enjoy the day!
Board Recommendation: Stay with the foam but grab a board with some performance. Could be a fun day to whip around.
Friday AM
2.8ft at 7sec W
1.2ft at 16sec SW
High Tide 8:11am 3.1t
Surf Spot Recommendation: We’re at 2ft again! In competition with Thursday for DAY OF THE WEEK. Same recommendation as the day prior. I love when its back to back days of waves because it give you a reference point to either stick with the game plan that worked before or to pivot to a different plan.
Board Recommendation: Get loose with a performance board or stick with the foam!
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Whether you're a seasoned pro or just getting started, our surf strategy hopes to empower you to make informed decisions and maximize your time on the water.
Keep us in the loop with how your sessions are going, anything you want tips on, etc.
Have an epic week and let’s get it!
Matt,
PAGAN USA
UNDER CONSTRUCTION SURF CLUB
PAGANUSA.COM - Surf Club Code: PaganSurfTeam23