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STEP
SEVEN - EXITING THE SURF
When you're starting out, try to avoid surf spots
with heavy shorebreaks. If you do find yourself in the middle of
a shorebreak, wait for a lull, then paddle in on the back of a swell.
Keep your eye on incoming waves and exit the water as quickly as
possible. |
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It's good
to have the balance of a ballerina and the feet of a
firewalker when you're exiting a rocky, barnacle-encrusted
lineup. |
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When you're coming in at a reefbreak,
you might want to paddle in through the shallow zone with the fins
up. If it's too shallow, you should get off your board, tread lightly
and walk your board to shore.
The trickiest spots to exit the water are in rocky
areas during high tide. After watching other surfers and seeing
that the rocks are the only option, take a similar approach as you
would at a shorebreak. Wait for a lull, ride the back of a swell
as close to the rocks as possible, then, like a crab, scale the
rocks as quickly as possible. If you miss your initial exit, wait
for the wave to pass and try again during the next lull. Never be
caught right where the wave impacts the rocks. If, for some reason,
you do get caught in that situation, place your board between you
and the rocks and lift the board above the wave to lessen the blow.
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FINAL
THOUGHT
I hope this will help make learning surfing
an enjoyable experience. Set goals for yourself, but don't expect
things to happen overnight. Surfing takes a lot of time and dedication.
But once you get the hang of it, I think you'll agree that it's
one of the best activities in the world. See you in the lineup.
[To purchase the complete version of Richard
Schmidt's "Learn to Surf" video, log on to www.richardschmidt.com]
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