“Wave selection is really like a multiple-part step.” Photo: @ez.rivero
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Synonymous with style, Kassia Meador is no stranger to learning from the lineup. When she started surfing with her dad in Malibu at age 14, she learned that the best way to refine her skills was to observe how other surfers picked and rode each wave.
While new surfers are often eager to literally get their feet wet and move right into (and up) the lineup, Meador stresses the importance of observation. Coincidentally, she teaches that it’s a key practice to getting more waves, which is also key to improving skills overall which she emphasizes in her new course, Kassia Meador’s Guide to Longboarding 2.0. Here are a few simple tips she offers to get more waves:
1. Observe which waves you want from the shore before you paddle out.
“Wave selection is really like a multiple-part step,” she says. “You want to notice the waves, you want to select those waves from the beach and be like, ‘Gosh, that one breaks every time all the way in.’ I’m noticing it’s the medium wave of the set. It’s not the biggest, it’s not the smallest, it’s the medium one. I noticed that it’s breaking with my lineup right there. Okay. When I go out, I’m going to look for those waves again, make sure I’m in the right lineup space, and then also make sure I’m in a good place to catch it.’”
2. Don’t be intimidated or influenced by other people moving in the lineup.
“Just practice a little oceanic sovereignty and be in your own space. You’ll notice that people want to push each other up the point and get deeper and deeper, and oftentimes they’ll get so deep that they’ll miss where the wave is and they won’t be able to connect it. And then lo and behold, you’re in the perfect spot, you’re right where your marker is and you can just take off and ride it.”
3. Commit to it!
“I think sometimes it’s easy to be like, ‘Oh, should I go? Should I not go? Should I go? Should I not go?’ “
Kassia says the best thing you can actually do is just say, “I want this wave. I’m going to commit. Just put it down and paddle.”
The effort in observing how the water is moving and balancing wave comfort and skill level will ultimately dictate how well you perform on a wave.
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