Speed!?

boards_and_fins · Post by **boards_and_fins** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 9:44 pm

So I am new to kneeboarding. I bought a board from Beeline and had it out this AM in ok surf. The main thing I have noticed is that I cannot generate speed. When you are stand up surfing you can pump, when bodysurfing you can kick, when kneeboarding do you just sit there? I was trying to get around sections and having a terrible time of it. I did notice that the takeoff angle is much more critical on a kneeboard then on a surfboard, at least right now. Any tips? Am I just an idiot who needs to wait for bigger surf? I will keep on trying though because riding this thing is fun.

skansand · Post by **skansand** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 9:53 pm

when i rode that board i could kinda-pump on it...just takes some time i suppose...its 6'3 and i can pump on my 6'2 easy now...just practice...get it in some real surf....i was just learning to ride a bigger board then....seriously if i had the money i woudve bought that board....you wouldnt have got the chance...

/....also i found appliing pressure to the blast decal on the nose can get you through some of the sections...looks funny though

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:02 pm

albert · Post by **albert** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:40 pm

I agree that the fin setup is very critical for beginners.

Did you feel the board was sluggish when comming off the bottom to the open face? If so, then your fin setup is set a little too loose for you, in which case I suggest putting bigger fins on it, even if it feels too tight for you once you get on the open face (at least at that point you will have gotten the hang of getting speed).

Did you feel as if the board was going to nose dive at any moment if you made the slightest wrong movement? If so then you could be kneeling too far up on the board which would cause you to not lean forward and transfer your center of gravity forward.

Did you try hanging up really high on the face of the wave before a section was going to break in front of you? This is typically what I suggest beginners do if it looks like they are not having trouble with any of the things I just wrote about.

anyway, thats something to think about... feel free to ask more questions, plenty of people here that can help.

skansand · Post by **skansand** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:01 pm

i liked your post better before you revised it bee...

john - · Post by **john -** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:39 pm

now that I have two boards I think it may be a horses for course thing

I also have 3 different fin size set ups depending

when i want speed to make sections such as at solid Bells (which i only surf to about 6 feet) I go the thruster set up

when things are smaller with slower peeling walls i surf with a tri set up or the quad...the quad I would surf in bigger conditions but the three fin has a rounded pin tail which I feel works better in bigger conditions

In general kneelos have to work smarter than standups in this regard

but on the other hand we can take off deeper and make the opening section...which is apart of working smarter

check out ns 05 dvd....fast waves and kneelos making them...check out 'the sparrow has landed' video...different styles, different boards but fast waves

JackG · Post by **JackG** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:53 pm

When you are stand up surfing you can pump, when bodysurfing you can kick, when kneeboarding do you just sit there?

Not even! If you are sitting on your ankles then you are not getting it yet (to paraphrase Jon Manss).

The principles are the same whether you are slaloming on a skateboard, pumping on a footboard, or driving on a kneeboard. It's all about angular momentum. On a kneeboard you gotta move up and down and wiggle your hips. Same as bending your knees and wiggling on the footboards.

Which board of Bee's did you get? I found that my first board (ok, first modern board), a modern quad fish, wasn't loose enough and I didn't get the feel at first. My next board, a Flashpoint tri, really works for me and I can make the sections and rescue myself from slop like I never thought possible. So as others have said fin set up and board matter alot at first.

If you are on a quad with fin box fins, maybe go for bigger in the front or smaller in the back or closer spacing if Red-X. That worked for me on my quad.

Just remember to get up and boogie. You'll get the feel after a few seshes.

finger · Post by **finger** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 1:06 am

board_and_ fins

thank you for asking the

GENTLEMEN i read with intrest your advice

I am shore it can all will help me also

THANKYOU
gary

ps may all your dreams be wetones

Eric Carson · Post by **Eric Carson** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:49 am

Like good dancing and sex, it all starts from the hips. Get some kb video's and really study what the riders are doing, e.g. lean/unweight/pivot.
Good Luck!

boards_and_fins · Post by **boards_and_fins** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:40 am

Thanks for the advice! I am currently running Future AM2's in the sides wth a FCS G5 in the center postion. I could move it back A little to tighten up the board a little bit. I have a bunch of Future fins to try, AM1's F6, TP, Vector sides. And another FCS GYU for the center. The board is a rounded pin. The main problem I was having is being bogged down off the bottom turn, as soon as I would turn there would go all of my speed.

Also where does one find kneeboard videos?
Thanks!

Bryn · Post by **Bryn** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:45 am

I would say that speed comes in a flow from your upper half down. Your head and shoulders/outside arm in the direction of travel followed by hips/knees in one smooth movement. This torques up the pressure on to your inside rail and if timed right will give you a massive boost of speed. Knees on the rails and leant forward not sat back so you are driving all that energy in to forward momentum and not relying purely on the push of the wave. Put the power down through the the rail and fins keeping the board accelerating. If you then break it down to much smaller rail to rail transitions you can generate masses of speed through very lifeless sections. Key is to keep the board skimming and released, stay dynamic and keep your weight forward. Its a lot more subtle than stand up but practice hard and the rewards are massive. Keep the flow and you will fly around sections you never thought possible!! i've had a LOT of practice pumping, the waves we get here during the summer months are p*ss weak to say the least!!!

Think there was a long post somewhere about un-weighting, this is very much key to effective pumping also. Worth a dig in the archives.

Hope thats of some help!

Cheers
Bryn

Bryn · Post by **Bryn** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:47 am

Oh yeah, as far as fins go i never use bigger than a GX in the back. Find it a good balance between drive and release. Any bigger just feels a bit over finned to me but that is down to the individual for sure.

Cheers

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:48 am

ocean7847 · Post by **ocean7847** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 9:41 am

boards_n_fins - good to hear you've got a board and have tried it out!

hey Beeline - can you answer a question i have too? I am a new kneeboarder with a Blast Hawaii tri-fin round pin i got used from EQ. its got FCS fin boxes (my least favorite fin system) and i have Occy side fins it it, and i think a slightly smaller G5 center fin. the board is 6'0, i'm 6'4" 210lbs. i've taken it out in larger surf and had fun (8 foot blacks) and i've definately had a bit of fun in smaller surf too, though i feel like a fish might move better in the gutless waves.

any suggestions for fin arraingments?

i've gotten the hang of riding this board, though i do end up leaning to far back sometimes. any tips would be awesome - thanks

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:00 am

Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

Speed!?

Speed!?

hmmm

ew