Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

Budding kneeboarder here with 2nd post on this site. Thank you all for the resource.

As a long time surfer there have been plenty of times when lolly gagging and not paying attention while coming in from a surf, or in full panic sprint mode on big days, where I've been pounded in the shorebreak.

How do kneelos wearing fins, which I intend to wear, deal with this? Take them off outside (which might be a little tough assuming fin tethers)? Try to walk forward with them on, or run backwards?

Thanks for any tips.

duct, a couple of places that I have kneerode that has pounding shorebreak are Hawaii, and where I live in La Jolla. Any place that has a steep sloping? bottom. I'm assuming you're last wave you caught you're going to ride it as much as you can into the beach. When you're at a point where you can touch the bottom, get off the board and walk backwards. I look over my should to see if I'm able to stroll in or run in. When you walk in forward your flippers will bend backwards with the sand and the current of the water, so you'll fall down and look like a dweeb with the locals!

I too have been pounded and injured in the shorebreak and find this difficult on the larger days or where there is big water movement.
Flippers or not I would still have trouble as I have weak hips and knees.

Better timing and make the most of the belly ride to get close
and yes a sprint
backwards

The lolly gagging and not paying attention is also a recipe for a mistake, anywhere in the surf.
Even a non-committed duck-dive can lead to an injury, I got folded in half on a week duck-dive and paid the price.

Tiredness can lead to mistakes so perhaps on those bigger days where you know there will be an issue making a exit, leave a couple of waves earlier with some energy reserves and plan the exit. Make the exit maneuver with conviction just as you would a late take-off in the impact zone.

good luck

start with smaller bladed bodyboarding type fins. bigger fins=more thrust but much harder to walk in. if it's all sand then you could try taking just one fin off. then do the quasimoto up the beach this is considered slightly cooler and more fashionable than a full duck walk.
crawling is a option but i suggest doing it both to and from the surf. the psychological impact this will have could possibly clear the lineup for you especially if you throw in some sea lion sounds on the way
fin tethers can be deadly. i once had a pair of those velcro thingys on both ankles and during a wipeout both fins came off and the fins then swirled around each other and the leash effectively hogtying both my legs together.
the only fin i ever lose is on the side i don't have the leash on so i only wear a tether on that fin. at least they can't wrap around each other then.
remember you are a kneeboarder now.....you chose to be a dork....embrace it

time is everthing. Ride all the way in if you can, or wait until you can. i get as close to the beach as possible, do the one fin or take them both off and run for it!! Sometimes i just put the fins on my wrists and ride in to the two inch mark pick up the board and then get out. Sometimes you just gotta turn around and go back out and get ova that bugga about to kick your butt and try again. sorta like shampoo= rinse and repeat.

Smokin Rock wrote: remember you are a kneeboarder now.....you chose to be a dork....embrace it

Nothing more fun than getting out of the water wearing fins at Big Wedge or Seal Beach Southside, I've had many memorable sandblastings
But remember Ductape, it's all worth every moment of having your better half pick the gravel out with tweezers
Max

Hey Smokin' can I quote ya....

I suggest using Duckfeet, one orange, the other blue. Take GIANT steps while going down to the water as you argue LOUDLY with your imaginary friend

Continue the arguement until you reach the peak, for good effect look to the side and splash water at your imaginary friend

Now that you have reached the peak, you will get ANY wave you want.

When you get back to your vehicle wash off with a gas can, filled with water, while yelling " IT TINGLES "

Coming in at Lennox Head on a mid to big day over those big boulders with flippers on. Not an enjoyable experience and there is no easy way.

I concur with the small flipper suggestion, have a look at the many previous threads on the subject.

it's your's John

Smokin Rock wrote:remember you are a kneeboarder now.....you chose to be a dork....embrace it

Quote of the year

i wish i had transcripts of all the conversations Fooj and i had in Indo 2005 concerning embracing our inner kook. how good it felt to be so different and uncool. paddling around the clones seeing their disgusted "f&ckin lowly kneeboarders" looks and then taking off 20 yrds deeper and getting totally shacked in their faces as they scrambled to get out of the way
we went to Bobby's with our war paint on
Team Kook Hawaii

Refer to the picture of Evan Odom exiting the water for the "What not do do" lesson. A case of a badly timed exit.
album_showpage.php?pic_id=23152

I can run in my duckfeet!