Well,like everyone else I 've had shoulder/knee problems.Sorry, don't have a magic bullet.We do have a surfing MD that advises us on many of our surfing related problems..The man has saved us quite a bit of coin over the years,money better spent on surfing gear.... Anyways we take of him,make sure he gets his waves.
My knee problems were a product of no kneepads,solved that problem!
The shoulder thing?Arm dragging and pulling the board around with the arm was another deal.My od boards were a bitch to turn,and I was constantly tweaking my shoulder.My newer boards surf much looser,so the need use the arm is almost history.Haven't had a problem for several yrs.
We all take the same vits.and follow the same directions...Just lucky?Good genes?[not talking about 501's]No idea........
Just another poor wandering monk..seeking the truth and it's consequences thru my acqueous endeavours.... ........
I am a swimming/water polo coach by trade. I swam competitively from 10 to 22 years of age and have been kneeriding with fins and bike riding from 22 to 48 years of age.
It is very important to kick from the hips and stomach when kicking with fins so you do not wear out the knee joint. Try not to kick like a scuba diver.
When paddling, make sure that the elbow is above the hand and pull with the whole forearm. Dropped elbows are a major cause of shoulder and/or elbow problems.
Thanks for the response K-Man...Good genes can contribute alot to the longevity, my grandma just passed at 102yrs. so I'm searching for quality of life as well. The conditioning has to be a key factor, all "doc's" alude to strengthing of the muscle mass to support the joints. I'll stick with the dual power source. Lot's of good reasons as posted by many, but ScottMac might be on to the best!!!!!! thanks again....frank. That does help Bob, thanks!
funny how off topic this discussion turned, to preference rather than technique
most people struggle with flippers on in the surf zone at the shore line, the bigger the fin blade = bigger problems. sometimes simply entering the water walking backwards till the water is thigh high does the trick, but that won't help you if you're hanging on to a fence as water pours across a rock ledge, so I'm sure there are places where the fin wearer with a little savy sees the hazards and chooses a different entry point, or a different surf spot entirely. I've been swept across plenty of rock, speargun in hand, where salvation lies 15 feet under the surface, but can't imagine leaving my board dangling at the end of a leash, battered, so the maxim is board and rider go as one, or not at all.
for someone to consider going flipper-less whose major surf experience is with fins, the first thing that has to be addressed is trim, not much of an issue with the power of the fin, but arm paddling is about efficiency so you will have to move up on the board, get the nose down, especially paddling into waves. can always tell a kook afraid to pearl, tail squat nose up splashing a storm and if he succeeds at entry, stalls. The longboard-like outside paddle-in is over, lose the fins means join the pack of shortboarders where the three stroke takeoff rules. If you like the conversation better outside with the mals, like to feel superior cos you're still riding performance craft and they're riding long cruisers, put the fins back on. Here in the USA, shifting packs can feel like culture shock and you may have trouble competing with the fast twitching little devils for waves.
for me adding fins to my surfing was a blessing. after 35years of arm paddling stand-up surfing, my shoulders hurt after only 10minutes of continuous paddling, long rests between waves become the order of the day. but with fins I rest my shoulders for the paddle-into waves, the important stuff, extend my session cos good waves are rare, and dropped my blood pressure 10 points cos my legs get an aerobic workout. I figure I can kneeboard well into my sixties, maybe 70's, imagine that, scoring a barrel when you're 70, too cool.
Paddling aside, the first challenge I have riding without fins is compensating for the lateral distribution of weight I normally apply to my fins.
I doesn't, or maybe shouldn't, seem like much, but it throws me off. The fins ARE an extension of the body. Without, it seems like using two fingers together instead of all five spread out.
That said, it's still just an adjustment.
Regarding 'Bob'... we're talking about an Olympian... that well runs deep!
O.k., here we go- the reason why we even wear Fins.....they're not called flippers you kooks,Flipper was a dolphin on a t.v. show....is because traditionaly our boards are shorter and the extra thrust the FINS provided was essential to catching waves- less planeing surface =increased paddeling speed necessary to catch waves, simple as that! A lot of you guys are riding 6'+ boards so Fins might not be necessary for some of you.....and please fellas, only friggin' sponge boarders put their Fins on at a beach break and walk in backwards, have some class and walk into the water until it's deep enough to paddle and then put your Fins on...it is appropriate to put Fins on prior to entering the water when jumping off a rock shelff, or scampering over urchin coverd rocks,etc.-for all you flipper wearer's....send your hate mail directly to me, along with 2 Flashpoints as a sign of your sincerity...lol!!!
Not to take away from geno's wonderful Flipper-bashing post but I'd like to go even farther off-limits: some kneelos like stand-up too. No fins means you're free.
On that original Sparrow vid, doesn't Simon jump up once or twice and finish the wave out standing? I know El Nino invested 6 years in standup before switching and has thought about a quad fish down the line that would give him the freedom to revert. I believe Bunker Spreckles was known for switching mid-wave at Pipe on his fish. My own brother, who's got some standup background, tried out "shin-fins" one time to see if they'd allow him to be "bi". Why not? "Whatever makes you smile" and it always feels like you could smile a little more.
Thank you Mark, as I must admit that I ride stand-up stylee on some of my quad fishes, but you have to be able to get up fast as usually it means a late take off....
Anyways we take of him,make sure he gets his waves.
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