Front Page Of SurfCoach.com

What surfer doesn’t want to improve their surfing?  Most surfers, however, don’t tend to seek out much training beyond the tip tricks featured in TransWorld Surf and Surfer.

If you’re looking to improve your surfing then the best thing you could probably do is to hire a surf coach to give you private lessons.  However, most people can’t really afford this or just don’t have the time to invest.  Perhaps the thought of a surf coach is just too much commitment.  However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get comparable instruction.  Enter SurfCoach.com, an attempt to fill in the gap and enable surfers to break through plateaus and perfect new skills and maneuvers.

Martin Dunn is the creator of SurfCoach.com, an online training center offering video tutorials and instruction on proper surf techniques and skills.  He was kind enough to give The Surfing Handbook a full access pass to check out the program.

The SurfCoach.com Video Library

SurfCoach.com has been around the internet for a while in various shapes and forms, but recently Martin has revamped the site into an “on demand” online video format and is putting new efforts into adding more content on a regular basis.  “You will see that the site is my attempt to really help surfers through the internet,” Says Martin.  “Two new movies are going up this month, and I hope to produced at least that number each month into the forseeable future. I reckon when I’m finished there should be 150+ movies on the site within the next 5 years.”

SurfCoach.com offers training material for all levels, from fresh beginner to advanced.

The beginner materials cover the basics of how to correctly paddle the surfboard, pop up, and catch green unbroken waves.  The video materials provide a good backdrop so newbies can visualize the skills they will need to master.

The meat of the course lies in the power moves section, where Martin goes over basic and advanced maneuvers on the wave such as the cutback, forehand and backhand re-entries, correct bottom turns,  finish maneuvers, floaters and snaps.

Whiteboard Training Video

The coaching doesn’t just stop at the surfing videos, however.  Martin offers a whiteboard training video for each main maneuver with tips on how to apply what you heard and saw in the surfing clip.  For example, in the whiteboard video on speed creation, Martin highlights some incorrect techniques and habits that many surfers tend to fall into.  Martin also offers tips on how to practice specific techniques on land using a longboard skateboard.  Using a longboard skateboard is a great way to get in the necessary repetitions that are required to get a skill into your muscle memory and erase bad habits.

Also included with each major maneuver is a “training card,” which is basically a color PDF printout that you can take with you on your surfs so that you can make a quick review before you paddle out.  These are pretty helpful tools to remind yourself of key points.

Example of one of the training cards

“I have a lot of experience and IP that surfers will find useful,” says Martin. “It isn’t just a matter of presenting to surfers how surfing should be done, but also ways to create change in their performances. Hence the movies on staying focused, writing notes on the surfboard, and using a skateboard to simulate the actions. By having an understanding of correct technique or decision making skills, correction strategies, and coupled with a surfer’s desire to improve, performance can be improved.”

“Most surfers reach a plateau quickly in their performances, and their solution is to surf more and/or buy new equipment. But the reality is that flawed technique is usually the issue. fix the technique, and better performances and with that more confidence results.”

In my opinion, SurfCoach.com is one of the best training materials available to help surfers get off their “plateau” and get back on the road to improving their skills.  In checking out Martin’s videos and applying them to my own surfing I’ve already noticed an improvement.  I have started small, which is important according to Martin.  If you try to do too much at once – such as watch three skill videos and attempt to apply them all in one session – you’ll get frustrated.

So, I started at square one, which is the speed creation video.  In the past five or so sessions I’ve just been focusing on throwing my arms to create forward momentum down the line.  I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in my speed as well as my confidence in propelling myself down the line.  I used to tend to just point the nose of my board and hope for the best, but now I’ve noticed that I have more control and purpose when I take off.  I’m also slowly getting rid of the “huntington hop” (bouncing up and down spastically) that I would try to use to get speed, replacing it with a much more controlled rail to rail acceleration.

The videos on each maneuver are short, but you’ll find that you’re going to be watching them over and over to digest the skills shown.  Amazingly enough there are Regular and Goofy versions of the videos for most maneuvers.  The videos are excellent – the level of surfing is very high, and they illustrate perfectly the technique that you’re trying to adapt.  One of the biggest problems I have with surfing tips and how-to’s for advanced maneuvers (especially from magazines) is that the writer simply cannot convey the body mechanics necessary in words.  Even a picture is not enough.  You really need to watch a surfer performing a maneuver in order to really “get it.”  Maybe that’s just me and my learning style, but I have a feeling most people are the same.  It can be pretty hard to try to read a description of a move and picture it in your head well enough to “mind surf” it out and rehearse it in your head.

For competitors there is an entire section on competition training.  Lessons here include wave selection, positioning, strategic thinking, and more.  This is a must for anyone looking to really accelerate in contests.

One package includes special videos for your ipod or iphone, which are basically like the training cards in electronic form.  I liked this little feature, although it would be nice to see it divided up into smaller videos for easier access to the beginning of each technique.  It’s good to have, though, and to watch quickly before paddling out.

Overall I think that SurfCoach.com is an excellent tool for improving your surfing.  Aside from having your own personal coach, it’s probably one of if not the best surfing instructional tool I have come across.  Martin plans to be able to incorporate video analysis in the near future as well, so surfers can upload video of themselves and have Martin critique them.

The only downside I see here is the price, which might be a bit high for many people.  However, if you’re looking for quality material and you can afford it, I highly recommend SurfCoach.com.

Head over to the website to check out some great training videos that are available for free!  The free videos alone are excellent tools.

Check Out:  SurfCoach.com

I’m a huge fan of Xcel wetsuits.  It seems like everyone has their own favorite wetsuit brands, but I reall find that Xcels are unbeatable in terms of warmth and flexibility.  I have quite a few friends who swear by Xcel as well.  The most important aspect of a wetsuit is how it fits you personally.  I find Xcels to fit me like a glove.  Your mileage may vary, of course, so it’s definitely recommended that you try on a few brands as they are all cut slightly differently.  For example, I find O’Neill suits are much too tight around my shoulders.

New for this winter is Xcel’s new Thermo-Bamboo interior that comes standard in the new versions of the Infiniti and Infiniti drylock models (mens and womens).  This replaces the signature yellow wooly material that used to line the chest area of the past Xcel suits.  The thermo bamboo material is made of “bamboo and charcoal infused recycled fibers” that resist moisture and retain your body heat.

This materal now lines not only the chest but the upper thigh region of the inside of the suit, which is great.  It does do a good job of resisting moisture – often after a short session much of that materal will still be dry even with the use of the standard Infiniti suit.  I’m sure this is even more true with the drylock models.  The materal doesn’t sop up the water, and it drys quite fast.

As far as resisting odor, time will tell–I’ve just started using the suit.

Xcel has produced boots and gloves using the water repellent thermo bamboo material as well.

Unfortunately wetsuits are not very “green” as far as the materials used go, but Xcel’s use of the recycled bamboo material is a step in the right direction.

The only problem I’ve had with Xcel suits is that the seams tend to deteriorate after about a year, right about the time when your warranty runs out.

The thermo-bamboo lining is available in all new models of the Xcel Infiniti and Drylock models, mens and womens.  (Still waiting for the Women’s version of the Drylock suit!)

Check out: XcelWetsuits.com

Buy Xcel suits from HansenSurf.com, an official Xcel dealer.

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Do you use Xcel suits?  What do you think about the Thermo-Bamboo?  Leave a comment below!

Check out their page here.  We should be putting out  a more in-depth review soon!

This was going to be a long flight though, so I decided to check out something I’d had my eye on for a while.  The Surf Network is a service providing full surf movies for download straight to itunes so you can easily put them on your Iphone or Ipod.

They make it pretty easy.  What you actually do is buy the movies on their website first, then open Itunes and they download from your podcast subscriptions.

The best thing is that their library is pretty big.  They have most surf movies you can think of.  To get prepped for Oahu I bought “Seven Mile Miracle” and “Pipeline Masters.”  Seven Mile Miracle had EXCELLENT video quality, but I was a little disappointed with the video quality of Pipeline Masters as there seemed to be a lot of blocking and artifacts in certain scenes.  Perhaps if I email them they’ll do another compression.

Another awesome feature is the website itself…they have a great design that makes watching the trailers for the movies easy and quick.

The only other downside is that I think the prices for the movies could be slightly lower.  After all, I’m only getting a digital download, not an actual DVD.

If you’re looking to load up on some surf movies for a trip, check out The Surf Network.  Overall I was pretty happy with it!

First of all, I signed on for the intro price which was .99 for the first month.  I figured that was ok, even if I stayed on for another month.

The system works by allowing to choose three different types of fins and then they will mail you the first available set.  You can choose longboard fins, futures, and FCS.  The selection is huge, to their credit.  Pretty much every fin under the sun is in their inventory.  This is great if you’ve got a bunch of different boards to try fins on.  For me, I’ve got a longboard, a quad, and a regular thruster, so I have a ton of experimentation to do.

The fins come in the mail with a paid envelope that you put the fins in when you’re ready to return them.

Right now I’m checking out some future F3 Hex fins for my Merrick Flyer.  The fins I got seem brand new.  No signs of wear and tear.  So far I’m loving them, but I need some jucier waves.  Luckily the swell seems to be shaping up for the rest of the week.

The system seems great, but there are a few kinks I think they need to iron out. First of all, it takes them a few days to get your fins in the mail.  I can’t really see why this should be the case, but it bleeds days out of your monthly payment.  Second, you’ve gotta keep 3 fin selections in your queue, and there’s no way of specifying which fins you want first.  So, it’s a little random in that sense, and you might not get the fins you want.

I suggest trying it out for a month.  However, if you’re going to do this make sure you’re going to be surfing!!  The problem with this system is that surfing isn’t like other activities…ya gotta wait for waves!  It seems that every time I get a new piece of wave riding equipment the ocean goes flat.  Superstition?  Probably.  But I would have been better off starting this off in the summer rather than in the late fall (which is when I signed up).  Try this out when you’re going to be able to get in the water a lot, even if the waves are small.  The good thing is there’s no time limit on returning the fins.

Check it out at http://www.thesurfboardwarehouse.com/finatic/

If you’ve tried out the Finatic program, leave a comment below with your thoughts.