Hi, l live in Venice, Fl. l know, l know the surfing here is pathedic. But There are some pretty good days here. Atleast Venice is one of the best places on the west coast to surf. l went surfing with my freind and it was 4 ft. l was paddling to catch a wave andfelt a huge jolt upwards and l nose dive and get thrown around like a rag doll under water. Why do l nose dive? l am also into the market in getting a surfboard its always like 2-3 ft and some days gets up to 4 or 5. l cant fit a longboard in my car so l was thinking about getting like around a 6'6 shortboard. tell me what u guys think about the 2 problems. l am also 13 yrs old and about 5'4 and 125 lbs.

thanks
oh when l nose dive l am not standing up yet im still laying on the board?

ur nose diving cause ur standing too much near the nose on the board stand closer neer the back so it almost tips up. when the water throws u around the best thing to do is GO with the current.
as for the boad l would prob get that one depending on how much more ur gunna grow

keep more weight at the back of the board, also try to get up as fast as you can with out losing you balence.
the best board for you is like a 6'6 short or a fun board.
check out ISLE surf online shop they have some great boards for beginers and good riders.

You need a board that will float u well enough for u to take off (paddle & catch a wave). Most people learn best on long boards, although l have seen lots of surfers start on a short board & master it. Long boards r ideal for learners. There r also good intermediate length boards to learn on, funshapes, mini-mals & some hybrids. Use ur head a buy a surfboard that is right for u & the surf u ride, not ur car. Buy a car rack (they make lots of great ones for sedans & pick-ups, u do not need an SUV!) You can always trade in a board & buy a new one when u r ready for a change (or keep ur long board. l bought a new long board about 6/7 years ago, and, like l said, there r some days that it is the perfect board for the conditions, where u surf, it is almost always a longboard day!).

There r a couple reasons why u ''pearled''. You probably were too far forward on ur board, & when u dropped over the crest of the wave, ur weight pushed ur nose down. Also, u were probably paddling perpendicular to the wave, hence, u went straight on down. You should be paddling diagonal to the line created by the wave is crest. Try to read the direction it will break, & paddle in that direction, the more acute angle the steeper the wave. And, also if u actually took off before pearling, u probably were too slow standing up & forcing out a turn at the bottom.

u may need to be further out, giving yourself a chance to paddle with the wave longer before u stand up. As u paddle be far up on ur board enough to touch the tip of the nose with ur finger, but not too far up that u can reach much further.

when u stand up, keep ur back foot above the fins & quickly slide ur front foot up along the stringer to the middle of the board while leaning forward & ready to shift ur weight to the back of the board to avoid burying the nose.

try taking off at an angle towards the open face, rather than straight down. This reduces the steepness of the entry, giving u more time to stand up & avoiding burying the nose.

Try a short thick/wide board like a fish with a wide swallow tail, but a little more rocker in the nose to avoid pearling. l think u should go shorter than a 6'6''. Go wider & thicker, not longer. A longer board is easier to pearl & may be part of ur problem.