l have been surfing on a long board for almost a year now iv grassped how to catch waves iv been a strong swimmer all my life. l am looking to move onto a short board, l have recently purchased one and for the past 4 months l have been surfing once a week and havent been able to stand on it once!! l catch a wave and when l go to stand up it rocks to much or it sinks down at the back when my back foot goes on it.. l have been trying but have noone around to tell me what im doing wrong??

Someone help??

Siannie x

But, let is be honest, it takes a LONG time to learn to surf. It may take several days of lessons from an instructor to help u out (in spite of the fact that u were already doing okay on a long board). And think about it, one session a week is not very much time in the water. l started in 1966, & it took me a whole summer to get 'decent' & l did not really get 'good' until well into my second summer. And l had been swimming, body surfing & body boarding for years before l started to surf. And l surfed just about every single day!

Just do not give up, & look at it as having fun, whether u ride worth a damn or not. The pressure & frustration will only make u surf worse, not better. This is FUN, so what is the worst that happens? You fall in the water? Stick with it, ask ur pals or family for some help if u can not find (or afford) an instructor/coach, & laugh a lot when u fall (You r not in a competition, right?). l spent my whole first summer just getting 'decent', & l really could not say l was 'good' well into my second summer. And u know what, some of my friends became super excellent, & others always kind of stunk. But we all had fun. Surfing has been 42 years worth of fun for me. Stay at it, & smile!

well mybe your too big for your board if thats a possibility

take off on steeper waves.

l would try to surf on a fish. it is a small fat shortboard. it has easy pop ups smoth turn and easy paddling. is used to be ok at shortboards then l tried a fish and it tought me how to turn really good.
and know l can cut back, floater, spray snap, carve, you name it

u have to paddle a lot harder for waves (which you've probably already noticed)

stand up as quickly as u can, the speed u get going from the top of the wave to the first bottom turn will help u not bog (sink) & wobble. l was so frustrated switching from long to short boarding. my boyfriend had given me his old short board he outgrew, so l did not want to let him down & kept trying, & finally mastered it. once u get the hang of it u start improving pretty quickly.