KNOWLEDGE : SURFING SLABS – HOW TO…
Fancy a stab at a slab? Sups and rocks are a tricky mix, Finn Mullen gives his top 5 tips to surfing them unscathed.
Words Finn Mullen // Photos Alan Bennett, Tam Mullen and Katie McAnena
Water is your friend – stand as close to the edge of a safe jump off point as you can without being washed off your feet. Make sure there is a clear route behind you if you want to retreat. Then wait for a set to flood the area in front of you, just as the last wave is flooding, jump in and advance. If you’re unsure about depth keep the board on its rail so you don’t damage fins but can still keep your hand in the handle and control it easily. The idea here is to get on the board when the water is at its deepest in the launch area and get a free ride on the backwash out as the wave retreats. Waiting until the last wave should let you have plenty of time before the next set but don’t hang about – paddle out the back as fast as possible with small quick strokes to accelerate as quick as possible.
Leash but no leash – consider when to put your leash on – walking down through rocky shores, keep it off and wrapped round your board otherwise it will snag and damage, you, your leash and your confidence. Often times I will launch without the leash attached on a rocky shore, it can easily get tangled in shallower waters and if I do fall off I don’t want to be attached to my board either in case it gets stuck in a rock and leaves me equally trapped. Don’t worry about your board, the priority is making sure you don’t get dinged and boards can sometimes fare better against rock dings if they can run free and white-water is left to push it up naturally onto the highest point of the rocks.
If you are reading this thinking there’s no way I feel confident enough to paddle my board without the leash attached then it’s probably worth waiting before you really push it onto to more rocky launches and slabs but have it as a goal as your confidence improves.
As soon as I clear the rocky inside zone, I’ll get the leash on as soon as possible. It goes without saying always use a leash if you are surfing in a crowd, people do not generally appreciate SUPs to their head or body.
Paddle, paddle, paddle – the key with steep, slabby take offs is be aggressive and confident with your paddle in. Slabs rarely have a shallow or long enough face on take off to get in on the shoulder. Your best chance is to spot the take off point and pick a marker onshore to line it up with. Slabs tend to be pretty consistent in the take off point compared to shifting beach breaks. Really commit to the paddle and drop in, you can work up and practice this on beach breaks by picking steeper take offs or close outs to get used to that sense of acceleration. Stay low and paddle in on stance, i.e. feet not together but already in your surfing stance so you can really knife in and commit that rail as soon as possible down the line. Paddle, drop, set rail and hoot is the mantra!
Go small – big waves benefit from the longer waterline of bigger boards to get in early. Slab waves are steep with a sharp drop; small boards fit and muscle into these kind of drops easier so go with the smallest board you feel comfortable with. Equally the drop isn’t about long strokes to build up speed, its short, quick strokes just enough to push you in but not unsettle the board as you balance the steep take off. A shorter paddle allows you to stay small and compact for better balance while paddling and negotiating the drop, whilst a smaller blade makes short, quick strokes easier.
Quick exit – now you’ve had your session, it’s time to come in. Whitewater is your friend here – aim to come in at the tail end of sets on the back of and just behind the whitewater. Time it so your run in is clear of set waves behind you. The aim here is the whitewater again floods the rocks at the edge with more water and gives you the magic carpet ride back in. Paddle just behind the wave so that you have the added depth to get over the rocks but are not pushed onto them. Step off just as the wave retreats and voila, the perfect exit. Don’t hang around, get your leash off and get up the rocks as soon as you can before the next set comes.
