One of the biggest benefits of joining us here at LMBK Surf House is the individual photo analysis you will receive from our expert coaches. We all know it too well. You’re riding a wave, thinking you’re carving it up like Kelly Slater, throwing buckets of spray and pumping down the line effortlessly. That is until you see the footage and reality shatters your fantasy of a professional surf career.
Whether you’re a beginner surfer or advanced, photo analysis is the single most useful tool in pushing your surfing to the next level. The best surfers in the world use photo analysis to review their waves and identify any adjustments, no matter how tiny, that can have a massive impact on the way they surf. The best part is all of the photos are included in your package when you stay with us, so you’ll be heading home with some memories of your waves here in Lombok.
Our photo analysis night
During your stay at LMBK we have a professional photographer come out on the boat and get some snaps of our guests shredding. Every Thursday and Sunday night, we all come together at LMBK and one of our surf experts will run through the photos, identifying any issues and breaking down how to fix them so that you can get the most out of your surf sessions.
Let’s run through some of the most common mistakes we see in our photo analysis.
Body positioning
Body positioning when riding a wave is one of the most crucial factors to consider when learning how to surf. Even for advanced surfers, tiny changes to the way they position themselves during take-offs, turns or in the tube can have a massive impact on how skilfully they ride a wave.
For beginner surfers, one of the most frequent mistakes we see is standing too tall once they pop up on their board. When you stay low, you keep your center of gravity low and this makes you far more balanced and stable. By standing up too straight and tall, you are far more likely to lose your balance and fall off.
Look where you want to go
This is one of the first things you’ll learn as a beginner surfer. You look in the direction you want to go. Your body will naturally follow where your eyes are looking. This rings true no matter how good you become at surfing. Beginner surfers often look down to their feet as they pop up causing them to fall forward. Looking down the line will help your board move in that direction. Even as you learn to turn, you look at the lip to help drive your board up the wave.
Weight distribution
Weight distribution on a board is a common problem for beginner surfers. Too much weight on the back foot and you’ll come off the back of the wave. Too much weight on your front foot and you can nose dive. The ability to shift your weight distribution depending on where you are on the wave will help you generate speed or stall when you need to.
Stance on the board
The way our feet are positioned on the board after we pop up is another essential part of improving our surfing and with photo analysis, it is clear to see if your stance on your board is hindering you. Too close together and it will be difficult to balance. Too far apart and you won’t be able to control the direction your board moves inefficiently. Practicing your pop-up on land and adjusting your foot positioning is a great way to help improve this.
Timing and angle of take-off
No two waves are the same. Here in Lombok, we surf reef breaks, which tend to make the waves more consistent in their shape and location of the peak. The timing and angle of your paddle and take-off have a significant impact on how well you ride the waves. While our experienced surf instructors will help position you in the right spot, being able to identify the take-off point and angle of your surfboard in a photo really helps you understand how to navigate different kinds of waves.
The variables
Surfing has so many variables, many of which we can’t control. One of the characteristics of a good surfer is their ability to adapt to different conditions. For example, how high or low the tide is can impact the speed of the waves. A steeper wave could mean you need a faster pop up while waves that take longer to break mean you may need a few extra paddles to catch it. As well as breaking down your surfing, photo analysis can also be used to examine the conditions of the day and how they impact what approach to take while surfing.
