MyPaipoBoards Forums

Like a lot of people here, I have been surfing a long time. As a standup surfer, I am a regular foot and have always been more comfortable going right vs left.

The odd thing is as a prone surfer, I actually seem to prefer going left. I was wondering if anyone else has a similar response

me too.

Out here on the Northern Californian coast I think the lefts are steeper and faster. So I find the lefts are often funner. Also most standup surfers are regular footers and they like to go right. So I am often looking for the lefts, while they are focusing on the rights. This way I can get more waves.

But it might be all in my imagination.

The main break I get to surf is a right point if there is a N/E wind I duck over the other side and it's a equally if not better left so I surf both ways with equal joy without bias.

Flojo,

When I started riding a paipo for some reason it was mostly lefts, probably because I kept away from crowds while learning. Of late, I've found I've mostly been surfing rights so it feels a bit awkward if I catch just an occasional left. If I'm surfing both ways all the time I find it doesn't matter.


Bob

Don't tell my mom, but I like to go both ways!

Just kidding, but seriously. I usually break out this joke in the winter because I ski AND snowboard.

I have wondered if the rights are steeper and faster on the East Coast of the US or South America.

On my kneeboard I prefer lefts. On the paipo and bodyboard, I prefer rights.

jbw4600 wrote:I have wondered if the rights are steeper and faster on the East Coast of the US or South America.

On the East Coast of the USA the straights are the steepest, not the lefts or rights

My formative years of surfing (foot boards and paipos) was in Puerto Rico where the preponderance of waves were rights and I am regular footed. I never had much experience riding lefts as a foot surfer. The past ten years most of my surfing is on waves that are overwhelmingly lefts. Catching and riding there isn't much difference; however, I have never quite mastered the "Island pullout/duck dive out to the back of the wave" going left but do it without a problem going right.

I am defiantly goofy.

I have much more control on a left hander especially in barrels. I have put this down to the fact I am right handed and on a left I have my right hand on the rail.

I do somtimes find on a right, because my right hand is now on the nose I may be better at a move like an off the top, because i am swinging the nose with my right hand.

Also with 360 I spin much easier anti clockwise.

I have talked to others about this and the "what's you dominate hand?" does not equate to a prone regular of goofy rider. I know many right handed bodyboarers who prefer rights.

The reason I asked about the lefts on the East coast is that out here on the west coast most of the good lined up point break waves are rights. In the southern hemisphere in Peru most the good point breaks are lefts.

There are not many classic point breaks on the East Coast -- the few that exist are up in New England. There are a few quirky spots that are point-like between NY and Hatteras, but it is mostly sandbar breaks. There are some reefs in FL and rock bed reefs in NE.

Lefts and rights that one will ride on the East Coast are largely dependent upon the swell direction when riding sandbar breaks; although various groins and jetties have their own characteristics similar to the West Coast.