I tried to jump in from the side and drop in from above. The wave wasn’t strong enough to hold the tube.

The transfer is the easy part

Then I wanted to try and do a board transfer onto the river wave. The transfer is the easy part. Getting onto the wave with two boards was really hard. A board transfer doesn’t count if you don’t paddle onto the wave with the boards yourself.

Finally after a few tries I got onto the wave and made it happen!

I ended my surf session on an inflatable surfboard. It surfs so well from rail to rail for an inflatable. I never have to worry about dinging it up or anything! One of the best investments in my quiver!

The post River Surfing Board Transfer appeared first on Riverbreak.

First thing is first. See what style of fin box you have on your board. Are they FCS style or are they the Futures style? FCS fins have two tabs that are inserted into the hull of the board using screws. Futures style fins are inserted into the hull of a board with a larger single tab using screws. Then you want to look at your fin set up to determine how many fins you will need. From my experience all you need on a river wave is a twin fin (2 fin) set up.

It all boils down to what style of surfing you want to do.

When surfing a river wave you are surfing straight. This allows more of the boards surface area to be in the water. Your fins are going to spend majority of the time in the water. I find that a twin fin (2 fin) setup works really well. I don’t really like a quad set up because it makes the board react a lot slower while turning and doing tricks. If I am riding really short fins I will throw in a 2 + 1 fin set up ( 2 side fins and 1 middle fin). This seems to help provide a little bit more stability and still feels loose enough to do tricks. Keep in mind this is my personal preference from my own experience and surf style.

Quick Fin 101

Fin Size

The fin size is referring to the length or height of the fin. A fin that is larger will help provide stability and control. A smaller fin will create a lose skate like feeling on the wave. In bigger more powerful river waves a larger fin will help you keep more control while surfing. Overall a longer/taller fin provides more stability on a river wave.

Fin Base

The fin base refers to the part of the fin that sits flush with the board. It is typically the widest part of the fin. The length of the base will impact how your board turns on a river wave. A longer fin base will create longer turns. A shorter fin base will help you turn quicker.

Fin Flex

Fin flex refers to how much flex the fin has while surfing on a wave. All fins have a certain flex but some have more than others. For the most part the base of the fin will be stiff and toward the tip is where the flex will be. A fin with more flex will allow the fins to break free for a more skate feel.

Find out which fins work best for you based on your style and board setup

Wrapping It Up

Looking at these basic fin features you can decide what fin is going to work best. You can determine what style of surfing you want to do. If you want to have a looser skate style and be able to do all sorts of spin tricks and pop shove its. Use a smaller fin with a shorter base. If you want to hack massive turns and throw buckets of spray chose a bigger fin with a wider base. Or if you want to balance yourself somewhere between those two styles choose a medium size fin and fin base.

The best part is playing around with different shaped and different size fins to see how it affects the board in the water. Have fun with it and figure out what works best for you and your surf style. Keep progressing and having fun!

The post How to Choose the Right Fins for River Surfing appeared first on Riverbreak.

Here is Timo’s Apnea philosophy and all you need to know about the ApneaSurf camps and courses he offers:

Control, power and hard training is what you don’t need to hold your breath for a couple of minutes. The will to learn, to accept and let go are more important then strength. First, it’s crucial to develop a deep understanding of how your body and mind actually work. Your body can do way more than you think it’s capable of. Most of what you need to hold your breath longer, is already in you. So simple? Yes and No.

Your body can do way more than you think it’s capable of.

What happens when you are hold-down by a strong wave or in a nasty low-head dam? Think like “I can stay here for a while”. The goal is to achieve a relaxed state. This helps you to keep a clear mind allowing you to set effective actions instead of panicking. While being under water you often need to do the exact opposite of what your mind tells you.

ApneaSurf takes the knowledge of breathing and breath-holding and brings it to the surf community, where the situation is more like an emergency breath-hold

You need to change your current pattern and stop thinking about time. Thinking about time leads to stress, which leads to muscle contraction, which consumes oxygen leading to a much stronger urge to breath. Understanding the physiology of your breath-hold gives you a huge advantage in knowing what’s going on in your body, finally giving you the confidence you need to endure longer hold-downs.

 Relaxation and the right mindset are key to endure longer hold-downs.

We are now offering ApneaSurf courses to improve your breath-hold during emergency situations. Usually, people start off with in a group or 1by1 Skype session. After spending time on listening to yourself and accepting your physical sensation the next step is to get more comfortable with holding your breath under water. In our courses we mix, dry and/or wet sessions to simulate different situations.

The following ApneaSurf courses and camps are available at freedive-your-life.com:

1. 1by1 SkypeSession to master your fears and experience what holds you back in taking the next step
2. Course (1 Day) for up to 4 persons in the pool or lake (dry+wet)
3. Workshops (1/2 – 1 Day) up to 20 persons in a dry environment
4. Camp (1 – X Days) at the Lake Constance (Bodensee) – WakeSurfing, ApneaSurf-Workshop, SUP, Camping, Grill and Chill

Stay safe and keep the stoke alive!
Timo, Freedive-Instructor & Systemic Coach | freedive-your-life.com

The post Surf Apnea – Maximise the Length of your Breath-Hold appeared first on Riverbreak.

Duct Tape

It can be a session saver, but by no means should it be considered a season saver. Duct tape is not waterproof and will let water into your board over time. That water will cause your foam and fiberglass to mould and rot and will destroy your board. Use a waterproof tape to get you through a session or local two, but have a ding repaired as soon as possible if you want to get the most out of your board. But be careful which type of tape you use. Those that are for industrial applications do a good job of keeping water out but have very strong adhesives, which may tear off some of the good fiberglass when you attempt to remove the tape or it may leave a residue that is a nightmare to get off.

Dings at the tail and on the rails, previously covered in duct tape

Waterlogged foam around the fin boxes

Fin Boxes

Older boards tend to have FCS X2 fin plugs, which are two individual plugs per fin (one per fin tab). Many newer boards have FCS Fusion or FCSII boxes (or Futures, of course). These boxes are stronger and much less likely than fin plugs to pop out if you hit a fin on a rock or something else that is hard. However, they do tend to crack around the edges, which can let water in, which can lead to foam rot when water gets in.

If the foam around the fin boxes has rotted, there are a couple of options for repair. One is to rip out the fin boxes and replace with new ones, but both Fusion and FCSII boxes were meant to be installed before the board is glassed, so this is not ideal (though not impossible). A new method that I just tried was to remove all of the rotten foam, replace with filler, and to fill in, paint, and glass over the existing Fusion boxes without removing them. I then drilled them out and installed FCS X2 plugs directly into the old Fusion plugs. This works well because FCS X2 plugs are meant to be installed after a board is glassed. I’m quite happy with the results – they are as solid as the original Fusion boxes and were easier and cheaper to install.

New fin boxes installed and dings repaired

Board ready to shred again

Final Note

My goal is to continue to share this sort of information with our community when I see specific problems arise. I don’t expect to get rich doing repairs, and I’m certainly not able to quit my day job, so I would rather try to educate others so that they can keep their equipment finely tuned and significantly increase the lifespan of their boards.

The post Tales from the Repair Shop: Duct Tape Nightmare and Installing Fin Boxes appeared first on Riverbreak.

What Equipment You Need

As a starter, here is is the most essential gear advice on how to make the right choices when buying your first river surfing equipment.

River Surfboard

Your board is important, without it you cant surf. The size of your board will be impacted by a few things. First, you will want a board that has enough volume to float your body weight. Second, what waves will you be surfing it on? You want to make sure you get a board that will fit into the wave you are surfing. In most cases your are going to want to stay under 6′. If you are surfing a high performance river wave like the Boise, Denver or Bend wave you can get away with a low volume board even if you are a heavier rider.

Helmet

I always wear a helmet because you never know what could happen. Check out the River Surfing Helmets Buying Guide where you will find everything that you need to know to make the right choice.

PFD / Life Jacket

Personal Floatation Device. This will help you save energy on the swims in between surfs. It is also helpful in the event you need to be recued because it will keep you floating above the waterline and give rescuers something to hold onto.

Leash

Leashes are expectable under one condition: They need to be attached to a quick release of some kind. Otherwise leashes can be a death trap! Before you go out, make yourself familiar with leash safety.

Footwear and Neoprene

Depending on the water and weather temp, wetsuits are a great idea. Wearing a wetsuit will allow you to surf longer and prevent hypothermia. Depending on the river depth you may want to wear surf booties. They are thick enough to provide a little protection and thin enough that you can still feel the board beneath your feet.

Finding River Waves

Visit Your Local Surf Shop

Finding river waves is easier than you might think. You can go to your local kayak, SUP or inland surf shop to find out where local spots are.

Go Online

You can even youtube river surfing in your area to find out about new waves. Another way is to search online for any info related to rafting and playboating. Another great way to find suitable waves is Google Earth.

Use the River Wave Map

Use the worldwide river surfing map or browse through the most comprehensive list of river waves here on Riverbreak.

Catching a River Wave

Catching a river wave is the hardest part about river surfing. There are a few different ways you can catch a river wave. The techniques may vary depending on what wave you are trying to catch.

Dropping in

Dropping into a river wave is the closest feeling to paddling into an ocean wave. To do this you will need to enter the river some distance above the river wave. Hop into the water and paddle up river to position yourself with the pocket of the river wave. Once you start to drop onto the river wave continue to paddle up river until you feel the board catch the wave.

Jumping in from the side

To jump into a wave from the side you need to position yourself nest to the wave on rocks or in the water. Make sure you have a good solid foundation to jump from. You will be facing up river next to the wave. Glide out onto the wave on the board in a prone position. Once on the wave take a few paddle strokes to ensure you catch the wave.

Acid dropping

This is one of the most fun and difficult ways to catch a river wave. You will need to position yourself on a solid platform or rock next to the wave. Face up river holding your board in your hand with the deck facing your body. You want to glide onto the board with your feet as smooth as possible with forward momentum onto the wave. Once you hit the pocket of the wave apply pressure with your front foot or back foot to straighten out on the wave.

Risks and Safety Measures

Be aware that there are significant risks involved in river surfing, so make sure you are familiar with the risks and safety measures in river surfing. Always ask local surfers, check the river at low-flow and look for any potential dangers upriver and downriver before you go in. Also, check out our information on leash safety.

Surf more, surf better & stay safe with these river surfing tips!

Don’t take it too seriously and have fun! Catching a wave and becoming comfortable will take some time. Hit me up on my social media with any questions.

Instagram: @alexandermauer
facebook.com/alex.mauer1
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