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[kage]

It's possible. I don't think the problem is the take off, providing you are in the right spot. If you don't mind a late takeoff, like right in the lip, there are plenty of times I'm sure all of us have caught waves with no or the most minimal kick. The problem is being in the right spot. The less float the slower you are making it around in the line up. You've either got to get to the peak ahead of all those floaty boards. Or anticipate a spot where no one is ahead of you and wait. And wait. Plan on being out for a long time, or developing a really vicious stink eye.

[bgreen]

Mike,

Thanks. Good to hear you experimented with technique a bit.

Uncle G,

Regarding the illustration - difficult to know how accurate it is. The guy standing on the shore looks to only be feet away from the guy riding standing up. Possibly artistic licence. Of more interest, is the person who looks like they are standing up out the back. Either, they have an interesting style of treading water, or it suggests the bellyboarder may have been pushed onto the wave by this person. The alternative explanation is that they just happen to be out the back bodysurfing or artistic licence again.

Pushing someone onto a wave as means of propulsion would work - could be done from a longer board as well. However, how to get out through the break still has to be considered.

Very fit/good swimmers also has to be considered. I should ask some of the guys who rode the 3' boards, who were very fit, ifthey ever tried them without swim fins.

Bob

[Brooky]

Hey bgreen,

Here in the UK there are no reef breaks. Paddling out 200 yards would put you way behind the break in all but the heaviest of surf. They're nearly all fairly puny (by Aussie standards) beach breaks. I can't imagine the effort needed to get out that far using a plywood bellyboard as a kickboard.

There's no question that these things were designed for messing about in the shallows. They do work on 'real' waves but you need to be a good, super-fit waterman to do it.

Brooky.
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[Uncle Grumpy]

The illustration was one of many similar, done by early haole visitors.





Lieutenant James King, commander of the Discovery, 1779, recorded in the ship's log the first written description of Hawaiian surfing by a European. This was at Kealakakua.

But a diversion the most common is upon the Water, where there is a very great Sea, and surf breaking on the Shore. The Men sometimes 20 or 30 go without the Swell of the Surf, & lay themselves flat upon an oval piece of plank about their Size and breadth, they keep their legs close on top of it, & their Arms are us'd to guide the plank, thye wait the time of the greatest Swell that sets on Shore, & altogether push forward with their Arms to keep on its top, it sends them in with a most astonishing Velocity, & the great art is to guide the plank so as always to keep it in a proper direction on the top of the Swell, & as it alters its direct. If the Swell drives him close to the rocks before he is overtaken by its break, he is much prais'd. On first seeing this very dangerous diversion I did not conceive it possible but that some of them must be dashed to mummy against the sharp rocks, but jus before they reach the shore, if they are very near, they quit their plank, & dive under till the Surf is broke, when the piece of plank is sent many yards by the force of the Surf from the beach. The greatest number are generally overtaken by the break of the swell, the force of which they avoid, diving and swimming under the water out of its impulse. By such like excercises, these men may be said to be almost amphibious. The Women could swim off to the Ship, & continue half a day in the Water, & afterwards return. The above diversion is only intended as an amusement, not a tryal of skill, & in a gentle swell that sets on must I conceive be very pleasant, at least they seem to feel a great pleasure in the motion which this Exercise gives.

[geoffreylevens]

I think only limited into can be inferred from the old drawings. Severely limited by artistic ability plus total lack of familiarity/knowledge by the artists about what they were looking at. Actually rather similar to something I read once about perception. Someone took deep jungle pygmies, who had lived for many generations only in very deep, dense forest out to savanna and showed them giraffes which were I forget exactly but at very least many 100's of yards away. The pygmies were certain the giraffes were only a couple inches tall... Also, natives on Hispaniola when Columbus first showed could not see the ships at all, totally invisible to them because they were so out of context of anything they had ever before seen or imagined. This is not as extreme as that but gives you the idea

[kid]

I found these while searching for drawings of ancient surfers. I showed the two photos to Tom Wegener and he sat staring at them for about half an hour, totally speechless. The he turned to me and said something like "I'm totally humbled!"








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[bgreen]

The images Uncle G supplied are people either standing or in some form of kneeling/sitting position - the one clearly prone rider is quite near shore and almost looks like they are trying to launch through the back of the wave, missed the wave or are pulling out. I take Geoffrey's point about not being too carried away with the accuracy of the drawings, though the picture is reasonably consistent.

Kid's pics are much harder to explain. I think they are from the Caribbean somewhere. The boards must have a bit of flotation - it would be interesting to know more about the boards, how waves are caught on them & where they were being ridden.

regards

bob

[kid]

I agree Bob, those top two just scream photoshop! But any experienced surfer can tell from the wake and the line on the face of the wave that these are quite likely legit! And if they are, we have much to learn, or possibly unlearn!
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[Uncle Grumpy]

Bob, these guys are riding pieces of plywood. Simple as that.
It's done all over the world.

[mrmike]

IT would be advised to take the edge off before you try this This is what we did as kids. cheep fun
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[Poobah]

I'm not an expert on photo stuff, but when I tried to mess with the contrast/brightness on the photo of the guy with the hat, the wave disappears and the rider starts to look like a cartoon.

[Uncle Grumpy]

That ain't a hat that's hair.

[geoffreylevens]

Eraser Head?

[kid]

http://www.mefeedia.com/watch/28784682

I'm not sure how to post a proper link, but here's a cool video of Polynesian kids riding ply!
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[bgreen]

I'll start with Uncle G's 4 photos.

From the top - flyweight kids in what looks like shallow water and some whitewater. The angle of the board of the kid who at the top looks like he either hasn't caught the wave yet (but has launched into it) or he's a tail rider .

Photos 2& 3 - make it look very possible. Board thickness and whether it is kicked or paddled would be vital info.

Bottom photo has two kids beyond the waves- suggesting not too deep water. They could be treading water of course, could they have assisted the other guys to catch the waves. Hard to know how deep the water is here - very clear water with lots of objects on the bottom.

Asking the photographers/surfers would be the next step.

Bob