FIELD NOTES FOR A BETTER TIME IN THE WATER
Less flailing.
More surfing.
The things nobody explained properly—from getting into your wetsuit to getting above the lip. Practical starting points. No secret handshake.
The stuff
nobody explains.
The questions you should never have to be embarrassed to ask.
↗02 / THE NEXT LEVELMake
it count.
More control, better decisions, and a little more water in the air.
↗01 / FIND YOUR FEET
The stuff nobody explains.
Fundamentals, without the condescension.
How to wax a surfboard
Grip. Not a bloody art installation.
How to put on a wetsuit
Without dislocating your dignity.
A pop-up that actually sets you up
Less panic. Less stink bug. More wave.
Stop sanding your knee off
Fix the recurring scrape, not your ability to ignore it.
Cramps while surfing
When your calf decides to become a fist.
How to sit on a surfboard
Retire the mechanical bull.
Paddle better, not just harder
Less wet rat. More actual forward motion.
Sunscreen that earns its place
Still white on your nose is not a protection test.
How to duck dive
Less washing machine. More cormorant.
Surf etiquette, without the bullshit
Be predictable. Share the water. Own your mistakes.
02 / FIND YOUR NEXT GEAR
Make it count.
Technique, progression, and a body that can keep up.
Throw spray. Finish the turn.
The water in the air is the receipt, not the purchase.
Hit the lip. Make the return.
Commitment is useful. Blind violence is not.
Your first meaningful air
Leaving the wave is half a sentence.
Train for the surfing you want
Less circus. More useful capacity.
No guide matches that search yet. Try “paddle”, “wax”, or “pop-up”.
Surfing has enough friction.
This shouldn’t.
Getting wet is easy. Learning what the hell to do with yourself once you’re out there can take considerably longer.
This section is a gift back to the community: useful instruction without the account wall, the sales pitch, or the feeling that you were supposed to know already.
Different bodies. Different boards. Different waves. Take these guides as starting points, keep what helps, and make them your own. Nobody gets extra points for suffering through the same mistake in silence.
These are researched working drafts, not a record of Peter’s personal testing. His revisions, original demonstrations, and photographs come next. Each guide separates practical suggestions from published research and coaching preferences. Fins and board design are being saved for their own deeper project.