What is your surfing background?
I had been surfing since 19 years old in Japan. (I am now 40 years old). Waves in Japan are relatively smaller than California. Only during typhoon season (autumn), very big swell drops but I could ride at most over head high. (3-4 feet) Double over head wave is impossible for me. Since I had been an week-end surfer, I am not so good at trick and performance.
Tell me about your first time wake surfing?
Fantastic!! Though wave was small, I felt more speed and thrill during wake surfing than ocean surfing on the same size wave. It was so fun that I was still riding on a wave in my dream at that night. Keeping sweet spot by taking balance is quite difficult for me. (We need to walk even on the short board to accelerate or brake). Thanks to appropriate instruction by Tyler, I could enjoy wake surfing so much at the first time and I felt that the initial private lesson is very good for beginner like me. I want to learn more!
What is the difference between surfing and wake surfing?
I think there are 2 big differences. One is that all the same long wall is continuing endlessly. The other is that power zone on the wake surfing wave is very small, narrow and sensitive. In ocean surfing, even if we loose balance, it is easy to recover because power zone is wide, but while wake surfing, once we loose balance and are out of the power spot, it is very difficult to recover.
Was wake surfing your longest time on a wave?
Of course!! My legs were still so pumping.