Aloha Tribe,
One of the presents that Santa brought me at Christmas was a NOHO Surf Trainer. It can be used for both Longboarding and Shortboarding as well as any other variation of surfboard. And, I must say, I absolutely love it!!! Basically, it's a set of half balls that strap to the bottom of your board, either a short board or a longboard,, and, it allows you to practice your surfing moves in the comfort of your own home or yard when you want to get in some serious drilling time, perhaps because the surf is too flat or too wild.
I have mine set up in my Surfing Room at the moment, primarily because it's about 28 degrees F outside. I know, I know, I should suck it up and either go outside in my string bikini and workout, ignoring the cold and thus simultaneously practicing cold training, or, put on my 4/3 wetsuit, booties, gloves, and hood, after all, I live in the Pacific NW where such attire is rather necessary, and workout in my surfing uniform. Perhaps, later. At the moment, I admit, having a nice warm fire in my Family Room, with the heat flowing beautifully into my Surfing Room, I'm spoiled. Oh poo.
At any rate, getting back to my thoughts on this training device, as I said, I truly love it. The half balls, if you want to think of them that way, consist of two half balls connected together, sort of forming half of a 3-D figure 8, made of a nice rubber type material which does not ding, dent, nor hurt in any way, my longboard. The NOHO Surf Trainer is attached to my board by some really cool rubber clamps, that simply hook or slide onto the rails of my board. Since I have a longboard, and, I bought a NOHO Surf Trainer to fit a longboard, the set comes with 4 of the figure 8 balance devices and 8 hooks. The way it clamps on is by an elastic cord that connects between the figure 8 device and the hooks on the rails of the board.
I took the NOHO Surf Trainer out of the box it came in and had it set up on my board within minutes, it's literally that easy. Now, here's a tip. Since I have hardwood floors, I simply placed several rubber yoga mats on the wood floor first, then, I put my board with the NOHO Surf Trainer attached to the bottom of the board, on the yoga mats, simply to prevent slipping, after all, it was my first time using this.
The rubber yoga mats work perfectly!!! And, if you have carpet, that would probably work great too I'd imagine. I also think the NOHO Surf Trainer will work great in my yard on the grass as well as in my sand Surfing Training Sand Pit in my yard.
Since I am relatively new to all of this, I decided that the first thing I'd do is Paddle Out. After all, that's what I'll be doing the next time I go to the beach, so, I might as well get some practice here.
So, I practiced two different types of paddling strokes. The first, was smooth rhythmic strokes, long and sure, as though I was making my way into the surf. Since I've figured that perhaps the average, if there can be such a thing, paddle, is perhaps 50 yards or so, I thought I'd do 50 yard paddling routines.
I paddled out, and, got in the Line-up. Now, the Line-Up is a bit tricky on the NOHO simply in that, since it sits your board about 6 inches or so above the ground, you really can't drop your legs straight down as if you were sitting for real in the surf, so, I simply held me legs slightly above the floor, which, by the way, is a great workout for the thighs and abs.
I didn't find the paddling hard, my balance on the NOHO Surf Trainer seemed pretty okay. Nor did I find it too difficult to move into a sitting position, though, I was a touch slightly wobbly. I'll have to drill more and more and more on that one.
If I had my NOHO Surf Trainer balanced on something like saw horses, then, I could literally sit on my board with my legs dangling down just like in the surf, of course, naturally, I wouldn't recommend you all try that. I simply will, because, well, I love practicing all phases of my surfing.
Next, I practicing moving from a sitting position to a laying position on the board and, I began my next phase of paddle training, Sprint Paddle Training. Now sure, just like with the Paddle Out paddle training, you have to be aware of the depth of your strokes, after all, you aren't really in the ocean, then again, with but a slight adjustment of paddling depth, I had no problem adjusting to this training.
I figured, for exercise and drill sake, that my Sprint Paddle would require three lighting fast strokes, so, that's what I did, then, I got to the really fun part, the Pop-Up.
Okay, this was a bit more challenging and I was a bit wobbly, but, with practicing even for just a few minutes, I already noticed dramatic improvement as I got used to how the board moved on top of the NOHO Surf Trainer.
This part, the Pop Up was really fun for me, so, I did it quite a few times. Perhaps, 20 minutes or so, working up a rather good sweat. After all, the fire in the woodburning stove had heated my home up quite nicely.
After Popping Up, I stood, and, imagined gliding down the face of a beautiful wave, Angling my board to a perfect (after all, it was my wave in my imagination), right.
And now, for my Bottom Turn.
I tried. I failed. I Stalled. Silly Lily.
I was slightly too far back on my longboard and lifted the nose a bit too high for what I envisioned doing if this had been for real. So, since I failed, I simply dropped down into a sitting position, then lay on the board and, Paddled Out again, just like if it was the real thing.
Now that I had the basic feel for this truly awesome and incedible training device, I decided to do a bit of Cross Stepping, Hanging Five, Hanging Ten, Cheater Five, and Drop Knee Turns training. So, I ran through countless repetitions of each, just to get the feel for them, as well as carving my board left and right with toe and heel pressure, as well as with hip awareness, and also with simply upper body movement, just to get the feel of how each worked my body, as well as my board on the NOHO Surf Trainer in different ways.
This training device rocks!!! You can walk to the front of your board, on a longboard of course, and do a Nose 360. Or, you can drop back to the tail and try a Tail 360, and, you know what, the tail or nose respectively will lift so beautifully off the floor (in my case, rubber yoga mats), and spin the board.
I had to write this review at that point, I was so stoked, but next, naturally, I want to try some Spinners, but of course. And then, a Spinner with a Nose 360 and, naturally, a Spinner with a Tail 360. After all, why not, and, that's what the NOHO Surf Trainer is all about and built for, for running drills again and again and again, as many times as you'd like.
Using this magical surfing exercise tool, I can, right in my living room, get an aerobic workout by simply doing drills over and over at a relatively steady and realistic pace, or, I can get an anaerobic workout by really pushing myself and doing, say, 100 Pop UPs in a row, as fast as I can, as though, they were done at the speed of sprinting, in order to develop fast twitch muscle fibers in my body (sure, a bit more of a necessity for a shortboarder than a longboarder, but, why not, after all, it's the fast twitch muscles that make a girl lean and shredded. I figure, I'm my surfing is to look great because of my NOHO Surf Trainer, I might as well really push myself and get my body to look as great as my soon to be acquired surfing style.
After all, why not? The NOHO Surf Trainer does it all.
Get one. Use it. And, be creative. Truly push yourself and drill and I'll bet that in short time, you'll see your surfing improve, move by move by move.
I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have got this for a present. Now it's your turn. Give yourself a treat, workout on this and get your body in shape, and, more so, get the surfing style you've always dreamed of.
Hmm, upon reading what I just wrote, I suppose it sort of sounds like a commercial or something, but you know what, all I can say is I'm really this way stoked about my NOHO Surf Trainer.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
One of the presents that Santa brought me at Christmas was a NOHO Surf Trainer. It can be used for both Longboarding and Shortboarding as well as any other variation of surfboard. And, I must say, I absolutely love it!!! Basically, it's a set of half balls that strap to the bottom of your board, either a short board or a longboard,, and, it allows you to practice your surfing moves in the comfort of your own home or yard when you want to get in some serious drilling time, perhaps because the surf is too flat or too wild.
I have mine set up in my Surfing Room at the moment, primarily because it's about 28 degrees F outside. I know, I know, I should suck it up and either go outside in my string bikini and workout, ignoring the cold and thus simultaneously practicing cold training, or, put on my 4/3 wetsuit, booties, gloves, and hood, after all, I live in the Pacific NW where such attire is rather necessary, and workout in my surfing uniform. Perhaps, later. At the moment, I admit, having a nice warm fire in my Family Room, with the heat flowing beautifully into my Surfing Room, I'm spoiled. Oh poo.
At any rate, getting back to my thoughts on this training device, as I said, I truly love it. The half balls, if you want to think of them that way, consist of two half balls connected together, sort of forming half of a 3-D figure 8, made of a nice rubber type material which does not ding, dent, nor hurt in any way, my longboard. The NOHO Surf Trainer is attached to my board by some really cool rubber clamps, that simply hook or slide onto the rails of my board. Since I have a longboard, and, I bought a NOHO Surf Trainer to fit a longboard, the set comes with 4 of the figure 8 balance devices and 8 hooks. The way it clamps on is by an elastic cord that connects between the figure 8 device and the hooks on the rails of the board.
I took the NOHO Surf Trainer out of the box it came in and had it set up on my board within minutes, it's literally that easy. Now, here's a tip. Since I have hardwood floors, I simply placed several rubber yoga mats on the wood floor first, then, I put my board with the NOHO Surf Trainer attached to the bottom of the board, on the yoga mats, simply to prevent slipping, after all, it was my first time using this.
The rubber yoga mats work perfectly!!! And, if you have carpet, that would probably work great too I'd imagine. I also think the NOHO Surf Trainer will work great in my yard on the grass as well as in my sand Surfing Training Sand Pit in my yard.
Since I am relatively new to all of this, I decided that the first thing I'd do is Paddle Out. After all, that's what I'll be doing the next time I go to the beach, so, I might as well get some practice here.
So, I practiced two different types of paddling strokes. The first, was smooth rhythmic strokes, long and sure, as though I was making my way into the surf. Since I've figured that perhaps the average, if there can be such a thing, paddle, is perhaps 50 yards or so, I thought I'd do 50 yard paddling routines.
I paddled out, and, got in the Line-up. Now, the Line-Up is a bit tricky on the NOHO simply in that, since it sits your board about 6 inches or so above the ground, you really can't drop your legs straight down as if you were sitting for real in the surf, so, I simply held me legs slightly above the floor, which, by the way, is a great workout for the thighs and abs.
I didn't find the paddling hard, my balance on the NOHO Surf Trainer seemed pretty okay. Nor did I find it too difficult to move into a sitting position, though, I was a touch slightly wobbly. I'll have to drill more and more and more on that one.
If I had my NOHO Surf Trainer balanced on something like saw horses, then, I could literally sit on my board with my legs dangling down just like in the surf, of course, naturally, I wouldn't recommend you all try that. I simply will, because, well, I love practicing all phases of my surfing.
Next, I practicing moving from a sitting position to a laying position on the board and, I began my next phase of paddle training, Sprint Paddle Training. Now sure, just like with the Paddle Out paddle training, you have to be aware of the depth of your strokes, after all, you aren't really in the ocean, then again, with but a slight adjustment of paddling depth, I had no problem adjusting to this training.
I figured, for exercise and drill sake, that my Sprint Paddle would require three lighting fast strokes, so, that's what I did, then, I got to the really fun part, the Pop-Up.
Okay, this was a bit more challenging and I was a bit wobbly, but, with practicing even for just a few minutes, I already noticed dramatic improvement as I got used to how the board moved on top of the NOHO Surf Trainer.
This part, the Pop Up was really fun for me, so, I did it quite a few times. Perhaps, 20 minutes or so, working up a rather good sweat. After all, the fire in the woodburning stove had heated my home up quite nicely.
After Popping Up, I stood, and, imagined gliding down the face of a beautiful wave, Angling my board to a perfect (after all, it was my wave in my imagination), right.
And now, for my Bottom Turn.
I tried. I failed. I Stalled. Silly Lily.
I was slightly too far back on my longboard and lifted the nose a bit too high for what I envisioned doing if this had been for real. So, since I failed, I simply dropped down into a sitting position, then lay on the board and, Paddled Out again, just like if it was the real thing.
Now that I had the basic feel for this truly awesome and incedible training device, I decided to do a bit of Cross Stepping, Hanging Five, Hanging Ten, Cheater Five, and Drop Knee Turns training. So, I ran through countless repetitions of each, just to get the feel for them, as well as carving my board left and right with toe and heel pressure, as well as with hip awareness, and also with simply upper body movement, just to get the feel of how each worked my body, as well as my board on the NOHO Surf Trainer in different ways.
This training device rocks!!! You can walk to the front of your board, on a longboard of course, and do a Nose 360. Or, you can drop back to the tail and try a Tail 360, and, you know what, the tail or nose respectively will lift so beautifully off the floor (in my case, rubber yoga mats), and spin the board.
I had to write this review at that point, I was so stoked, but next, naturally, I want to try some Spinners, but of course. And then, a Spinner with a Nose 360 and, naturally, a Spinner with a Tail 360. After all, why not, and, that's what the NOHO Surf Trainer is all about and built for, for running drills again and again and again, as many times as you'd like.
Using this magical surfing exercise tool, I can, right in my living room, get an aerobic workout by simply doing drills over and over at a relatively steady and realistic pace, or, I can get an anaerobic workout by really pushing myself and doing, say, 100 Pop UPs in a row, as fast as I can, as though, they were done at the speed of sprinting, in order to develop fast twitch muscle fibers in my body (sure, a bit more of a necessity for a shortboarder than a longboarder, but, why not, after all, it's the fast twitch muscles that make a girl lean and shredded. I figure, I'm my surfing is to look great because of my NOHO Surf Trainer, I might as well really push myself and get my body to look as great as my soon to be acquired surfing style.
After all, why not? The NOHO Surf Trainer does it all.
Get one. Use it. And, be creative. Truly push yourself and drill and I'll bet that in short time, you'll see your surfing improve, move by move by move.
I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have got this for a present. Now it's your turn. Give yourself a treat, workout on this and get your body in shape, and, more so, get the surfing style you've always dreamed of.
Hmm, upon reading what I just wrote, I suppose it sort of sounds like a commercial or something, but you know what, all I can say is I'm really this way stoked about my NOHO Surf Trainer.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
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