Struggling With Doubt in the Lineup? Do This.

Reps Remove Doubt: The Key to Your Surf Progression

One of the mantras I’ve repeated across every area of my life—and especially in surfing—is this: Reps remove doubt.

Doubt comes from uncertainty. From not knowing if you can actually do something. The way out isn’t mental tricks or motivational quotes. It’s putting in enough reps that your body knows exactly what to do. Let’s break down how this works in surfing—and where to apply it.

Start with This: Where Does Your Doubt Show Up?

In surfing, doubt can creep in anywhere:

• You hesitate on the popup.
  
• You pull back on steep takeoffs.
  
• You second guess your paddle strength.
  
• You lose waves because you’re unsure in the moment.
  

Every one of these issues has the same solution: reps.

Popup Doubt? Dry Land Reps Fix It.

If you’re not sure about your popup in the water, do hundreds of dryland popups. Get to the point where it feels automatic.

• Aim for 10 reps a day.
  
• Mix up the stance, tempo, and surface.
  
• Build the pattern until it’s second nature.
  

When you’ve put in enough reps, you won’t have time to doubt. Your body will already know what to do.

Afraid of Steep Takeoffs? Go Chase Closeouts.

Early in your progression, steep waves feel intimidating. You can’t fake your way past that fear—you need exposure.

• Go find an uncrowded sandbar with steep, fast closeouts.
  
• Don’t worry about making the wave.
  
• Take off on a bunch of steep waves—build the habit of going.
  

This is what a lot of pros did at spots like Pipe. In the beginning, they only got the closeouts. But those reps built the confidence to eventually go on the real ones.

Bonus: when others see you charging steep waves—even if you’re not making them—you earn respect in the lineup. But more importantly, you’ll respect yourself.

Paddle Doubt? Train It.

If you’re hesitant paddling into waves, it’s probably because your paddle fitness isn’t there—or you don’t trust that it is.

• You feel like you’re running on low energy.
  
• You conserve too much and miss waves.
  
• You second-guess your position or commitment.
  

Here’s the fix:

• Surf more if you can. Nothing beats time in the water.
  
• If you can’t surf often, train your paddling at home.
  

The Basis Paddle Trainer is great because it mimics real paddle mechanics. Members using it have doubled their wave count:

• Adam caught 117 waves and quadrupled his wave count at the pool
• Pierre went from 6 waves per session to 12, to 24 waves, quadrupling his wave count at the pool
  

When your body knows you’ve put in the work, you stop doubting. You stop hesitating. You start committing.

Final Thought: Confidence Isn’t a Mystery

Confidence isn’t magic. It’s not something you’re born with or something you get lucky with.

It’s earned. Rep by rep.

So next time you feel doubt creeping in, don’t overthink it. If you’ve done the prep work then you can just trust yourself.

Enter the Basis Paddle Trainer

Start building paddle fitness before the swell hits. Match your training to the type of break. It’s the easiest way to boost your wave count—and your progression.

Use the Basis Paddle Trainer to train your paddling anytime, anywhere, so you can catch more waves and have more fun.

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For a deep dive customer testimonial from one of our early beta testers check out