Learn How to Surf

Riding a wave is spiritual process which taked utmost concentration from stepping into the water to riding back to the shore. Understanding and predicting wave behavior will come with time, but how you approach your ‘drop-in’ will depend on the type of wave your are riding.

1. Keep practicing. Find your self a buddy to surf with and this will motivate you to get out when it is pissing rain just in the hope of catching a decent patch of weather and a few waves (Warning – do not surf in low visibility). Most importantly your buddy should be better than you. This will drive you to learn.

2. Positioning before popping up is the key to surfing after popping up. Try paddling around the white water and getting ‘out back’. This means behind the breaking waves, and is where you can temporarily rest before catching a wave. Try and catch the wave at its peak to the side of the white water, and let the white water chase you in. Decide before you catch the wave whether you are going left or right, on mushy waves you may want to even position yourself in that direction as you paddle to catch the wave.

3. Positioning on the board is key to holding the wave. Make sure your feet are on the centre line of the board and pointing sideways (90 degrees to the direction of travel) and angled so the toes are pointing slightly forwards. Don’t stand up completely but bend your knees. Keep a low center of gravity by crouching down and focusing your weight on the centre of the surfboard. Keep your arms out and your eyes looking forward.

4. Learn to carve the wave by turning the board.  While keeping low with bent knees, lightly push your weight into either your toes or heels (towards the direction you want to go) but keep your body centered over the midpoint of the board.  This will push the edge of the board into the water and make the board cut into the water in the direction you choose. Remember, wherever you look, your board will follow, so look at where you want to end up. Stay focused on that one point.

5. Speed is the most important factor to holding any wave. In fact with enough speed you could ride a 3” wave into shore. At first only think about cruising along the shoulder of the wave then, when you feel you are ready to speed up turn your board to drop down the face of the wave and gain speed.

Those are the five laws of surfing waves, and will help you to go from joe to pro. Most of all make sure you practice.