Surfing Skills & Techniques - Catching a Wave
Riding an unbroken wave is an exciting phase of the learning process. It is the culmination of the fundamental skills mentioned in the previous sections. After this, you are on your way to standing up on your Surfing Board as you ride the waves. You obviously cannot surf if you do not know how to catch a wave correctly. In this section, pick up some helpful tips on how you can get an unbroken wave:
- With the board beside you and its nose pointed towards the sea, walk out into the water until you reach knee- to waist-deep. Check out the oncoming wave.
- As the wave approaches, turn the board around until the nose points toward the beach.
- Lie on your board. Your body should be aligned with the centerline of the board. Also, the nose of the board should be just above the water surface.
Make sure that you have the right position – too far forward and you will pearl (the nose dives in the water); too far back and the nose will go straight up in the air and you will miss the wave; too far on one side and your board will tilt, even turtle.
Lying on your board too soon or too late will not enable you to catch the wave. This is the tricky part. You will only get the right timing through practice.
- Start paddling when you feel that the wave picks you up.
To have a fun and Safe Surfing experience, go for small waves first, otherwise, you will be frustrated for not getting it right. Take small steps. You can catch bigger waves as you gain experience. All it takes is right timing and a large dose of practice and patience. Make sure to master this skill first before attempting a pop up.
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| Otter |
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I would suggest paddling before the wave picks you up. You want your board to be traveling as close to or faster than the wave's speed so that you can begin to slide down the face. Waiting for the wave to reach you before you paddle almost insures that you will not catch the wave.
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A bad day surfing is better than a good day working
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These are all the Surfing Lessons covered in this section:
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