How To

How to Surf Well in Knee-High Slop

Contributor

By eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating:

(2 Ratings)

"In mushy and small California surf, I ride a wider 'beast' board. Thicker and wider keeps me on top of the water instead of sinking." - Timmy Reyes, O'Neill Surf Team Rider

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Women's Athletic Swimsuits
Sunscreen
Adhesive Traction Pads
Board Shorts
Surf Leashes
Surf Waxes
Surfboard Bags
Surfboards
Surfing Rash Guard
Surfing Wet Suits

Step 1

Ride a longer, thicker and wider board for more floatation capacity.
Step 2

Position yourself deeper in toward the peak in the lineup.
Step 3

Wait for the best-sized set wave.
Step 4

Paddle hard to get up speed, then get to your feet.
Step 5

Stay in the pocket close to the whitewash. Be careful not to get ahead of the wave.
Step 6

Wait for the wave to build before you try a maneuver with no speed and no push behind you.
Step 7

Ride your board flatter to maximize the surface area. You risk a fall if you lay it on the rail with no speed.
Step 8

Keep your center of gravity low.
Step 9

Pump - or hop - for speed as much as necessary.

Tips & Warnings

"In waves with a flat face, you might have to do the 'Huntington Hop' - compress your back foot, then unweight your front foot first followed by your back foot to release the friction. This way, you keep your board riding high up on the water to maintain some speed down the line. Surfers who ride Huntington do this hop all the time when the waves are sloppy." - Timmy Reyes, O'Neill Surf Team Rider
Surfing is a physically challenging sport that could result in serious injury. We recommend that you seek the proper equipment and training before undertaking this activity.

Who Can Help:

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Comments

Anonymous said

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on 11/29/2005 If you have FCS or any replacable fins then take the middle fin off when surfing small waves. This will help you to do more turns on smaller weak waves but it also gives up speed. So you have to master your pumping skills. You can also use a trailer fin but this will help you to save 15 dollars.