How to Catch a Wave

The surf may be up, but you can't surf until you master this critical skill.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Women's Athletic Swimsuits
• Sunscreen
• Adhesive Traction Pads
• Board Shorts
• Surf Leashes
• Surf Waxes
• Surfboard Bags
• Surfboard Ding Repair Kits
• Surfboards
• Surfing Wet Suits

1. Paddle out beyond the breaking waves, sit on your board facing out to sea and wait for a good wave.

2. Sit just behind the middle of your board, with the nose pointing slightly out of the water, so you can easily pivot in any direction to paddle for a wave.

3. Swing your legs up behind you to lay down on your board when you see a good wave coming, and paddle to position yourself near the "peak," where the wave is highest and will break first. If you are too far out, the wave won't be ready to break, and if you are too close to shore, the wave will immediately break and thrash you.

4. When you have paddled into position, sit up on your board and spin it around until you point in the direction you want to go when the wave picks you up.

5. Paddle in the direction the wave is moving so that it overtakes you just before it breaks.

6. Accelerate your paddling as the wave approaches, applying full power as the wave picks you up and propels you.

7. Don't stop paddling until you feel the wave completely propelling you and your board. Keep your weight as far over the nose of the board as you can without dipping it under the water. It's a balance: too far forward and you'll sink and pitch over; too far back and you're pushing too much water and won't catch the wave correctly.

8. Grab the rails of your board directly beneath your shoulders and push up when you are sure the wave is taking you.

9. Do a quick push up from the rails of your board, pushing the board down into the face of the wave and quickly pulling your legs up beneath you. Plant them on the board.

10. Lean to your wave-side rail and start riding the wave.

Tips & Warnings

• Catching a wave is about timing, positioning and paddling hard. It's impossible to put too much effort into it.
• Keep your mind focused down the wave, especially as you pop to your feet. The second you lean your weight back, you'll lose the wave.
• Every wave is different, but different breaks and different types of waves have different tendencies. Take mental notes on each wave you miss and make corrections. Then try again.
• Lay your board on the sand and practice pushing up and popping to your feet. When you pop up, try to plant your feet in the riding position, so you won't have to make adjustments as you drop in. Be careful not to break your fins or get a bunch of sand in your wax, however.
• Observe the rules of surfer right-of-way, allowing other surfers to catch the wave when appropriate.
• Surfing is an inherently dangerous activity that can result in serious injury or death. We recommend that you seek proper training and equipment before attempting this activity.

Who Can Help:

• Tired of Being Tired? Fight Fatigue and Try FRS for FREE!

[oneloved]

on 8/6/2008 Interesting break-down. Finding the "sweet spot" is the hardest part, I think. Practicing pop-ups on your board while still on the beach can help, too.

[MomReesa]

on 8/6/2008 You can also "Ride a Wave" by visiting Viscape.com and entering the "Be a Travel Writer Contest." See my how-to article on becoming a travel writer to find out how!

on 3/28/2006 If you are positioned too far back on your board when catching a wave, you will miss it. If you are too far forward, your nose will go under, or "pearl". Speaking from recent experience, you would rather miss the wave completely than pearl, so when experimenting with body position, start off back and work your way forward. Pearling is not fun, and if it happens in bigger surf, you will go flying in front of your board, and then it's up to the wave whether or not it wants to land your board on your head.

on 3/19/2006 When first getting ready for the wave, I think that paddling and kicking very hard is excessive and energy consuming. My best advice is using the sudden boost of speed. The first step to acquire this is by lying on your board in a prone position or sitting on your board (either of which will work). Then, slide back on your board pulling the board with you with your hands so that your board is around 45 degrees with the surface of the water. Then, when the wave is about to hit, push as hard as you can down on the nose, slamming the board down on the water and creating momentum in which to catch the wave. I have found that this is the most useful technique to catch waves and beats out paddling and kicking from the start. Of course, you will need to paddle or kick once or twice after slamming your board, but it will save you a lot of energy for the paddle back out, or if you didn't catch the wave, the next one. This technique is also useful in seeing your position in the water and the board size. If you are too far out, this technique will not work, so you must be in the right place. Also, if the board is too big, it will be difficult to slam down the nose because it will get stuck in your hips, groin and legs area. This is a technique that many bodyboarders, including myself, use in Hawaii.

on 3/29/2006 To improve greatly in balance and control (which is a huge problem if you begin surfing on a short board) feet positioning is critical. The further apart your feet are, the more control you will have. How close to the tail you put your feet depends on the size of your board.