There are 4 Ways to Catch Surfing Waves. We assume the surfer has already mastered the pop up after catching foam waves and riding straight to the beach. This ensures his pop up is landing him in the correct stance on the board. A good pop up gets the surfer up every time, not once in five times.
Many intermediates return to surf lessons because they say they can’t catch or catch and ride real waves. They are generally having problems because their pop up is not landing them in a stance in which their hips and shoulders are squared to the front and their hands are in front of their body like pushing a box or against a wall with one leg behind the other. This might also be the posture in stretching a calve muscle against a refrigerator.
Catching Real Waves Down the Face
The first method for catching real waves is letting the wave roll under the board and as the tail lifts, the surfer paddles hard and could kick to get into the wave momentum. This allows him to ride down the face and bottom turn into the pocket.
I like for beginner surfers to patrol for waves. They paddle out through the first foam waves to where they see real waves reforming on a sand bar beach and move into the wave when they see it. They can take foam waves or small real waves as they get used to riding down the face. They can also take these small waves at an angle so as not to pearl. Catching a small real wave takes more paddling than foam waves because they have little power.
Pointing the Nose Toward the Pocket
Another method of catching real waves, especially those that close out, is to point the board toward the pocket as the wave is forming so that after the pop up, the board is already headed into the pocket. This is difficult if the wave is too steep, like in a close out, because the wave will toss the board.
Another popular method is to let the real wave roll under the board and catch it, but before popping up, push the nose of the board toward the pocket. This puts the board in the pocket right away ahead of the falling lip and great for waves that are closing out quickly.
A third process is good for beginners because they don’t have to catch the wave at the apex where it is steepest and most powerful. They can patrol parallel to where the waves are forming and after the wave has broken and the pocket is running toward the beach, paddle into the pocket at a 45 degree angle toward the beach and let the wave roll under the board. Then pop up and continue at that 45 degree angle toward the beach. This is a good way to start riding waves bigger than what is comfortable for you. Eventually move closer to the apex.
Read Other Posts:
Beginner Surfers Learn on Soft Tops
5 Steps to Improve Surfing Performance
3 Ways to Catch Real Surfing Waves
Training to Ride the Surfing Short Board
Short Board Surfing Techniques
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