Wave Catching for Beginner and Intermediate Surfers

Wave catching for beginner and intermediate surfers is the essence of progress. First has to be mastering the basic fundamentals of rolling over on the surfboard and paddling the surfboard level and straight to the beach. Then the pop up must be mastered or no waves will be ridden.

Beginners surfers start with catching foam waves. They are standing in waist deep water waiting for the wave to arrive and then when they see a straight bead of white foam approaching, roll over when it is 20′ away and start paddling easy. As it is about to hit the surfboard, they paddle hard for three or four times until the surfboard takes off in the wave.

The Essentials of Catching Waves

Surfing is about timing and rhythm. Each move is part of a sequence. It may look in film as one easy event, but each event requires timing. In catching foam waves, the surfer waits until the wave is close and paddles until the surfboard has taken off on the wave. The same essentially cccurs with real waves. The surfer spots the new wave forming and then gets in position.

In real waves, the surfer on a short board wants the wave to roll under the surfboard. As the wave peaks above his head, he paddles hard three times and pops up. On a long board the take off can be much sooner because the board moves with less steepness by design. Long boards are usually better on reefs because the waves have better shape. On sand bar beaches like Oceanside, CA, the waves are steeper and more challenging for long boarders to ride down the face.

Both short boarders and long boarders can push the nose towards the pocket before popping up and prevent down the face pearling (nose under water). This gets surfers ahead of the falling lip quicker and into the pocket for maneuvers and tricks.

Both boards can also be steered into the corners which is further down from where the wave apexes. At this point the wave is not steep and not as fast. Here the surfer is pointed at 45 degree angle towards the beach as the wave rolls under the surfboard. The entry to the wave pocket is much easier. Advanced surfers rarely catch corners unless the wave faces are impossible. But they are great spots for intermediates to learn how to catch waves and ride the pocket.

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