Surfing is not an easy sport. The art form of riding waves incorporates balance, cardiovascular endurance, and zen-like patience. However, there are still times in which it feels impossible to catch these offerings from Poseidon. The oceanic energy slips underneath without even the slightest push forward. The effect of seeing someone take the wave you pictured riding yourself is, in all honestly, quite maddening. Yet, in actuality, you only have yourself to blame. Here are a few tips and tricks to help think spaciously, sustain the surfing stoke, and get more rides.
Tip #1: Positioning
The oceans are not still. Waves and surf conditions change unceasingly throughout the duration of a surf session. In response, you have to change your location within the waves as well. While being conscious of the crowd, don’t be afraid to move to find more waves. The rides down the lineup very well might make be shorter and less powerful. But hey, at the end of the day these leftovers are still waves nonetheless! One just needs to be cautious not to steal rides or be caught on the infamous “closeout wave.” Tinkering around with your position in the lineup is a great way to learn how a specific break works. You might even see some new faces and make a friend or two while you are out there testing new spots in the water.
Tip #2: Paddling
When a mountain of water comes up from the horizon line with your name on it, PADDLE HARD! All ocean waves are moving at a certain speed. Surfboards catch rides by getting fast enough to “fall down”, so to speak, the face of the wave before it breaks into a whitewater mess. It is crucial to gain this speed if you want that possible ride of your life. The ideal paddling stroke is best borrowed from a swimming technique that Olympians around the world utilize. The stroke method is called EVF (Early Vertical Forearm). This swimming skill is rightly applicable to the surf lineup. It will help you paddle faster and gain speed more efficiently.
Tip #3: Push-Up
The time has come. In a beautiful line-up and paddling with all your might, you start to feel the wave pushing you forward towards natural ecstasy. It’s now time for the most critical part of the sport, the pop-up on the board. Engaging your arms and core, try to push up from the board and swing your feet underneath you in one swift movement. By doing one motion, it is more likely that you will be able to get up faster and will be able to turn on the wave. Follow the link at the bottom of the picture to tips #3-5 for more intimate details on how to perfect your pop-up.
Photo by http://www.surfcampme.com/surfing-blog/top-five-surf-tips/
Hopefully, these tips taught you something new about the finer points of this aquatic craft we call surfing. Lazy Surfer’s mission is to help you think more about the rides you WILL experience, and less about IF you’ll get rides at all. That is why we designed our app to learn the wave conditions you love to venture into. We hope to make this sport more accessible to all who are enthralled by its magic.