While you're waiting
for a wave, your focus should be on the horizon, and you should
be ready to spring when you see approaching swells. It's a good
idea to mark your lineup with reference points on the beach. Try
to find two objects to line up: a palm tree, chimney, radar tower,
whatever -- and stick to that lineup to place yourself in optimum
position for every set.
A common question asked by beginners is, How
do I know when to turn around to paddle for a wave? Unfortunately,
there's no correct answer. For one, the surfer closest to the curl
has the right of way, so if there are other surfers paddling for
a wave and you're on the outside of them, let it pass. When a wave
does approach that has your name on it, you want it to come underneath
you just as it's about to break. If you're in perfect position to
catch the wave, you may only have to take a couple of strokes just
before the wave reaches you. If it looks like the wave is going
to break well inside from where you're positioned, you may have
to start paddling well before the wave approaches.
The shape of the wave should determine your
angle. If it's a slopey, slow-rolling break, you should paddle into
the wave straight-on and still find the curl. If it's steeper, you
might have to approach it at an angle to help avoid pearling. When
you feel the momentum of the wave and pop up, be sure to arch your
back and compensate for the downward motion so your nose won't pearl.
On the other end of the spectrum, be sure that you don't stand up
too soon, or you'll go out the back and lose the wave. Whatever
the case, you want to stand up at the top of the wave and enter
into it in one smooth, gliding motion. You want to tap into the
speed of the wave right off the bat.
Once you're up and riding, you need to set
your inside edge and turn across the wave in order to stay with
the curl. Most surfers begin to turn by leaning off their toes and
heels, but it's a lot more efficient if you learn to pivot and rotate
along with the basic toe- and heel-leans. Try these steps to complete
your first turn:
1. Make
sure you start your turn from a low stance.
2. Turn
your head, point your leading arm and rotate toward the direction
you want to turn in. Think of your hips and shoulders as a unit,
working together. Put as much weight as possible on your back foot
and push your tail in the opposite direction you want to turn. You
should notice that the nose of your board is now at more of an angle
toward shore.
3. Turn
your board according to how fast the wave is breaking. A down-the-line
wave takes an extreme angle to stay with the wave, whereas a slow,
mushier wave requires less of an angle.
4. When
you're cutting across the wave at the speed and angle required by
the breaking wave, it's called trimming. This is achieved by keeping
the weight forward on the inside rail and guiding the board with
the front toe if you're facing the wave, and with your front heel
if your back's to the wave. Once you have the trim wired, you can
start experimenting with climbing and dropping on the wave face
by using the same turning techniques.
5. You
won't have many of these in the early stages, but you're going to
face a time when you complete a ride and need to kick out of the
wave. To kick out, make a more extreme turn back out toward the
ocean. This should steer you out of the wave and into calm water.
The other option is to step on the tail and lean back. This should
slow you down to the point where the wave passes by you.
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