By now yo should have read the first articles on choosing the right board, how to paddle, and getting out through the waves. So next is the fun part, the part you’ve been waiting for.

Catching the wave:

When you get out behind the breakers, sit on the surfboard so that you are straddling it just below the center of the board. Sitting in this spot makes it easier to turn the surfboard around, when you see a good wave coming.

When you straddle your board, face towards the horizon so no freak swells surprise you and break right on top of you. You should also note a landmark on shore and continually check that you haven’t drifted away from it.

Now you have to choose a good wave, so pick one that looks full enough to pick you up, but isn’t just about to break or dump you. You will learn this with experience, so turn your board around, lay down with your body positioned correctly and paddle according to the article on paddling.

If you are too far back on the board, you will have too much resistance, and the wave will not be able to pick you up, passing beneath you while you drop off the back of the wave.

Where as if you are to far forward on the board, you will end up flipping over or tumbling down the face of the wave. You need to stay forward enough to get the speed, but keep your chest up and lean back as you drop. Ultimately you would pop to your feet, just as begin to feel the board take, but when learning you want to wait until you have dropped down to the flat water in front of the wave.

When paddling, go as hard as you can, and keep the board heading straight into shore. Once you get a feel for it, you can start to paddle with an angle along the wave, but in the beginning you just want to catch the bottom of the wave, so head straight and drop down to the trough.

Once you have caught your first wave you are going to need to stand up or pop up to your feet, so we will cover this lesson in the next article, so stay tuned.

Tags: Surfing

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