Top 10 surfing tips for intermediate surfers
-
Loading... - Raissa Kana
- 22 Aug 2022
- 73 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Let’s unpack our top 10 intermediate surfing tips and tricks that will help you improve your surfing skills and catch more waves.
There are few things that compare to the amazing feeling of improving your surfing, just as there are few things that are as frustrating as not getting it right and plateauing. We have collected our best tips to help you to improve your surfing techniques and get better at surfing!
1. Surf the right board for your level
An easy mistake to make is to leave your beginner's board too quickly to advance to a shorter board. But surfing a board that’s too advanced for your level can knock the fun right out of the session. A board that is too small will be harder to paddle and catch waves with, so you might just end up frustrated and exhausted. You can’t improve your surfing skills without actually getting on the waves, so make sure the board isn't too small.
Do you know which board works for you? Great! If not, check out our blog post on how to choose the best surfboard for your level.
2. Use the peak of the wave as your take-off point
Make sure that you are at the right spot before you decide which waves to catch. Staying too far on the shoulder is a common mistake intermediate surfers make. You want to catch your wave at its highest point, also known as the peak. This is where you can generate the most speed since this also is the steepest point of the wave.
By doing so, you will get a longer and more powerful ride. If you catch a wave on the shoulder, on the other hand, the ride will be weak and short.
3. Keep it low
When you do the popup, don’t go all the way to a stand-up position. You want to keep your body low on the board and stay centred. Standing too upright will make it harder for you to shift your weight, perform manoeuvres and balance properly. So keep your knees bent!
4. Generate speed and power
Creating your own power and speed is a big separator between the experienced and the inexperienced surfers. More power and speed = more possibilities on the wave! By taking advantage of the different parts of the wave you will be cracking the code of speed and acceleration.
For this tip to be useful, you need to put tips number 2 and number 3 into the equation as well; start at the most powerful part of the wave and have a proper surfing stance. Start to generate speed from the peak of the wave and then use your entire body to “pump”; to smoothly surf the face of the wave up and down.
The vital thing here is to know at what moments to shift your weight on your board. When you decompress you make yourself lighter and when you compress you make yourself heavier. You want to be light when surfing up the wave, and heavy as you surf down.
5. Foot position
By shifting your foot position on the board you can also create your own speed. Shift your back foot towards the tail of your board when you want to change direction or decrease speed, when you want to increase the speed you move your feet more forward. Read More...
