To improve your chances of finding a good wave, look out for the place where most of the waves are breaking. You should wait for the waves about 5-10 feet beyond that location.
If you want to move to the right, you can hold the board’s nose with your right hand and paddle with your left hand; if you want to move to the left, then you can hold the board’s nose with your left hand and paddle with your right hand.
You can also choose to go right or left here. To go left, lean your hips toward the left side of the board and place your left elbow on the upper left side deck of the board, while holding onto the upper right edge of your board with your free hand. To go right, do the opposite.
As you ride the wave, remember that your goal should be to achieve “trim,” which means the point where your board is riding flat on the surface with as much speed as possible. You’ll need to work on leaning forward enough to gather momentum, but not so much that your board doesn’t go under. This will reduce your drag and will give you more breathing room.
The lip. The breaking part of a wave that moves from top to bottom. The steepness of the wave determines the shape of the lip. Whitewater. This is the part of the wave that has already broken. The face. The unbroken, walling part of the wave. The shoulder. The part of the wave that is just outside the breaking section of the wave’s face. Flats. The flat water you see in front of the breaking wave. Tube. The hollow hole between the throwing lip and the wall of the wave.
The deck. The part of the board where you lie down. Slick bottom. The bottom of the board that has a smooth or slick surface. The nose. The front of the board that you hold. The nose bulbs. These are the small bumps on each corner of the board that you will hold with your hands. The bumpers. The extra foam layer that runs through the nose and tail, helping to keep the slick bottom from peeling. The rail. The side of the bodyboard. The tail. The back end of the board. The channels. The areas on the bottom of the board that reduce drag and speed you up. The stringer. The rod that keeps the board stiff. The template. The shape of the board. The rocker. The level of flatness of the bodyboard.
Focus on the direction you want to turn. Turn back up the wave face in that direction. As you turn, release your inside rail by sliding your weight forward toward the nose of your board. Keep your board flat on the surface of the wave to reduce the drag. Keep your legs raised and crossed as you turn. Once you’ve turned a full circle, slide back on your board and center your weight again, continuing to ride.
Move faster toward the shoulder section (the part just outside the breaking section of the face) of the wave, picking a point where you’ll get enough time to start a rounded slow turn. Begin the rounded slow turn while leaning your board and shifting your weight to the inside rail of the board, starting to cut a path with the edge of the board. Keep both hands near the nose of the board, on either rail. Use your arms to pull, creating a smooth arc. Push down with your hips while extending your legs, to help maintain your balance. Once the wave catches up to you, center your weight again and continue riding the wave.
Drive off the bottom of the wave, focusing on the breaking lip ahead. Move up towards the lip of the wave. Use the wave’s power to throw you out with the lip into a perfect arc. Let the wave move you in a roll while you steer the board and work on finding a place to land it. As you drop down, you need to center your weight above your board, bracing your hands, arms, and elbows to absorb the downward fall. This takes some of the pressure off your back. Try to land horizontally in the whitewater, not in the flats.
Paddle toward the wave to pick up more speed. When the wave is about 3-6 feet (1-2 meters) away from you, slide forward and grab the rails of the board, about 10 inches (30 cm) down from the nose. Push the nose of the board under the surface by arching your back and pushing down on the nose with your hands. Get as deep under the water as you can. Use your knees on the deck, near the tail, to keep it moving down and forward. Dive underneath the wave, pulling your body closer to your board. As the wave passes over you, move your weight back toward your knees, lifting the nose of your board up and out the back of the wave, until you move toward the surface of the water.
Drag your legs in the water to slow you down, or move your hips more to the inside rail of the board. Pull up on the nose of the board while applying downward pressure on the tail with your hips. Hold the board at a downward angle of about 30-45° until you reach the speed you want. When you finish stalling, slide up on the board to pick up speed and then set your rail and continue moving forward.
