Catching Waves from the Sitting Position
We have already had a quick look at catching waves in Surfing
Lesson One. The same principals apply when you are out
back sitting waiting for a wave. The only difference is that
instead of using your feet to push yourself into the waves
you will rely solely on your newly found paddling prowess. At this point you are starting to look like a real surfer!
When you are first out in the line up take a few minutes to watch how the waves are breaking and get an idea of when you should start paddling for a wave. Once you are ready and have picked the wave that you want, use both your
feet and arms to manoeuvre the surfboard back around to point towards
the beach. This is best done by shifting your weight towards the back of the board, making it easier to pivot around. From the sitting position take hold of the rails
as you did before, then do the reverse of how you came to
sit on the board - sliding your board back through your legs
and straightening out your body into the lying position.
Seems easy enough when said like that doesn't it!. As you become
more experienced with paddling and sitting / lying back onto
your board, going from a sitting position facing the oncoming
waves to the paddling position facing the beach will become
one fluid movement. This is something that you can practice any time regardless if there are waves.
So, to recap:
- Wait for the right wave
- Shift your weight back and turn your board to face the beach using your arms and legs
- Slide yourself into the correct laying position
- Start paddling
We'll come on to actually catching and getting a wave a little later on.
OK, get some practice and once you have mastered the art
of paddling and you can out paddle the local swimming champ,
take a look at Surfing
Lesson Three, Duck Diving.
|
