Learn How To Duck Dive
Duck Diving is an essential part of being a competent surfer. duck diving is the way that a surfer dives under an oncoming wave as he / she is paddling out to the line up. Ducking under the wave ensures that all the progress made by paddling out is not lost by being washed backwards by the wave. The bigger the waves, or the more frequent the waves are, the more important it becomes to be good at duck diving. This is something you are really going to have to get wired if you want to surf in crowds.
( NB. You cannot duckdive a longboard - see the Turtle Roll Section for info)
Daddy, why do they call it a duck dive?
The Art Of Duck Diving
And believe it - it is an art, one that takes an awful lot of practice. For this lesson it is a good idea that you practice on a small wave day, and build up to larger waves as you develop your hidden duck diving talents. The great thing about practicing to duck dive is that you can do it in any surf conditions there are - even if it is totally flat. The thing to aim for is to get both you and your surfboard as far beneath the oncoming waves as possible, recover quickly when you have passed under the wave, then get back to paddling out.
The Movie STEP INTO LIQUID by Dana Brown has an example of a duck dive with an under water view if need a movie example.
Paddling Out Through The Waves
OK, so you have started paddling out and a wave that you need to duck dive is approaching. Time for a quick quiz - Do you A) panic and head back to the beach? B) put your snorkel and mask on and prepare to head for the bottom? C) go with the instructions that follow this ridiculous quiz?
If you answered C you would be correct, although depending on how big the wave was you could be right in going for A. The first thing to in the actual duck dive maneuver is make sure you are really paddling into the wave - the more forward momentum you have the better. Ok, the actual duck dive
- Place both hands on the rails out in front of you and push downwards, sinking the nose of your board under the water.
- Keep your arms straight and lean forward to help get more of the board under the water.
- Just before the wave breaks over you most of your board should be submerged - make sure that you take a deep breath.
- As the wave starts to go over you you should lay out flat creating as little resistance as possible your knee or back foot (for extra deep dives) should be putting pressure on the back of the surfboard, leveling it out under the water (see the photo below for the under the water look).
- As the wave passes over, angle your board back up to the surface. If you have duck dived correctly you should be in a position to immediately start paddling again. The quicker that you can resume paddling out, the quicker that you will get out back and the less energy you will be expending.
Note the back foot used for stability
and to submerge the board
So that is basically it, but it takes a lot of practice to get right. You will feel the difference between a good and a bad duck dive. If you get it right you will pass smoothly through the wave, get it wrong any you'll be pulled back towards the beach, lose your board and have to do it all over again.
Little Jonnie's duckdiving practice is called into question.
As with surfing in general it is not good form to let your board go when faced with breaking waves - it may injure other water users. Also remember that you have to keep clear of surfers who are riding in on waves - it is your responsibility to keep out of the way, even if it does mean paddling into a wall of whitewater.
Righto, on with the lessons. How to Stand on a Surfboard (a must for all surfer wannabies).
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