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 or she paddles out to the lineup. 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 skilled at duck diving. This is something you are really going to have to get wired in your brain if you want to surf in crowds.

( Note: You cannot duck dive a longboard. See the turtle roll section for more info.)

Daddy, why do they call it a duck dive?

The Art of Duck Diving

Believe it; duckdiving is an art, one that takes an awful lot of practice. For this lesson, it's a good idea that you practice on a day when only small waves are prevalent and build up to larger waves as you develop your hidden duck diving talent. The great thing about practicing duck diving is that you can do it in any surf conditions, 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, to recover quickly when you have passed under the wave, and then to return to paddling out.

The movie "Step into Liquid" by Dana Brown has an great example of a duck dive with an underwater view if you need a video 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, or (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, "a" could be a possibility. The first thing you need to do to perform the duck dive maneuver is make sure you are really paddling into the wave; the more forward momentum you have the better. Ok, now on to 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.
• Make sure you take a deep breath just before the wave breaks over you, submerging most of your board.
• Lay out flat on your board as the wave starts to go over you, 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 an underwater view.)
• Angle your board back up to the surface as the wave passes over. If you've duck dived correctly, you should be in a position to immediately start paddling again. The quicker you can resume paddling out, the quicker that you'll return to the lineup and the less energy you'll expend.

Note the back foot used to stabilize
and submerge the board

So that's 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'll 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 duck diving practice is called into question.

As with surfing in general, it's not good form to let go of your board 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's your responsibility to keep out of the way, even if it means paddling into a wall of whitewater.

Righto, it's on with the lessons. Next up is how to stand on a surfboard. (It's a must for all surfer wannabies.)