#1 - copy
Online surf coaching for beginners & intermediates
#1 - copy
Online surf coaching for beginners & intermediates
This article will give you basic insight about how you can position yourself better to catch green waves. It explains the basics on how to paddle into an unbroken wave and how to “stick” on these “green waves” without either nose diving, going passed over the wave or getting stuck on top of it.
Keep in mind, this is one of the most difficult things to learn as a novice surfer. Nothing can replace practice. The more time you spend in the water, the more waves you try to catch, the better you will be at it. The theory in this article will complement your practice and will most probably accelerate your progression and save you loads of frustrations.
The wave is only a bump. At this stage, it is impossible to catch this wave. This lump is only an indication that a wave is coming.
This is where you want to catch a “green wave”. This unbroken wave shape has the perfect power and steepness for you to paddle in it. Point A is not powerful and steep enough for you to catch, and Step C is too vertical for you to make the drop.
The wave is breaking. The lip is already starting to crash down on the flat water. At this stage, the wave is too powerful and steep to catch, especially for beginner surfers.
The wave has broken and has become a white water wave.
Look over your shoulder when paddling for a wave. Taking a few looks behind you is the only way you can know if you need to paddle more, or paddle less, or even stop paddling for a while, according to the wave’s shape. It also also keeps you from “dropping in” on people (if you don’t know what a drop in is, see “Surf Ethics”). If you look behind, you will know if the wave was either too steep (Stage C), too weak (Stage A), or just right (Stage B), thus understanding why you failed or succeed in catching an unbroken wave.
So many beginner surfers don’t take a look back at the wave and mis-time their paddling. They either get the wave crash over them, or they catch a white water wave. You simply cannot learn from your mistakes if you don’t look behind and see what actually happened.
The bigger board you have, the easier it will be to catch unbroken waves. Catching “green waves” is about paddling fast enough to match the speed of a wave. The sooner you can “catch the momentum” of the wave, the sooner you will be able to pop up and surf. Since big boards paddle much faster than small boards, they make it easier to catch green waves.
Better surfers catch more waves because they move a lot. When you see a lump in the horizon, ask yourself: is it a bigger wave that’s going to break further out, or a smaller one that is going to break closer to shore? The more experience you have in reading waves, the more proactive you will be and the easier it will get to paddle around and position yourself to catch unbroken waves. For more information about wave reading, see “How to Read Waves”.
White water wave force: Pushes you forward. When you first start surfing, you might be catching white water waves during your first sessions. White water waves are relatively easy to catch, as the power from the broken white water wave pushes you forward. You could catch most white water waves without even paddling.
Unbroken “Green” water wave force: Gravity. The first thing you must understand about catching and “sticking” on green waves is that there is no “push forward” from the white water. The force that lets you into the wave is gravity. You have to visualize yourself paddling down a “hill” that’s moving forward.
Paddle with long, strong & deep strokes. This is especially important for catching unbroken waves. You have to give everything you have when paddling, specially when you feel your surfboard’s tail go up: that’s a key moment to “Stick” on it.
Positioning on your surfboard is key. As we have seen in the How to Paddle article, the correct paddling technique is not only done with proper paddle strokes, but also with the proper positioning of your body on the surfboard. The correct position on the surfboard is when your chest is perfectly centred on the width of the surfboard, and when you are at the right height. Place your body high enough on the board so that the nose is out of the water about 3-6 centimetres (1-2 inches), while keeping your head up (pretending there’s a soccer ball between your chin and your surfboard).
Surfer A
Surfer A paddles with long, strong, deep strokes, and is properly positioned on his surfboard, with his nose about 1 inch out of the wave. Two seconds later, Surfer A has been lifted up on the face of the wave. When the wave “lifts” him, it would normally create more space between his nose & the water. But Surfer A keeps his head low at this critical moment, putting more weight towards the front of his surfboard. This weight makes the difference between “sticking” on the green wave, or passing over it.
Surfer B
Surfer B paddles with short, shallow strokes, and is positioned too far back on his surfboard, making the nose pop out significantly. Two seconds later, Surfer B is lifted up on the face of the wave. The space between his nose and the water gets even bigger as he goes higher up on the wave. Surfer B is way too far back on his surfboard and doesn’t bring his head down closer to his board during this critical moment. It is impossible for him to “stick” on this wave and he will go passed over the wave.
Your head and the upper part of your shoulders probably weight 45 pounds (20 kilos) or more! Imagine to difference it can make when you bring your head lower and closer to the surfboard as you are lifted up on a wave. This is really what helps you catch, stick and go down on this “hill” that’s moving forward. Lots of students get used to getting pushed by their coaches into unbroken waves, which is great for practice. But when you get pushed, you don’t necessarily need to bring your head low to put weight on the front of your surfboard. If you feel frustrated because it’s hard to catch green waves without your surf coach, know that the weight shift of your head towards the surfboard is the secret to catching unbroken waves on your own.
You should do your pop up at about 2/3rd of the wave’s height. Once you feel your tail lift, and after you feel you have built enough momentum gliding with the wave, give two last paddles strokes, put your hands on the board beside your pectorals, arch your back and take off!
Comes a time when you need to pop up. When you feel confident you caught the wave’s rhythm and you gave those two extra strokes, don’t hesitate and pop up! A common mistake is to keep paddling down the face of a wave until you dropped the whole wave down. Arching your back will help you prevent nose dives and also slow your speed so you don’t drop the whole wave on your belly.
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