How to Catch a Wave

Now that you've paddled out and ducked under the breaking waves, it's time to catch yourself a wave.

Get Out there

Be sure you are picking a small, mushy surf spot to get your initial experience.

Once you've made it to the lineup, sit up and straddle your board; just below the center-point of your board, so that you can easily swing the nose left or right.

Pick The Right Wave: Pick a wave that has not broken, and be sure to sit far enough out among the sloping swells, not where the waves are standing up straight.

As a wave approaches, turn the nose of your board toward the beach, lay down and begin paddling.

Catching the Wave

As you feel the wave lift you and your board, paddle as hard as you can and lean your weight forward. The natural tendency is to lean back to keep the nose from going under water, but that will only slow your momentum which in not conducive to wave-catching.

Lean forward but raise your chest so that your weight is just above the center of the board.

You should now be sliding down into the trough of the wave. The first phase of surfing will entail that you wait until you are in the flat water in front of the wave before you stand up. However, the ideal is to begin standing just as you feel the pull of the wave.

Now you are ready to work on standing.