Surfing is a fun and healthy way to enjoy the great outdoors. It takes water sports to an entirely new level, which is why many people have embraced it as a means to adventure the marine environment and keep fit.
But to ace wave riding, you will need to generate enough speed. If you are an intermediate surfer, especially, you will need to apply next-level speed control, body rotations, bottom turns, etc. to enjoy your surfing even more and catch more waves. So here are 10 foolproof intermediate surfing tips that will boost your maneuvers and enable you to surf better.
1. Get Your Wave Selection Right
Beginner surfers think that all waves are similar but an advanced surfer knows that different waves have different riding possibilities. Some waves will require you to go fast while others will not need that much speed.
High waves will produce faster sections whilst slow waves will be soft and flat. Read a wave to know how much speed is needed. Regular practice as well as watching YouTube clips and other surfers can help you understand the speeding potential of different waves.
2. Invest In The Right Board
The more foam your surfboard has, the faster you will be able to glide. The design of the board, tail shape, rail type, and curvature will also affect how fast your board rides. A foam surfboard with less foam curvature will be faster than a curvier board and so it would be perfect for higher waves. A more flatter board, on the other hand, will work best on smaller waves.
3. Visualize
One of the most important advanced surfing tips is learning from your mistakes. Always bring a waterproof camera with you and have someone take videos and photos of you as you ride the waves.
Watch the videos before you hit the waters. Are your feet and arms positioned properly? Do you have an adequate bend on your knees? See what you did wrong and visualize yourself doing it right. Watching yourself will help you focus on the areas that need improvement.
4. Steer With You Head, Not Your Feet
Where your head is directed and where your eyes are looking is where you will always go. When performing any surfing maneuver, experts advise keeping the head centered over the body. Whether you are doing a surfing pop up or cutback, leading with your head will help you improve your surf balance.
5. Create Speed
A huge difference between intermediate surfers and beginners is their ability to generate their own rapidity. Excellent speed can always be achieved when they throw their arms forward, compress and decompress up and down the wave’s face, and use the surfing rails properly. Even compressing the lower body when you turn and balance gives you enough mobility to absorb shock and efficiently catch waves in surfing.
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6. Paddle Like It’s Your Last
Giant waves will require great paddling techniques. When you slice the water with your hands, make sure to keep the elbows high and to dip your hands as deep in the water as possible. This will generate long powerful strokes to propel you and the board forward.
Positioning your feet right will also help you to paddle properly. Move the feet forward on the surfboard to enhance speed and place one foot far back on the tail when doing a sharp turn to change direction.
7. Work On Your Bottom Turn
Even the most prominent surfers sometimes have a problem with their bottom turn. Perfecting your bottom turn can mean the difference between catching more waves and a day full of mediocre maneuvers.
Give more attention to how you set up your maneuver with a bottom turn, as this can drastically improve your surfing. This is one of those intermediate surfing tips that will help you successfully survive a surfing wipeout.
8. Know Your Limitations
It is easy to watch people like Kelly Slater and John John Florence pulling off some of the most ridiculous stunts easily on their surfboards and convincing ourselves that we will spend the next surf session mastering these. Unfortunately, a good number of us cannot even perform basic surf maneuvers leave alone get close to what these world’s best surfers do.
Instead of spending every opportunity attempting unrealistic moves, why not focus on the basic moves and do them well? A perfect surfing cutback, soulful styles, and smooth turns will be way fancier than the frenzied and uncontrolled combination of unworkable maneuvers.
9. Work On Your Board
A well-maintained surfboard will always give you an unforgettable experience on the water. Wax your surfboard now and then and get rid of any surf wax in the bottom of the board. The smoother the surfboard, the easier it will slide through the water.
Change your board fins regularly too. Different fin setups and designs will affect how fast your board moves. Twin-fins usually provide more speed than their traditional thruster counterparts. Rigid fins and those with a large sweep will also get you moving faster through the water.
10. Check The Wave Period
Checking the duration between waves will help you know when the best waves appear. A surf watch could be perfect for this, as it will give you enough statistical information on the wave lineup. As such, you will know when the wave set comes and whether the first wave is the best in the lineup.
Globo Surf Overview
Wave riders are no robots. They need years of practice to perfect their maneuvers on the water. Hopefully, the above list of advanced surfing tips will help you brush up on your surfing techniques and become a better waterman.
Read and understand the waves, generate enough speed, and record your sessions so you can identify which areas you need to improve. But don’t take things too seriously, as this can ruin the enjoyment of the game and hurt your progression. Surfing is supposed to be fun, so let it be!
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