Content

• Part 2 of 3: Catch the Wave
• Part 3 of 3: Do your best
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

1 The first thing you should think about is safety. If you want to be able to do bodyboarding, you must already be a good swimmer. You will have to use many of the techniques that you use in swimming to advance on the board, and in addition, you will have to be a good swimmer without the board if you suddenly lose it. In addition, you should only try bodyboarding if you know the area is safe and that there is a lifeguard on the beach on duty. You should try bodyboarding with a friend or instructor, but not on your own. Once you feel more confident, you can do it yourself.]

2 You must have a leash. You will need to attach it to your shoulder. This will prevent you from losing your board when you slide off into the water. Attach the strap tightly to the top of your arm, but loose enough for your arm to feel comfortable. The harness will hold your arm and board together.

3 Take a wetsuit or rashguard. If you are swimming in cold water, you will need a wetsuit to keep your body warm. The rashguard will also keep your body free from irritation and the sun. The rashguard is made of Lycra and can also be worn under a wetsuit to minimize wear or friction.

4 Take fins and socks for them. The fins must be firmly attached to the ankles. You will need them to swim at a higher speed, which will make it much easier for you to catch the wave. You should also consider wearing socks under your fins to add an extra level of warmth and comfort to your feet.

5 Master the correct position. Before trying to catch a wave, you must feel how exactly you need to position yourself on the board. First, try to lie on the board right on the sand so that your hands are on the nose of the board, and the back of the board is under your lower abdomen. Keep your weight in the middle of the board. Once you are in this position, you can start combining. Swim on your hands, paddling on either side of the board as if you were drawing water or just floating. Kick underwater for better movement and acceleration.

6 Go to the water. Go into the water until you are knee-deep. Raise your legs high to avoid getting stuck. You should look for white waves that go straight to the beach.

Part 2 of 3: Catch the Wave

1. 1 Paddle. As soon as you are knee-deep in the water, lie down on the board in the correct position and start paddling towards the waves. For the strongest push, use a paddling motion with your arms and legs on both sides and just below the surface of the water. The nose of the board should stick out 2.5-5 cm above the water.
2. 2 Look for a wave. If you are just starting out, you should avoid any waves that are too high, fast or even outside your comfort zone. Choose waves that go straight to the shore. It won't force you to work too high or too fast. After you have found your wave, you should turn to the shore and start paddling towards it, expecting to hit it. The wave should be strong enough to propel you forward, but it shouldn't knock you down.
   • To improve your chances of finding a good wave, pay attention to where most of the waves break. Waves should be expected at a distance of approximately 1.5-3 meters from this place.
3. 3 Get close to the wave. When the wave is just 1.5-3 meters behind you, you should start moving your legs as hard as you can. You can also lean forward to get some extra speed and make sure you really master the wave. Some people choose not to row with both hands, but rather keep one hand on the board and paddle with the other to maintain more control.
   • If you want to move to the right, you can hold your nose with your right hand and paddle with your left; if you want to move to the left, you can hold your nose with your left hand and paddle with your right.
4. 4 You should swim in a face-down position. When a wave approaches you, you should feel the speed. If you want extra speed, you can lightly press the nose of the board and go even faster. If the wave is moving too fast for you, you can do the opposite, pushing the nose 0.3-0.6 m to get some friction and slow down the movement. Keep kicking the water as you float face down. You can also lean a little towards the wave to improve your speed.
   • You can swim a little to the right or to the left. To go left, rest your thigh on the left side of the board and place your left elbow on the top left side of the board, holding on to the top right edge with your free hand. To go right, do the opposite.
5. 5 Conquer the wave until you reach the shallow part of the ocean. This is any place where the water is below the knee. You can get out of the ocean and rest, or walk back to catch the next wave. You can ride the waves freely until you feel tired or cold. After you've caught your first wave, the fun is just beginning!
   • Since you are riding the wave, remember that your goal should be to reach the point where you should get on the board as fast as possible.You will have to work leaning forward enough to gain momentum, but not so much that your board becomes uncontrollable. This will reduce drag and give you more breathing space.

Part 3 of 3: Do your best

1. 1 Learn wave terminology. Understanding the differences between waves will help you develop skills and learn tricks because you will know what to look out for. Here are the parts of the waves you should know:
   • The lip is the breaking part of the wave that moves from top to bottom. The steepness of the wave determines the shape of the bump.
   • White water is part of a wave that has already broken.
   • The face is the continuous, wall part of the wave.
   • The shoulder is the part of the wave that is in close proximity to the breaking part of the wave's face.
   • Apartments are flat water that you see in front of a breaking wave.
   • The tube is the full opening between the wave lip and the wall.
2. 2 Study the names of the parts of the board. You need to know the different parts of the board in order to be able to control it and do different tricks. Here's what you need to know:
   • The deck is the part of the board where you lie down.
   • Smooth base - the bottom of the board, which has a flat and smooth surface.
   • The nose is the front of the board that you control.
   • The nose of the lamp is a small bump at each corner of the board that you can hold on to with your hands.
   • Bumpers - An extra layer of foam that runs through the nose and tail, helping to keep the bottom from flaking.
   • The rail is the side of the bodyboard.
   • The tail is the back end of the board.
   • Channels are areas on the bottom of the board that reduce drag and speed you up.
   • A stringer is a rod that is responsible for strength.
   • Template is a form of control.
   • Rocker - The level of flatness of the bodyboard.
3. 3 Rotate 360 ​​°. This is one of the first tricks you should master as soon as you learn to catch a wave. To make a 360 ° rotation correctly, you will need to complete a full circle on the wave in one smooth motion. Here's how to do it:
   • Focus on the direction you are going.
   • Look back at the face of the wave in that direction.
   • When pivoting, release your inner rail by sliding your weight forward towards the nose of the board.
   • Keep the board flat on the surface of the wave to reduce drag.
   • Keep your legs raised and crossed as you turn.
   • Once you have completed a full circle, slide back on the board and fix the weight again.
4. 4 Make a cut-back. This is another of the first trick tricks you will learn. This is the easiest way to control the wave closer to the wave power zone, which is located near where the wave lip breaks. Here's what to do:
   • Move faster off the shoulder section (the part right next to the breaking part of the face) of the wave, picking a moment when you have enough time to start a slow circle turn.
   • Begin with a slow circle turn, bending over and shifting the weight towards the inside rail of the board, starting at the edge of the board.
   • Keep both hands near the nose of the board, on either side of the rails.
   • Use your hands to create a smooth arc.
   • Press down on your hips while extending your legs to maintain balance.
   • Once the wave catches up with you, center your weight and keep rolling on the wave.
5. 5 Execute "El Rollo". This is another trick for bodyboarding beginners. You can do this trick on waves of any size. To do "El Rollo" you must float down the wave and make a full flip off your board, using the force of the wave to carry you in an arc. Here's how to do it:
   • Skip the middle of the wave, focusing on the breaking lip in front.
   • Move up to the lip of the wave.
   • Use the force of the wave to throw you with your lip into a perfect arc.
   • Let the wave move you into the tube as you guide the board and work to find a landing site.
   • When you fall down, you should focus your weight above your board, preparing your arms and elbows to fall down. This will take some of the pressure off your back.
   • Try to land horizontally in white water rather than an apartment.
6. 6 Learn to tilt the dive. This is more of a skill than a trick that allows you to control your board under a breaking wave if you don't want to catch it. This will allow you to conserve power for the waves you really want to catch. Once you figure it out, you can get to the wave you want a lot faster. Here's what you need to do:
   • Paddle to the wave for great speed.
   • When the wave is 1-2 meters away from you, slide forward and grab the board rails, 30 cm below the nose.
   • Press the nose of the board below the surface by arching your back and pressing the nose with your hands. Stay deep underwater for as long as you can.
   • Use your knees on the board near the tail, making it move down and forward.
   • As you dive under the waves, drag your body closer to the board.
   • As the wave passes over you, shift your weight back to your knees, lifting the nose of the board up and out at the back of the wave until you begin to move towards the surface of the water.
7. 7 Learn to brake. Stopping is an essential skill for any body boarder. You can use braking in a number of situations, such as when you need to slow down in a section of a wave tube. There are two ways to do it:
   • Drag your feet into the water to slow down, or move your hips closer to the board rails.
   • Pull up towards the nose of the board, applying pressure with your hips on the tail. Hold the board at a downward angle of about 30-45 ° until you reach the speed you want.
   • When you stop falling off the board, slide up to pick up speed, then lock the rails and keep moving forward.

Tips

• If you are going to move to the left, place your left hand on the nose of the board and your right hand on the appropriate side, and vice versa if you are going to move to the right.
• Don't be discouraged, learning takes time.
• Always use a rashguard.
• If your bodyboard doesn't have a fins attachment yet, buy one. This way you will be able to control the board much better.

Warnings

• Do not ride on reef / sand.

What do you need

• Bodyboard
• Wetsuit or rashguard
• Leash
• Flippers
• Pair of swim socks