Published on April 04, 2018 Comment(s): 0
Surfing is a fun and enjoyable experience for anyone. Not only is it a great sport, but it gives you the ability to navigate your way through the waves. As well as this, it makes you more appreciative of the ocean and nature! Although, when learning how to surf it is unavoidable for mistakes to be made. There will be some hilarious wipe-outs and other mistakes that occur, and these are usually from the same mistakes that all beginners make. We have put together 4 common mistakes that beginners make whilst learning to surf and some tips on how best to avoid falling off your board.
1. Not enough paddle power to catch the wave
This is one of the most common mistakes to be made when learning how to surf. A surfer is likely to miss the wave as they haven’t generated enough speed to catch the wave. This is often due to a miscalculated paddle effort. What tends to happen is that the surfer starts to paddle towards the way at the last minute, meaning that they only get in 2-3 paddles before they catch the wave, hence the lack of speed.
Tip: A surfer needs enough time when approaching a wave. Ideally, they need to be correctly positioned on the board and paddle hard from approximately 5 meters away from the wave. When the surfer reaches the wave, an extra 3 or so paddles will need to be made to ensure that they catch the wave, if this is not done then it is more than likely that the surf board will be pushed off the back of the wave, resulting in it being missed.
2. Incorrect position on the surfboard
This is again a very common mistake to be made by beginners. They often position themselves far too forward on the board, and as a result this will cause the nose to dip under the water. If this is the case, it will more than likely result in a nose dive.
Tip: Beginners should try to have their feet slightly dangle off the end of the board, ensuring that their body is positioned correctly in the centre of the board. One of the best ways to ensure this is correct is by picturing a line in the middle of the board, from its nose to tail, and your body should be positioned in the centre of this line. By doing the above, it will help the surfer feel well balanced when catching a wave, and it will also help stop the surfboard tilting to one side whilst riding the wave.
3. Standing up too quickly
One common mistake leading to a wipe-out is from the surfer standing up too tall, too quickly. When you stand up with straight legs, it results in you being unbalanced and not in the correct position.
Tip: When you are about to stand up on the board, make sure you are focused on your balance until the end of the ride. Make sure you stay in a crouched position and keep low. Your centre of gravity on a surfboard needs to be lower to allow you to be more balanced.
4. Too much weight at the back of the board
If you lean on your back foot too much whilst riding a wave, it can result in too much weight being placed on the back of the surfboard. If this happens, it’s almost like you are putting the breaks on. This can result in a shorter ride as the board will more than likely sink low into the water and it may lead to you falling off the back of the wave.
Tip: The best way to combat this is by trying to step further forward on the surfboard. If you keep the front foot in the centre of the board and the back foot in front of the fin plugs, this will help. Make sure you focus more on leaning onto your front foot, this will help to maintain for your speed for a longer ride.
It is also important that you have all the right kit you need! Our Driathlon is the perfect item to complete your kit. It is a highly absorbent performance microfibre item, and will not only have you dry in seconds, but it will also offer a complete water side changing system. As it is a quick dry fabric, it will also ensure that the Driathlon itself is ready for your next big surf session!