Top 10 surfing tips for intermediate surfers
November 27, 2024Let’s unpack our top 10 intermediate surfing tips and tricks that will help you improve your surfing skills and catch more waves.
There are few things that compare to the amazing feeling of improving your surfing, just as there are few things that are as frustrating as not getting it right and plateauing. We have collected our best tips to help you to improve your surfing techniques and get better at surfing!
1. Surf the right board for your level
An easy mistake to make is to leave your beginner's board too quickly to advance to a shorter board. But surfing a board that’s too advanced for your level can knock the fun right out of the session. A board that is too small will be harder to paddle and catch waves with, so you might just end up frustrated and exhausted. You can’t improve your surfing skills without actually getting on the waves, so make sure the board isn't too small.
Do you know which board works for you? Great! If not, check out our blog post on how to choose the best surfboard for your level.
2. Use the peak of the wave as your take-off point
Make sure that you are at the right spot before you decide which waves to catch. Staying too far on the shoulder is a common mistake intermediate surfers make. You want to catch your wave at its highest point, also known as the peak. This is where you can generate the most speed since this also is the steepest point of the wave.
By doing so, you will get a longer and more powerful ride. If you catch a wave on the shoulder, on the other hand, the ride will be weak and short.
3. Keep it low
When you do the popup, don’t go all the way to a stand-up position. You want to keep your body low on the board and stay centred. Standing too upright will make it harder for you to shift your weight, perform manoeuvres and balance properly. So keep your knees bent!
4. Generate speed and power
Creating your own power and speed is a big separator between the experienced and the inexperienced surfers. More power and speed = more possibilities on the wave! By taking advantage of the different parts of the wave you will be cracking the code of speed and acceleration.
For this tip to be useful, you need to put tips number 2 and number 3 into the equation as well; start at the most powerful part of the wave and have a proper surfing stance. Start to generate speed from the peak of the wave and then use your entire body to “pump”; to smoothly surf the face of the wave up and down.
The vital thing here is to know at what moments to shift your weight on your board. When you decompress you make yourself lighter and when you compress you make yourself heavier. You want to be light when surfing up the wave, and heavy as you surf down.
5. Foot position
By shifting your foot position on the board you can also create your own speed. Shift your back foot towards the tail of your board when you want to change direction or decrease speed, when you want to increase the speed you move your feet more forward.
6. Look where to go and your body will follow
To put this simply: your body will go where your eyes look. Are you looking down on your board while you surf? If yes, then you are very likely to head in that direction and fall.
This is a tip that’s easier said than done though, as beginner surfers are taught to look towards the shore it might be a little tricky to unlearn that behaviour as an intermediate surfer.
But when you get into the habit of it, it will make a big difference in catching waves and falling off them! So, don't look at the beach or down on your board, keep your gaze down the line of the wave – at the place where you want to surf.
7. Improve your paddling technique
A key aspect of improving your surfing skills is to get more power in your paddling. As your surfing progresses your paddling will get better, but you will also get better at locating where to position yourself on the wave which will help you save your energy for when you need it, not to waste it paddling too far off on the shoulder. Here are some tips to improve your paddling:
When your hands reach the water as you paddle, keep your elbows high.
Start the paddling stroke far in front of you and make your strokes powerful and long.
Have your back arched.
Have your hands in a cup shape with your fingers closed.
Practice on land. The muscles in the middle back are working the most during your paddling, therefore it’s a good idea to practice exercises like the superman and reverse flyes. Although, paddling and surfing will require your entire body so don't limit yourself to only doing back exercises.
8. Observe more advanced surfers
By observing the more advanced surfers in the water, you might pick up a thing or two. Seeing how they take off, generate speed and where they look during the ride can be a great way for you to learn and apply it to your own surfing.
Even if you can't surf like them yet, you will know how the moves are supposed to look.
9. Learn from yourself and your mistakes
Observing your own surfing can also be a great way to improve. Ask someone to take a video of you surfing, look at it after your session and review what looks good and what needs improvements. This is a great way to see your own technique. You might even see some bad habits that you weren't even aware of!
Just don’t be too hard on yourself, this is a way of learning and improving not beating yourself down for not being better.
10. Enjoy your time while getting better
The best tip we can give you to advance in your surfing is to keep it pleasurable. If you have fun and enjoy your time in the ocean you will gradually improve. The central part of being good at anything is to stay consistent with it, which is much more likely that you will if you actually like what you're doing. Advancing in surfing is a difficult and time-consuming sport, so make sure you spend that time having fun and being in the moment!
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