Surf Lesson | Learn to Surf

Introduction to Catching Green Waves.

This is probably the most important skill in the progressive stage of surfing and it can not be learnt in just a few sessions in the surf.

To catch green waves you must understand the speed of the wave, your positioning on the wave and when the wave will peak and start to break.

Do not attempt this is in big surf, dumping waves or crowded waves. Ideally small surf that crumbles will give you the best results.

Surging

To introduce you to catching green waves you should practice surging with the wave. This is when you will not actually catch the wave but paddle with it and surge to the edge of the break zone.

This will help you understand the speed of the wave, how much paddling is required and where the wave will start to break.

Identifying The Wave

First of all you should paddle out and position yourself beyond the break zone, attempt to sit and balance on the surfboard while facing out to sea and looking towards the horizon.

Look for lumps on the horizon, these lumps are the .sets. which contain the waves you will eventually want to catch. Identify the biggest lump, follow it all the way in as it gains momentum and builds into an identifiable swell.

Watch the swell pass by you, become a wave and surge all the way to the break zone where it peaks and then breaks.

Building Momentum & Surge

After studying waves all the way from the horizon to the break zone the next step is to start to paddle and build momentum from the surging swell.

Identify a swell on the horizon, turn your surfboard around and face directly into the beach. As the swell approaches you should start to paddle, keep looking forward but also have glances over your shoulder so you know the position of the wave, when you feel the surging swell lift the surfboard, increase your paddling speed and power, so you gain momentum and start to surge forward with the wave.

At this time you should push up and surge to the edge of the break zone where you can look over the edge of the wave as it start to break.

It is important to understand where the wave will break, you do not want to paddle all the way into the break zone and into a position where the wave is breaking on top of you.

Surging with waves will teach you to build your paddling speed to gain momentum and match the speed of the wave. Timing and positioning is the key to catching green waves and it is very hard to perfect this until you can feel the surge from the wave.

Taking The Drop

After you are comfortable identifying waves, building momentum and surging to the edge of the break zone, the next step is to paddle on to the wave, stand up, and take the drop.

While surging keep paddling a few more strokes than you have been, when you feel the wave start to steepen (peak) this is when you should jump to your feet.

It is important to take the wave a little bit further than you have been before standing up, if you stand up too early the wave will leave you behind.

Once you have jumped to your feet keep your knees bent, head up and START SURFING!

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