Surfing is Timing and Rhythm

New surfers learn that surfing is timing and rhythm. From beginner to advanced surfers learn that catching waves and riding them is about the timing and rhythm of both movement and sensing what is happening in the wave.

Coaches for professional surfers often stress that surfers should feel what is happening in the wave and time their maneuvers and tricks to what the waves are giving them. Beginners learn to wait for good waves and get in position t ride them.

The Fundamentals of Catching and Riding Waves

The beginner surfer spots a good foam wave as it lines up in a straight line and comes to the beach without any turmoil in front of it. The surfer rolls over 20′ before the wave arrives and begins to paddle to get momentum. When the wave is a few feet away, the surfer paddles hard to accelerate and get in front of the wave. As he feels the board take off, he puts his hands on it.

The advanced surfer often studies the waves before he goes in the water. He wants to know how they are breaking. Every beach is different and waves vary in different tides. Kelly Slater was a master at studying and then planning his strategy. The surfer then knows where to position himself so he will be in the right place to catch the wave as it breaks.

Surfers let real waves roll under their board and before it peaks, they paddle hard a few times to get the board going down the face. At this point the board is dropping below their body to allow a nice pop up. On waves that close out because they are on sand bar beaches, surfers will often point the nose toward the pocket after they have caught the wave and before they pop up.

On real waves, surfers accelerate two or three times in the pocket before performing a maneuver or trick and then do the same afterward. This is a rhythm where the surfer is looking at what the wave is giving him. He has a routine in his head that he strategized before going in the water of what he wants to work on or what he wants to perform in a contest.

Coaches want their surfers to be adaptable and capable of surfing in all conditions and types of waves. Going out on bad days might be great practice for the good days by making a surfer more adaptable to conditions. A surfer would like to feel that he is at one with the waves or in a state of flow where he doesn’t have to think but reacts to what he sees.

Learn More

For Oceanside Surf Lessons, see the Home Page

See the Post Surf Lessons Begin with Foam Waves

See the Post What You Learn in a 2 Hour Lesson

See the Post How to Progress in Surfing

See My Dry Land and In Water Demo video

See How to Catch a Green/Real Wave video

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