The advanced surfer is constantly thinking of how to increase speed in order to gain power.
The speed at which your surfboard moves allows you to keep pace with the peeling lip and the wave face to perform maneuvers.
Power is being able to use gained speed and forces in your maneuvers. This requires perfect balance, direction, and control of the g-forces that act against you while riding waves.
A skillful surfer can maximize, even increase, the speed at which they are traveling on a wave.
You can generate speed by:
- Using the drop of the wave (top to bottom gravity)
- Staying close to the curl (the power zone)
- Using the curling force of the lip
- Performing quick turns in repetition (builds up speed and power)
- Using your legs, upper body, and arm movements
- Moving your feet position on the board (shifting weight)
or a combination of some or all of these techniques.
HOW TO GENERATE SPEED:
Step 1: Paddle fast and pop up quickly to make sure you are in front of the curl.
Step 2: Look down the line to where you want your board to go.
Step 3: Stay low on your pop up and throw both arms forward into your first extension
Step 4: Apply pressure to your toe side rail.
Step 5: Point your board towards the top 1/3 of the waves face.
Pro tip: Move your feet forward to help gain extra speed (your back foot should be at the edge of the tail pad).
Step 6: Shift your weight onto your front foot to turn your board back down.
Step 7: Compress your body and apply more pressure to your outside rail.
Step 8: Point your board towards the bottom 1/3 of the waves face.
Step 9: Repeat the process until you want to perform a manoeuvre or you want to finish your ride.
Pro tip: Surfing rail to rail helps to reduce any drag and staying close to the pocket is going to maximize your speed. Your body and board are to move forward n sync.
MISTAKES
X Going to low on the wave is going to lose your momentum.
X Don’t wiggle flat on top of your fins in the middle of the wave.
X If you don’t go up high enough on the wave you are going to gain much speed (top 1/3 of the wave hold the most power).
LAUREN RINGER
Ex WQS warrior, and all-round frother – Loz is the technical coaching queen at the House of Surf.
She is also a mindset and life coach and has a habit of living in her van way too much.
