3 Ways to Bodyboard

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

Some say that bodyboarding was the earliest form of surfing. Most people ride their first wave on an exotic vacation, whereas experienced bodyboarders take it as a serious sport, where you treat waves as a way to pull tricks. Want to know how the bodyboard? See Step 1 to get started.

Step

Method 1 of 3: Getting Started

Step 1. Put safety first

If you want to be able to bodyboard, then you have to be a good swimmer. You will have to use many of the techniques you use to swim to move the board, and furthermore, you will have to be a good swimmer to swim without your board if you are swept clean. Also, you should only try bodyboarding if you know that sea conditions are safe and there are guards on duty. You should try bodyboarding with a friend or instructor rather than alone. Once you feel more comfortable, you can try it yourself.

Step 2. Attach the rope

You must attach the strap to your upper arm. This will prevent you from losing the board when you are swept clean. Attach the strap to your upper arm tightly, but loosely so that your arm is still comfortable. The straps will keep your arms and board together.

Step 3. Get a wetsuit or rash guard

If you are swimming in cold water, you will need a wetsuit to keep yourself warm. The rash guard will do that too, keeping your body from irritating while you're bodyboarding and protecting you from the sun. They are made of Lycra and can also be worn under your wetsuit to keep friction or rubbing to a minimum.

Step 4. Get the flippers and fin socks

Get some flippers with tethers and attach the tethers firmly to your ankles. You'll need flippers to help you kick at a higher speed, making it easier for you to catch waves. You should also consider getting a pair of flipper socks to wear under your flippers, to add an extra layer of warmth and comfort to your feet.

Step 5. Practice the correct position

Before you try to catch a wave, you need to have a strong sense of how you should be positioned on the board. Get onto the sand and lie down on the plank with your hands on the top (nose) of the plank, and the back (back end) of the bottom plank on your lower belly. Keep your weight centered on the plank. Once you are in this position, you can practice rowing. Paddle your hands down the sides of the board, as if you were scooping water toward you, or if you were doing a freestyle in a swim. Kick your feet underwater for the best possible movement and quick movement while bodyboarding.

Step 6. Walk into the water

Walk into the water with your plank around your knees. Raise your feet high with each step to avoid traps. You have to start looking for white water waves that go straight to the beach.

Method 2 of 3: Catching the Wave

Step 1. Rowing

Once you've managed to get your knees deep into the water, get on the board in the correct position and start paddling out into the waves. Use a rowing motion with your hands and kick with your feet just below the surface of the water for the strongest movement. The nose of the board should be about 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) above the water.

Step 2. Find your wave

If you're just starting out, you should avoid waves that are too high and fast, or generally get out of your comfort zone. Choose waves that go straight toward the shore and that won't make you travel too high or too fast. Once you find your wave, you have to turn towards the shore and start kicking towards it, waiting to be carried forward by the current of the wave. The waves have to be steep enough to move forward, but they don't have to appear.

To increase your chances of finding a good wave, look out to where most of the wave is emerging. You have to wait for waves about 5-10 meters outside the location

Step 3. Approach the wave

When the wave is only five feet or so behind you, you should start kicking as hard as you can while rowing hard. You can also lean forward to get some extra speed and to make sure you really have to master the waves. Some people prefer not to paddle with both hands, but to keep one hand on the board and paddle with the other to maintain control.

If you want to move to the right, you can hold the nose of the board with your right hand and paddle with your left; if you want to move to the left, then you can hold the nose of the board with your left hand and paddle with your right

Step 4. Walk down the wave face

You should feel yourself traveling faster as the waves approach you. If you want some extra speed, you can press the nose of your board to move a little faster. If the waves are moving too fast for your comfort, then you can do the opposite, pushing the nose of the board an inch or two to get some friction and slow down. Keep kicking your feet as you walk down the face of the wave. You can also lean back slightly into the waves to increase your speed.

You can also choose to move right or left. To the left, lean your hips against the left side of the plank and place your left elbow on the deck on the top left side of the plank, while holding the top right edge of the plank with your free hand. To go right, do the opposite

Step 5. Ride on the waves until you reach the shallowest part of the ocean

It is considered anywhere that is below the knee. You can step out of the sea and take a break, or go right and catch another wave. You are free to continue riding the wave as long as you don't feel cold or tired. Once you've caught your first wave, the fun has just begun!

As you ride a wave, remember that your goal should be to reach a "trim," which means the point where your board is flat on the surface with as much speed as possible. You should lean forward enough to gather momentum, but not so much when your board isn't moving downwards. This will reduce drag and will give you more breathing room

Method 3 of 3: Towards Extra Miles

Step 1. Learn wave terminology

Understanding the different parts of a wave will help you develop your skills and learn tricks, as you'll know what to watch for. Here are the parts of the wave you should know about:

Lip. The fractional part of a wave that moves from top to bottom. The steepness of the waves determines the shape of the lips.
Wide. This is part of a broken wave.
Face. The unbroken, fortified part of the wave.
Shoulder. The part of the wave that is just beyond the breaking part of the wave face.
Flat. The flat water you see in front of the breaking waves.
Tube. Hollow hole between lip and wave wall.

Step 2. Learn the parts of the board

You need to know what the different parts of the board are so you can follow along and learn some skills and tricks. Here's what you'll need to know:

Deck. The part of the board on which you lie.
Slippery bottom. The bottom of a board that has a smooth or slippery surface.
Nose. The front of the board you are holding.
Nose light. These are small bumps on each corner of the board that you will hold with your hands.
Bumper. An extra layer of foam that runs through the nose and tail, helps keep the bottom from peeling.
Rail. Bodyboard side.
Tail. Back of the board.
Channel. The area under the board that reduces your drag and accelerates you.
stringers. The rods that make the board rigid.
Templates. Board shape.
Rockers. Bodyboard flatness.

Step 3. Perform a 360° Forward Spin

This is one of the first tricks you'll learn once you've mastered the basics of catching waves. To perform a 360° Forward Spin properly, you must make a full circle in one smooth wave motion. Here's how to do it:

Focus on the direction you want to change.
Turn the surface of the wave back in that direction.
As you twist, release your inner rail by shifting your weight forward toward the nose of your plank.
Keep your board flat on the surface of the wave to reduce drag.
Keep your feet raised and crossed as you twist.
Once you've made a full circle, slide the plank back in and center your weight again, continuing up.

Step 4. Perform Cut-Back

This is one of the first tricks you will learn. Cut Back is the easiest way to get your board closer to the wave strength zone, which is close to where the lip of the wave breaks. Here is what you do:

Move faster towards the shoulder (outer part of the split face) of the wave, choosing a point where you will have enough time to start a slow round turn.
Begin a slow round turn while leaning against your board and shifting your weight onto the plank rails, starting to cut the path with the edge of the board.
Keep both hands near the nose of the board, on one of the rails.
Use your arms to draw, creating a smooth arc.
Press with your hips while extending your legs, to help maintain your balance.
Once the wave catches you, center your weight again and move on to the wave.

Step 5. Perform "El Rollo

This is another trick for relative newcomers to bodyboarding. You can perform this trick at any size wave. To perform an "El Rollo," you must ride the wave and perform a full flip with the board, using the power of the wave to bring you into the arc. Here's how to do it:

Go down the wave, focusing on the lips forward.
Move up towards the lip of the wave.
Use the power of the waves to throw you out with the lips into the perfect bow.
Let the waves move you on the reels as you steer the board and work to find a place to land.
When you drop down, you need to focus your weight on the plank, strengthening your hands, arms and elbows to drop down. This requires some pressure from your back.
Try to land horizontally on the whitewater, not on the flats.

Step 6. Learn to duck dive

It's more of a skill than a trick, allowing you to get your board under the shards of waves you don't want to catch. This helps you pass all the chalk against the wave you want to catch. Once you get it right, you'll be able to get to the line-up, or wave, much more quickly. Here's what you should do:

Paddle towards the waves to pick up speed.
When the wave is about 3-6 feet (1-2 meters) from you, slide forward and grab the plank rail, about 10 inches (30 cm) down from the nose of the board.
Push the nose of the board under the surface by arching your back and pressing the nose of the board with your hands. Try underwater as much as you can.
Use your knees on the deck, near the tail, to keep moving down and forward.
Dive under the waves, pulling your body closer to your plank.
As the wave passes you, transfer your weight back to your knees, lifting the nose of the plank up and out of the back of the wave, until you are moving toward the surface of the water.

Step 7. Learn to stall

Stretching is an important skill that a bodyboarder should have. You can use stretch brakes in number situations, such as when you need to slow down a section of a wave tube. Here are two ways to do it:

Pull your feet in the water to slow you down, or move your hips onto the plank rails.
Pull up the nose of the plank while applying downward pressure on the tail with your hips. Hold the board at a lower angle of about 30-45° until you reach your desired speed.
When you're done stalling, swipe up on the board to pick up speed and then adjust the rails and keep moving forward.

Tips

If you go left, place your left hand in front of the board and your right on the ratio side, and vice versa if you go right.
Don't get frustrated; it takes some time.
If your bodyboard doesn't already have one, buy some fins for it. You can get better directional control with flippers.
Always use rash guard.