Mirleftolas

Standing Up

Before getting to the water, it’s a good idea
to try some exercises on the beach.
Firstly, lay your surfboard on the beach and push the fi ns into
the sand. Then lay down on the board and imitate paddling.
Next, (in a single motion) bring yourself to stand on the board
by gripping the rails and pushing down on the board with your
arms. It’s important that you go from lying down to standing
in a single motion. Do not go to your knees and then to your
feet. If you keep this in mind it will ensure you learn to fi nd
the “sweet” spot for the position of your body a lot faster.

Paddling

To paddle correctly, you must balance your body’s
weight in the right position on the board. As a
rough guide your shoulders should be approx.
1/3 of the way back from the nose while lying on
top of your board. Remember to keep your head up
and try not to arch your back. Good body position
is important. You’ll know it’s right when you can
paddle as fast as possible with the nose of the
board only just remaining out of the water. Any
further forward and you will nose dive and any
further back and the tail will be too far under
water, with the nose too far out of the water.
Keep your legs together and paddle by raising
your arms out of the water, reaching them out in
front of you and pulling them through the water
alternatively, left then right, not at the same time.

Before entering the water, watch the waves and
currents for a few moments, waiting for a lull in
the breaking waves. Enter the water where a wave
has fi nished breaking and paddle out via the sides
of the breaking waves.

For areas where there is a sandy bottom, waves
often break in different ways, and it is necessary to
pass through the foam of the breaking waves in the
best position for catching waves.
- To do this when you are a beginner, simply paddle
hard towards the broken wave gaining as much
speed as possible, when the wave is directly in
front of you, grip your board by the rails, put your
head on the deck of your board and let the wave
pass over you. Then continue paddling.
- As you improve, you will learn to duck dive,
which we cover later.
Note: While paddling through waves, always keep
the nose of the board pointed directly at the wave.
Never allow a wave to reach you side-on while
paddling out. If a wave suddenly breaks in front of
you, let go of your board and dive under the wave
making sure nobody is behind you and always ensure
you use a good quality leash attached to your leg.
Always know where you are in the water by taking
a mark on the land. If you fi nd yourself in a rip
taking you further away from the land, do not panic,
never separate yourself from your board and catch
the white water back to the beach and move to a
section further along the beach.

Important : A surfer riding a wave has the right of way over a surfer paddling out. If a collision looks inevitable
while you are paddling out, dive under the wave to avoid the surfer coming at you.
For beginners the best way to learn to stand up and turn is to practice in the broken white water of the waves.
As you improve, you will move further out to catch the waves before they have broken, watching the horizon for
swell. The waves to catch here are those that break from left to right or right to left, riding the wave as it breaks.

When you have improved, and are ready
for the unbroken waves, start paddling
well before the swell gets to you, bringing
your speed close to that of the approaching
swell. As you feel the swell rise beneath
you, paddle harder. If the swell is quite fl at
with little slope, you are too early for the
wave and no matter how hard you paddle
you won’t be able to catch it. If the wave is
steep and almost about to break, you are
too late and will end up riding the wave in
the whitewater.

TAKE OFF

When paddling, look to see how the
wave is going to break. Once you
feel the wave carrying you without
the need for you to paddle, stand up
right away, legs bent, with your body
slightly forward. Keep your body
compact and look toward the bottom
of the wave and decide where you
want to make your turn.

Bottom turn

During the take off you must decide
where you want to turn once you have
got to your feet. If the wave is slow
and sluggish, turn right at bottom of
the wave to gain as much speed as
possible. If it is fast and powerful,
you will not need to turn right at the
bottom, but a little earlier.

To initiate your turn, pivot your shoulders in the direction you want to turn (towards the wave) while pressing on
your back foot with a little more weight favoring the rail of the direction you want to turn.
A good bottom turn is all about timing. Lots of practice will see you get it right.
Note: Avoid jerky movements. Make your movements smooth and even, it’s much more
comfortable, and looks better also.

When planning a turn, look at
the top of the wave, the area you
want to turn towards.
Bottom turn front side:
put pressure on your back foot
balancing your body which is
bent slightly forward.
Bottom turn backside: the
pressure on the back foot is
reinforced by lightly leaning
your body toward the back of
the board.

Roller

As you fi nish your bottom turn look toward the wave’s peak which will break in front of you.
When you are under the peak, push on your back foot and direct your shoulders toward the slope of the wave.
Your board will naturally follow the directions you point your shoulders in and you will ride up the face of the
wave. As you move toward the top of the face, release the pressure on your back foot and move your weight
forward slightly and direct the board down the face of the wave.
At the end of the re-entry you should be in the same position as you were when you took off on the wave.

Cut Back

As you fi nish your bottom turn, the breaking wave fl attens out and the wave’s face is not sloped enough to go for
a re-entry. A good option here is a cut back. A wide turn on the fl at part of the wave, which will take you back to
the breaking section of the wave. With lots of speed from the bottom turn, ride as high on the breaking wave as
possible then pivot your upper body throwing your shoulders and arms back towards the inside of the wave while
adding progressive pressure to your back foot, driving the board on the inside rail.
Once you are halfway
through the cut back, focus
on the lip of the wave.
As you are turning, your body
rocks towards the wave’s
inside. You release the back
foot pressure, your board
becomes fl at again and you
re-adjust your weight over the
center of the board.

TUBE BARREL

A “Barrel” or tube requires a hollow wave that breaks in shallow water. Sand bars at low tide often provide nice
hollow waves and barrels in offshore wind conditions. Contrary to other surf moves, a barrel is more of a position
on the wave than an actual move. After your bottom turn, the wave starts to break in front of you. With lots of speed,
move across the direction of the breaking wave, stepping forward to increase speed with feet positioned slightly
more towards the inside rail, gripping the face of the wave. Crouch down, with your backside on your calves.
At this time the lip should be just above. Let the board glide, consistently gripping the face of the wave with the
inside rail.

Floater

If the wave you are on looks like it is going to close out in front of you, it’s a good time for the “Floater”,
which will see you going over the lip and on the top of the breaking wave and hopefully catching up with
a re-opening section of the wave, or otherwise riding it down to its white-water. Surf across the face
of the wave. When you feel it is about to close out, direct your board over the lip. As the lip comes over
and breaks you will fi nd yourself on top of the breaking wave. Ride along the wave as it breaks, either
re-entering where the wave opens, or dropping down onto the white-water of the broken wave.
The success of your fl oater depends on the speed you have as you move over the lip of the wave.

Snap Back

Sometimes, you need to slow down when in the middle of a breaking wave, to avoid getting too far in front of it.
The “snap back” is like a cut back maneuver but faster. First, pressure on the back foot is required, followed by
the pivoting of your shoulders in the direction you want to snap back. The board will turn by itself as you turn your
body. This turn is made more with the fl at of the board than with its rail. If you are too extreme, the tail will slide.
This move will slow you down somewhat but also get you back to the curl of the wave, the part of the wave
with the most energy. Push your weight forward and re-launch the board in the breaking direction.

Canard

The duck dive allows you to pass underneath
waves while paddling out, avoiding the wave
pushing you back to shore. The fi rst few times you
try these they are very diffi cult. Once you get the
move down it comes in handy and is an essential
part of surfi ng.
Paddle toward the wave you want to duck dive.
About 7 feet from the approaching wave hold your
board by its rails and push down on it with your
arms as you would when taking off on a wave.
This will sink the board as deep as possible into
the water. As you do this bring one knee up under
your pelvis and place it on the deck of the board.
Here the board is held under the water by the
pressure of your two hands and knee. Before the
wave passes over you, pull yourself down onto
the sunken board. Once it has passed, transfer all
your body weight to your bent knee and pull up
with your arms. This action will force the board up
behind the passed wave. A board with a narrow
front is easier to maneuver in the Duck Dive.

Longboard

By the end of the 1960s surfboards were between 9’2” and 9’8” and weighed
an average of about 22 pounds. Longboards make surfi ng more accessible for
beginners and older surfers because of their length and extra volume.
During the 1970s, boards became shorter for more maneuverability and in the early 1980s thrusters around
5’9” started to appear. Many surfers preferred the 1960s style longboard which stood for clean and fl uid
surfi ng. In the mid-eighties, the longboard reappeared and has since rapidly gained in popularity.

Even when the moves are the same, the longboard represents a different aspect of surfi ng.
Riders turn on the wave but also walk the board. Moving to the front for a nose riding hang-10,
and to the back, bending the back leg, for the drop knee turn, often, all on the same wave.
While in the water, be very careful when you let the board go in the waves. It can be damaged
or collide with other surfers. Always watch for and be courteous of other surfers, and as you
improve don’t ever forget to remember what it was like when you started. Leave some waves
for the other surfers.

Wipe out

Both pros and beginners wipe out. It is unavoidable. When you do, just let go. Panicking and excessive movement
in the water just wastes oxygen and strength. Relax and wait until after the wave’s impact to regroup and
fl oat to the surface. A wipeout on a regular sized wave may have you under water for up to 10 seconds. Bigger
waves can keep you down 15 to 20 seconds. If you know you are going to fall, try to fall into the wave and away
from your board. This way you will avoid the impact of being struck by the lip of the wave or your board.

Resource :

See also :

• Regles d'or
• Choix d'une planche
• Ecole de surf Mirleft