How To Body Surf

Ever envied the lifestyle of cute seals jumping in and out of the waters? Have you ever wondered how it would be to live like the walruses, nonchalantly swimming as the waves carry them back and forth? You’d be delighted to know that you can share the contentment and experience the pleasant routine of these finned creatures as you pick up your surfing board, sprint straight up to the shoreline and surf! On observing hordes of surfers effortlessly riding the towering waves, you might jump to the conclusion that surfing is easy! That assumption is absolutely incorrect! Body surfing is a dangerous activity that has in several cases lead to death! While the common man labels surfing a sport, an ardent surfer calls it an art! It’s a channel whereby you establish a deep unfathomable rapport with the ocean. If you’ve given surfing a shot, you’ll be quick to agree that the waves put quite a tough fight! The moment you lose control of yourself, the waves threaten to drown you, while your scanty audience applauds you for mastering bizarre underwater summersaults! However, if you know the basic technique, practice hard and put your whole heart into it, you are sure to become a pro in no time. Read the following lines and learn the techniques of this particular sport.

Image: Richard Leeming@flickr

• Swimming Trunks/ Swimsuits/ Bikini Wear
• Surfing Fins
• Surfing Wet Suits
• Swimming Goggles

Instructions & Techniques

• Before you learn the tricks of the trade, look out for a beach with minimal crowd to avoid knocking over clueless beachgoers. Body surfing doesn’t entail expensive equipment and you only require swim fins, to ride away the waves far away from the shore.
• It is essential to select the accurate wave to body surf. You need to position yourself a little beyond the spot where the waves are breaking. It is highly recommended to body surf in waves that break at an angle from top to bottom as opposed to those waves that crash all at once! Observe the waves and you will develop a sense of intuition telling you when they are about to crest.
• When you are just learning, don’t risk going without an experienced friend. If you are attempting the same on your own, stay within the close proximity of a lifeguard. For your safety, stick to waves in the 1- to 4-foot range. Beaches with a sudden drop-off in the water’s depth spell danger and therefore must not be associated with body surfing for beginners. Similarly, waves that crash too close to the shore should also be avoided.
• Wait patiently and confidently until the wave stands a few feet behind you. Swim in the same direction as the enormous wave approaching towards you and ensure that it overtakes you before it crashes. Use the freestyle stroke while doing so. Dive beneath the wave and let it crash over you.
• Kick your legs as you push your entire body upwards from the bottom. While the wave lifts you, angle yourself in such a way that the lower half of your body ascends above the upper half.
• Keep your legs together and stretch out your arms together positioning them straight in front of your head. You need to maintain this straight position as you slide along the wave.
• As you slide chiefly on your chest, arch your back slightly. If you are facing difficulty in keeping your body straight, paddle your arms and legs.
• Extend your right arm forward if you’re headed right and the left arm if you’re headed left. Slap the surface of the ocean with your palm for acceleration.
• In moments when you fear that you might panic at the lip of the wave and miss your classic dive, curl your entire body into a ball. It’s the safest position to crash in!
• The secret behind body surfing is to position your head and shoulders down below your hips and legs. On achieving this position, your center of balance shifts downward as your hips and legs are elevated. The force of the waves coupled with your strokes enable the slide. Soon your chest steers you forward and your body is as good as a surfboard!