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How to catch a green wave

Surfing / Popular

Move from whitewater to unbroken waves.

What coaches agree on

  • Sit a few meters (roughly 3 to 5) outside where the waves are actually breaking, giving yourself room and time to paddle into the wave before it collapses.
  • Keep watching the wave over your shoulder the whole time you're paddling for it, instead of looking toward the beach, so you can judge its speed and know when to paddle harder.
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  • Paddle with long, deep, full strokes rather than short choppy ones, starting at a relaxed pace and building to your most powerful strokes right as the wave reaches you.
  • As the wave lifts you, keep your weight and head low over the front of the board, then arch your back once you feel the tail lift so the wave pushes the board forward under you.

Common mistakes

  • Standing up too late, once the wave has already gotten steep, is a common cause of nosediving, while standing up too early leaves you behind the wave entirely.
  • Riding straight toward the beach instead of angling along the open face is a habit many surfers fall into, and it leaves them stuck in the whitewater instead of on the green wave.
How to Catch Green Waves
Beginner

How to Catch Green Waves

Coach's take: Proper lesson -- structured, specific, and it'll actually change what you do out there.

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