4 Top Ways To Improve Your Wave Riding - Bodyboard-School

Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate rider, you’ll undoubtedly want to up your skills.
We joined Jay and Vicki Reale from eBodyboarding.com to share our top tips on how to improve your bodyboarding and shred like a pro!
Tip 1 - Maximise the number of waves you catch
The more waves you catch, the quicker you’ll improve. The key to catching those waves is to paddle into them with minimal effort. To catch waves efficiently, position yourself in front of the peak on the steepest part of the wave. Put your hands on the front corners of the nose. When you paddle with your feet, keep your arms locked. This will create an equilateral triangle shape from your hand to your armpit, to your waist and along the deck of your board.
In that position, you’ll stay flat in the water and flow into the wave. If you paddle with your arms bent, you’ll push water like a snow plough. Keep your board flat. The more you do this, the more effective you’ll be at catching more waves.
Tip 2 - Use the correct hand position
It’s key to controlling and getting the maximum performance out of your board. If you are going right on the wave, your hand should be on the top corner of your board. The side of your arm and your elbow naturally put pressure on the right edge of the board. Your wrist should bend creating a ‘claw’ shape with your hand. This allows you to apply pressure underneath the board and pull up the top right hand corner.
Position your left hand one third of the way down the left rail on the board so that you have that leverage to be able to pull it up. Keep your elbow in the air for maximum control. It’ll keep the rail in the wave face.
Tip 3 - Use the right size board
Find a board that fits your body shape. If you’re board’s too long it’ll be cumbersome and if it’s too short, you’ll struggle to catch waves. Someone who’s 6ft tall may need a 42inch board. A shorter female will need a smaller board. A heavier rider will benefit from more volume.
To figure out the right size board for you, put the tail on the ground with the board against your body. Make sure the nose reaches within an inch of your belly button. Or, hold the board with the nose against your chin. The tail should reach the top of your knees.
Choose the right board for the waves. You’ll need a slightly longer board for small waves to make it easier to catch them. For bigger, barreling waves you’ll need a smaller board for easier control.
Tip 4 - Lunge your weight forward for maximum speed
Get your upper torso as far forward on your board as you can without nose diving. This will take some practice! To do it, arch your back, pull your head up, push your chin out, and keep a crease in the nape of your neck. Keep your head over your front hand to maintain your speed and inertia moving forward.
For minimal drag, keep your knees and ankles together. Look and lunge in the direction you want to go.
All footage shot on our recent Bodyboard Holidays trip to California
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If you want to learn to Bodyboard or improve your riding check out our Bodyboard School; bodyboard-school.com
Or if you fancy going on a trip visit Bodyboard Holidays; bodyboard-holidays.com

[@mikedixon7955]

The kids were laughing when they saw me with my board on the bed practicing my hand/elbow positioning, but WOW - what a difference. I stayed on waves I normally slide off and caught reforms I usually miss...and these small and soft sets too. I've never had trouble catching waves, but this was the first time I really felt like I was riding them. Gonna focus on it for a few more sessions then move on to body positioning - thanks a bunch for the video! 😁

[@bodyboard_holidays]

Amazing! Glad you found the video useful and that it's helped you with your riding. Keep up the good work! 🙌

[@MrRobertFarr]

Hi. It's Rob from Plymouth. Congratulations Rob Barber on your family success, I heard about lately. I have made a few mistakes lately. Thanks for the advice on bodyboarding. I am looking around for local KZbin enthusiasts. What a great idea, to shoot an instructional video linked to your passion. I have some videos uploaded, trying to make friends linked to my hobbies.

[@BodyboardSchool]

Thanks Robert!

[@explorationecho2366]

I wish you folks would pump out more content. I love your videos.

[@bodyboard_holidays]

Working on it!

[@steve1234596]

Awesome teaching, thanks heaps, you 3 rock 🤙🤙🤙 🇦🇺

[@bodyboard_holidays]

You rock! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@fantilldeath528trajectory]

These tips are very helpful thanks👍🏾

[@billcasserley5426]

Going to try these tips tomorrow morning. There is a mad amount to think about as a beginner but determined to. Improve 🌊

[@bodyboard_holidays]

You got this!

[@voyderecha]

Me encantan sus vídeos super buenos para mejorar

[@TheUltimateWriterNZ]

Awesome tips as always - will be employing them tomorrow! Much love from Aotearoa, New Zealand 🌊

[@Saltyketchup688]

I had the snow plow problem for a while. Then i watched this video just in time to get the good waves coming with the past few hurricanes

[@TannerMartty]

Thank you so much!! This video was massively helpful for me. I watched it yesterday and had the best session I've ever had on bigger waves. I was dropping in on waves that normally I would wipeout on or not even attempt. Really appreciate the guidance!

[@BodyboardSchool]

Hello Tanner Thanks so much for the feedback. Great to hear you had an awesome session and that our video helped! Check out our other videos for more bodyboard tips :)

[@mansourelidrissi6111]

Hi am.from morroco thanks lot for the videos شكرا

[@aGuyNamedEr1c]

Looking to get back into it as an adult. I spent my entire childhood trying to paddle with my hands and feet at the same time. I just realized that I never noticed how the guys who knew what they were doing only used their legs.

[@aj.gwathney]

Yea, I’m a kid now but don’t have fins so I gotta use my arms

[@brianfinnegan9403]

Would love a video on what shape, number and stiffness of stringers, and board size for different wave shape power and sizes

[@LIQUIDE]

Aloha from Brazil!

[@iceman24life]

Great tips! I've always just try to "wing it" and see if it works. These tips will help solidify my technique!

[@harrisontillinghast417]

Yeah, I usually wing it as well.

[@mrfreeze9352]

Nice team! Another great video which will be usefull for my next session ;)

[@BodyboardSchool]

Awesome, thanks for the kind words. Don't hesitate to let me know if there is anythingelse that we can help with : )

[@renegabriel8852]

Thank you!

[@bodyboard_holidays]

You're welcome!

[@genkoperezblair9268]

Thanks for Your advice. Is summer season in southamerica. I try this tech. See You next video. Bye.

[@BodyboardSchool]

Great stuff, I hope that it's a help. Enjoy!

[@javierlaguasa710]

good tips

[@BodyboardSchool]

Thanks Javier, please don't hesitate to let us know if there are any other areas of bodyboarding that you may require tips on? Cheers Rob

[@dreamsboardchannel4055]

Good Job... Thanks i try to improve my technique with this advice... Bye from Italy...

[@BodyboardSchool]

Great stuff, let us know how you get on and let us know if you need help with anything else. Ciao!

[@3ryan13]

where do you bodyboard in Italy?

[@infonac392]

@@3ryan13 Check these spots : L'Ideale, Il Porto, La Roccetta, Il Bunker, Ristorante, Banzai, Il Castello, Lido di Ostia, Lido Garda, Marinaretti, La Chiesa, Artiglieria, Santa Agostino and Serapo

[@Myzolul]

Corona time

[@jameskerr7828]

Love the vid guys, except using me as the incorrect demonstration of hand position for wave catching! I was just checking that one out I swear - didn't wanna catch it! 😏

[@BodyboardSchool]

You tech was pretty faultless all the way through the California trip James, sorry to use this one as an example. We could tell that you didn't really want this one : )

[@jk0834]

I’ve just started bodyboarding and is there any super basic tips I could follow? Thanks

[@BodyboardSchool]

Great to hear you have started to bodyboard, i would recommend watching some of our other videos and spend s much time in the water as possible :)

[@mobadat_786]

Do flerpers make it faster?????

[@joncrusher1364]

nice invert on the intro whoever that was

[@BodyboardSchool]

Thanks! That was me, on our Sumatra trip a couple of years ago. So many sick bowls in that pare of the world, cheers Rob

[@bv701]

Nice vid! Is there a minimum age for a bodyboarding trip?

[@BodyboardSchool]

No there isn't. We have families join us some times or young people can be accompanied by parents or guardians. Drop us a line and we can work it out.

[@joemursa9070]

What bored do you uee

[@billcasserley5426]

I'm thinking I may of been missing the arm lock 🤔 I will find out tomorrow. I seem to mis time waves quite a bit. Any help appreciated

[@bodyboard_holidays]

How are you getting on?

[@johnkracy9190]

Nice !

[@BodyboardSchool]

Thanks John, I hope that you found it useful, cheers Rob

[@wave._.hunter]

i love be the tribe boards

[@ruuboficial]

gracias pelón

[@BodyboardSchool]

No worries! : )

[@jalaltantaoui1322]

Like

[@yodamday3745]

all these techniques should come naturally with reps. who knows. you might come up with a new technique of your own. i sit outside longboarders catching waves at kaisers. i create a wake that i can move forwards and backwards with my chin pressing down on the board. and holy shit vicky gleeson hahaaa.