Bodyboarding's Biggest Crime 🚨

Are you a bodyboarding criminal? The biggest rookie error we see at Bodyboard Holidays is the elbow crime. Through decades of coaching we have witnessed endless waves being ruined and barrel rides being destroyed all due to this common offence.
We are talking about the incorrect positioning of a riders elbow on a bodyboard when travelling across a wave. Knowing how to correctly position your elbow, combined with the correct grip of the board can be the difference between an epic ride and an epic fail.
Officer Rob Barber talks us through how to overcome this misdemeanour and most importantly increase your fun when bodyboarding. By following these simple tips your wave riding will improve dramatically and see you take your bodyboarding to the next level!
Want to learn more bodyboard moves? Our KZbin channel is packed full of bodyboarding tutorials with tips and tricks to improve your riding and maximise fun in the ocean.
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Okay, this video is all about how to position your elbow to maximise speed. Super important part of bodyboarding is to increase your rail control and manage the speed as you trim down the line on your Boogie. The biggest rookie error that we see at Bodyboard Holidays is the elbow crime. So many waves ruined, so many barrels that are destroyed. In a nutshell, it's the incorrect positioning of a rider's elbow which can completely ruin the ride. The difference of one to two inches can have a huge effect on whether a ride is epic or an epic fail, so that position needs to be bang in the right place. There is nothing more painful than a rider scoring a perfect wave, particularly if that wave is beginning to tube, and then blowing it with a bad elbow position. A bad elbow position will break the water flow, slow you down, create an explosion of white water which will often directly explode into your eyes and make you blind and in the worst case it could cause you to slide out meaning the lip will hit you in the head giving you a bit of what we call a side parting. So you'll totally miss the barrel. Getting the elbow position correct is so important. Your inside elbow dictates how much your rail edge engages with the wave face, this in turn determines how much control you have. You need to draw a clean line in order to maximise speed, minimise water disruption and in turn fly down the line maximising your speed and gaining inertia as you go. The 'Claw Grip' is something that we have covered in another video. You can see the link right here, click on it check out what the claw grip's all about because it goes hand in hand with the elbow position. But the claw grip coupled with correct elbow positioning will allow you to dig your elbow into the deck of the board. By digging your elbow in it will flex the board into the shape of the wave's face, which will help you with hold and avoid you sliding out. It will also flex your board out of its normal shape. By flexing it out of its normal shape, the board will try to recoil back into its original shape, which will cause projection and in turn speed down the line of the wave. So it's a really important factor of getting that maximum down the line speed, as well as drawing a nice clean line across the face. You'll just end up changing your bodyboarding from the way that you do it normally to this new technique which is a game changer, that's why riders who are doing it right will have elbow creases in the deck of their board. When your elbow is planted in the correct place you then need to lean into the wave face without actually touching the water. So lean right towards the wave face but don't touch that wave face and don't disrupt that that water flow. If your shoulder touches the water it will be like stamping the brakes on and yet again there will be another crazy white water explosion in your face. Many riders find that well-positioned contours on the deck of their board can help to initially get your elbow positioned correctly, so it's a top tip to think about when you're buying your next board. Check out the how to go fast on a bodyboard video for more tips,
that will help with this. Check out the link right here. If you would like more tutorials, interviews or product reviews just hit the like and subscribe button and for more information on our UK and international coaching weekends, retreats, holidays and Outdoor Instructor Academy, visit our website at www.bodyboard-holidays.com and we look forward to getting barrelled with you soon!

[@jezlucas3878]

Before i started bodyboarding i was watching your videos while in recovery from an operation, it didnt make sense until i got in and tried to figure it all out. Now iam re watching it again and helping more . Thank you, never thought be back in the water . Used to surf but cant now , but bodyboarding has been a pleasant suprise.

[@bodyboard_holidays]

Great to hear! Stories like this make our amazing job even more special!

[@jezlucas3878]

@@bodyboard_holidays been struggling a bit mental health wise thinking my surfing days were over , really given me a lift . Been buzzing since started bodyboarding

[@paulgardner3926]

Awesome tip! Great bumping into you at croyde bay last weekend 🤙🏼

[@bodyboard_holidays]

Glad you found it useful Paul. It was good to see you! Be great to have you join us on a weekend or possibly get some warm water waves with you soon.... 😜

[@LIQUIDE]

Excellent TIPS! Thanks!

[@bodyboard_holidays]

Glad to be of assistance. 😀

[@kostantinoschristoucetraro795]

Im from Peru, im learning a lot whit all those tips, very nice examples in the videos 🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻

[@bodyboard_holidays]

That’s great to hear. Keep it up and always feel free to ask us any questions. It’s our pleasure to help 🤙🏻

[@isabong]

This is really good, thanks graeat channel 🤙

[@bodyboard_holidays]

Glad you enjoy it! Let us know if there is anything else in particular you would like to see.

[@isabong]

Bodyboard Training would be great! @@bodyboard_holidays

[@dimsoneill]

Guilty as charged, when going left anyway. Got in the bad habit of padlling for waves with the hand more centered on the board for paddle balance and forgetting to put it back on the corner claw grip style once I have caught the wave.

[@bodyboard_holidays]

We all have things to work on in our bodyboarding. The continuous learning is one of the things that makes it so fun!

[@matthewdavies5875]

Top tips from the elbow police

[@bodyboard_holidays]

🚓 🚓 🚓

[@AWSMEAD]

Top tip!

[@bodyboard_holidays]

Glad you like it! 🔥

[@mriouss]

Guilty as charged. How do I stop from doing this? I am definitely spraying a ton of water and hitting the brakes on both my rights and left but cannot seem to be able to make the corrections.

[@bodyboard_holidays]

Follow the tips in the video and you should be golden. 👌

[@leopardlurks5398]

After the bottom turn does the claw grip then return to a normal grip again? So once the board recoils the hand and elbow flattens out to do the next manoeuvre.

[@bodyboard_holidays]

Hey thanks for reaching out. You should maintain the same grip throughout your ride. THis enables the board to flex in all the right places👌

[@leopardlurks5398]

Cool 😎. Thank you. Love your channel 😍

[@womenandwaves]

The sirens 😂😂😂

[@bodyboard_holidays]

😜

[@NewquayactivitycentreCoUk]

Call the cops! This brings more than a few offenders to justice!

[@bodyboard_holidays]

🚓 🚓 🚓

[@amcwales]

I could point you in the direction of a suspects. 🚨

[@bodyboard_holidays]

'Allo 'Allo!

[@scottfahdt177]

That one guy looks familiar. 😬

[@bodyboard_holidays]

🤐

[@alanpods2]

Crap. I think I’ve been doing this, but I didn’t realise it was a thing until now.

[@bodyboard_holidays]

Practice makes perfect. Keep on trying!

[@welshbodyboardclub3400]

Woop! Woop! That’s the sound of the police 👮‍♀️ 😂

[@bodyboard_holidays]

😜

[@OKCswag]

How am I just now seeing this?!

[@bodyboard_holidays]

We only uploaded it 2 days ago. Maybe that's why?

[@severnbrand]

👮🤣🤣🤣

[@bodyboard_holidays]

😜

[@tomdawe5039]

Yay I made the video..... for all the wrong reasons 🤣🤣🤣

[@bodyboard_holidays]

We have some evidence of you doing it correctly after some fine tuning though Tommy 😉

[@tomdawe5039]

@@bodyboard_holidays iv been working on my elbow position whilst I'm up here in Scotland finding the finest slabs iv ever seen 😜🤙I don't ever want to come back down south iv found heaven

[@scottfahdt177]

Me too. haha