How To Bodyboard
How to body board: VideoJug's expert body boarder shows beginners how to ride a wave on a body board. Body boarding is great fun for beach holidays, but this guide also provides tips for those who want to take it up as a sport.
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Step 1:
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You will need
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Step 2:
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Put on the gear
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Attach the body board leash to your upper arm.
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Now make your way to the water's edge and sit on your board. Put on your fin socks… Then your fins… And attach the fin tethers carefully to your ankles.
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Step 3:
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Paddle out
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Before you hit the surf, have a practice on dry land. Lie on your board with the tail of the board at your lower belly area.
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Hold on to its nose with both hands and begin to kick your feet. As you kick, keep your fins below the water's surface for better propulsion through the water.
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To paddle out with your arms, position yourself so your weight is right in the centre of the board and the board's nose is an inch or two above the water. Now paddle with your arms just like if you were swimming…
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Choose your spot to paddle out carefully. Go for white-water waves that are coming straight into the beach.
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Walk into the water until it's about knee deep. Lift your feet up high with each step to avoid tripping, or try walking backwards… Lay on your board… and start paddling.
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Step 4:
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Duck dive
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To get beyond the breaking waves, you may need to duck dive beneath them.
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As a breaking or broken wave approaches you, hold the board near its nose, head on to the wave, and push it under the water, at the same time pressing your knee down on the tail. Keep the nose pointed down and dive with your board under the wave as deep as you can go. Continue to kick until the wave has passed over and it's safe to surface.
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Step 5:
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Catch a wave
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The key here is to stay away from waves that are too big for your level of body boarding experience.
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When you spot a good wave approaching, turn towards the beach and start to kick your feet. If you keep up a good speed you should feel yourself being picked up by the wave.
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For extra speed, press down very slightly on the nose of the board… but not too hard or you could flip right over the top of the wave.
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Step 6:
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Ride the wave
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Soon you'll be ready to "run a trim line". This is riding a wave to the right or left, sometimes in the direction the wave is breaking…… Again, practice the skill on dry land first…
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If you're going to the left, grab the side of the board or "rail" with your left hand and keep your right hand on the nose. If you're going to the right, do it vice versa.
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Now pull your body up over the front of the board and arch your back and hold your head high.
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As you ride, pull up the rail of the board with the hand that's to the side, causing the wave-side of the board to dig into the wave.
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SAFETY WARNING
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Don't forget: For this sport you need to be a good swimmer. You should also body board where there's a lifeguard on duty. And don't get into the water if you're unsure about the sea conditions.