3 Tips to Improve Wave Count

I have been teaching women how to surf for over 10 years. Below are a few helpful tips addressing common habits I see as my students work to progress from beginner to advanced beginner.

Look over your shoulder - Looking over your shoulder ensures that you stay in line with the peak. When you don’t glance back you may inadvertently paddle away from the desired takeoff point or drift off the highest, most critical part of the wave.

Paddle until you feel the wave catch you — Keep paddling just long enough so the wave’s lift meets your speed. If you stop paddling before the wave catches you, you can fall behind its energy. Often I see people pop up too early on the back of the wave, which prevents a clean drop-in. Conversely, paddling too much risks a nose dive or forces the pop-up to happen at he bottom of the wave.

Angle of board - When paddling into a softer peak, make sure to angle the board straight; this will help you stay with the momentum of the wave and carry you forward more smoothly. On a steeper, quicker-breaking wave you can angle more down the line. This is because on a steeper takeoff there is less room on the face of the wave for your pop-up, so angling down gives you more space and better trim.