How to Catch an Unbroken Wave | How to Surf - Paddling into Green Waves

Catching an unbroken wave is one of the most difficult things to learn as a novice surfer. It requires a lot of practice. Your patience and hard work will be rewarded though as nothing compares to the feeling of dropping in on a green wave for the first time. First you must understand the four different stages of a wave. At stage A the wave is a lump and it will be impossible to catch. At stage B this is where you want to catch a green wave. This unbroken wave shape has the perfect power and steepness for you to paddle into it. At stage C the wave will break onto your back. At stage D the wave has already broken and has now become white water. Now let's have a look at how to catch green waves. Catching an unbroken wave is the art of predicting where and when the wave will be You want to sit about four to five meters out from where the majority of the waves are breaking. If you wait in the exact spot where the majority of the waves break you will start to paddle and the waves will break on your back. Whilst you're sitting five meters out further than the break look at the horizon to try and spot lumps that look like stage A Pick a wave, turn around and give a minimum of eight strong paddle strokes. You want a wave that transitions from stage A to stage B as you're paddling for it. The next challenge is to match the speed of the wave when you're paddling for it. Matching the speed of a white water wave is very easy because the foam pushes you forward. Matching the speed of a green wave is a whole other ballgame because there's nothing pushing you forward. Now it's a combination of a proper paddle technique and your new friend gravity that will get you into the waves. To maximize the chances of catching unbroken waves you need to use the right paddle technique. You do this by using long strong deep paddle strokes. You also need to be positioned perfectly in the center of your surfboard and have your nose coming out of the water but no more than five centimeters. Make sure you take a glance over your shoulder to know if you need to paddle more or less depending on the wave shape. At that critical moment when the surfer gets that lift up on the wave he keeps his head low putting extra weight over the nose. This is key to sticking on an unbroken wave. Your head and the upper part of your shoulders probably weigh 20 kilograms or more. Imagine the difference it can make when you bring your head lower and closer to the surfboard as you're lifting up on the wave. This way it helps you use gravity to stick on that green wave. This surfer is positioned too far back on his surfboard making his nose pop out of the water Two seconds later as he is lifted up on the base of the wave the space under his nose gets even bigger because he does not bring his head lower to the surfboard. Often when the wave is at a steeper stage you won't feel like you need to bring your head closer to the surfboard's nose. At this point you may want to arch your back to slow yourself down to get a better entry into the wave. You should do your pop up on the top two thirds of the wave. Once you feel your tail lifting and you feel that you're gliding with the wave give two last paddle strokes. Put your hands beside your pectorals arch your back and then pop up. When you feel confident you've caught the wave and you give those two extra paddles don't hesitate to pop up. A common mistake is to keep paddling down the face of the wave until you're at the bottom. Arching your back will prevent you from nose diving and also slow you down so you don't go all the way down the face of the wave on your belly. Here are some tips for catching green waves. We often see beginner surfers making the mistake of sitting a lot further out than experienced surfers. The spot where experienced surfers sit is usually a good indication of where the waves are breaking. Next you want a board that floats. The bigger the board the easier it will be for you to paddle into green waves. Catching a green wave is about paddling fast enough to match the speed of the wave. Since the board is big it paddles much faster than a smaller board. It makes it easier for you to catch a green wave. Better surfers catch more waves because they move around a lot. The more proactive you'll be in positioning yourself in the right spot the more waves you'll catch. Here are some common mistakes. Many beginner surfers don't look behind them at the wave and they mistime their paddling. You simply cannot learn from your mistakes if you don't look behind you to see what's actually happening. Don't paddle with too much angle for a wave. At first you want to be paddling perpendicular to the wave facing straight to the beach. This is the easiest way to catch a green wave. Don't think you've paddled enough. When you're doubting if you've paddled enough for a wave give those two extra strokes before popping up. Don't be afraid to nosedive. Nosediving never happens because you've paddled too much. Nosediving often happens when you hesitate. Don't paddle enough, lose your speed and get pushed forward by the wave. It can also happen if you're paddling too far up on your surfboard with your nose already sinking in the water before you've even started paddling. You may also nosedive when you're trying to catch a wave at stage C when the wave is already breaking. So finally here are the keys to catching your green wave. Sit five meters further out than the break. Look over your shoulders. Paddle into a stage B wave. Make sure you've got the proper paddle technique. A bigger board for faster paddling. Keeping your head low when the wave lifts you. Two extra paddle strokes. Arch your back and pop up. If you're a beginner or intermediate surfer looking to learn to surf or improve your skills, head over to the livemoremagazine.com to unlock your surfing potential and get ready for your next surf trip. If you have any questions on how to catch a wave or you want to share any of your experiences trying to get onto an unbroken wave, please let us know in the comments below. If you feel like this video has helped your surf progression, please give us a thumbs up and make sure you subscribe to our channel so that you don't miss out on our next surfing tutorial.