Catching your first waves on a SUP / How to video

Now in this what a surf how-to video we're going to take a basic look at catching your very first wave and really especially looking at the footwork required. Now it sounds easy but getting your timing, board and foot positioning right to get you onto the wave does take practice. Whatever your paddling ability there's nothing more annoying than watching the perfect wave just pass you by. So if it's your first time out back in the waves here's what you should be doing to give you the best chances of catching your first waves. Firstly if you haven't already get your feet out of parallel stance and slightly in an offset surfing stance. By this I mean one foot slightly in front of the other. If you don't know which foot you prefer to have out in front check out our other video on regular or goofy foot positionings. Moving your feet while afloat and standing in surf stance does take practice so if you get the chance it's always good to practice on flat water first. Ideally you want to have them sideways in surf stance but to start off with just try moving them a little bit. There is a number of reasons for getting your feet into the surf stance position for catching your first wave. Firstly it helps you turning your board. Being able to turn quickly and position your board correctly is essential to give you the best chance of catching a wave. When you're catching your first waves ideally you want to be pointing straight towards the beach. Chances are when you start off the wave will pass you by before you've even had a chance to turn around. Whether you're turning using a sweep stroke or pivot turn having your feet slightly offset allows you to turn more quickly by using the tail of your board to pivot. It also means your feet are in the right position and you're ready to go as soon as a wave arrives. Also having your feet in surf stance allows you to get in a more stable position so less chance of being knocked off by the wave. Getting a nice wide surf stance with your knees bent will allow you to keep your body and centre of gravity low. You'll be amazed the difference this makes. If you try catching a wave with your feet in parallel stance and your legs straight I can guarantee even the best subsurfers will end up falling off the back of the board. Having your feet in surf stance also allows you to easily move your body weight forward and back without necessarily having to move your feet. This movement is essential to help you get down the wave and not nosedive at the bottom. Again with your knees bent and your body low as the wave picks you up from behind lean slightly forwards onto your front leg pushing the nose of the board down the wave. If you don't do this the wave is likely to pass underneath you leaving you waiting for the next wave. Once you're on the wave and moving forward adjust your body weight back again onto more of your back foot. This will help lift the nose of the board and stop the board from nosediving. Going head first over the front of your board can happen when you start subsurfing but it can be easily avoided. So getting your feet in a slight surf stance and your body low is your first step to getting you catching that first wave. But also when getting into subsurfing you've got to think about your paddle as well. When paddling in surf stance you'll probably find it easier to hold your paddle on the opposite side of your front leg. Doing this will keep you balanced. Try paddling on both sides when you're in surf stance and you'll soon work out which is the easiest side to paddle on. So when starting off to catch a wave remember to aim straight towards the beach ideally 90 degrees from the wave. This won't get you on the glassy clean faces but it will get you down more waves and which is really important when you first start subsurfing. So remember these main points get your feet in surf stance, get low, adjust your body weight and hold your paddle on the opposite side of your front leg and you will soon be getting down those first waves. Look out for our next subwater surf how-to video where we're going to be looking at which way to go on the wave and get you on a clean wave face.