Perfecting the Duck Dive

This section is to assist the novice to intermediate surfer in improving their duckdiving skills so they are able to get past the inside waves faster with less energy expended. Take these steps to improve your duckdiving skills:

1) While paddling out ensure you are centered on your board and have found that sweet spot which streamlines and speeds up your paddling speed while paddling out. Move your chest up and down the board until you've found it.

2) When approaching a breaking wave try to time it so that the wave has already broken before you approach your duckdive.

3) As you are approaching the whitewash put both hands on the rails at the top third of the board and plunge the board down.

4) While pushing down with your upper body and the wave is beginning to pass immediately press on the tail with your knee or foot to push the back end of the board down.

5) When timed properly you will feel a plunge downward, then forward, knowing you've succeeded in a solid duckdive. When coming up through the back the wave you should feel that you have been propelled forward and past the wave.

This technique takes a lot of time to practice but when perfected it can really come in handy on bigger surf when you don't have the luxury of a channel at a reef or a pointbreak. Watch more advanced surfers to see how they are doing it. There are many variantions using the feet, the knees, and even the turtle to get past waves but they can all work depending on the size of your board and the size of the waves.