Tips & Info

When you feel confident catching waves and popping to your feet then you can start to think about how to turn a surfboard on whitewater waves. You should be consistently getting rides of 5 seconds or more before you consider trying this however. Also the surfboard that you should be trying your first basic turns on is a big buoyant softboard or a foam covered hard surfboard.

Beginner surfboards don’t turn on a sixpence like a some of the surfboards that you will see other more experienced surfers using so don’t expect to be performing radical tight arc turns. Instead, you should expect a beginner surfboard to respond slowly and you can use that extra time to really concentrate on your technique as well as being precise with your movements.

How to Turn a Surfboard on Whitewater Waves

Turning will be a mixture of some of the skills that you already have with a couple of new techniques. With surfing, as with a lot of sports, there is a saying – ‘where the head goes the body follows’. [themedy_columns structure=”50|50″][themedy_col position=”a”]

This applies to all surfers from beginners to pros. At it’s most simplistic it means that wherever you look and point your arms is where you will end up.

So don’t look straight down!

Instead try to focus on the 3-5m arc of flat water in front of your surfboard.

[/themedy_col][themedy_col position=”b”]

[/themedy_col][/themedy_columns]

When you are riding whitewater waves you will usually have your weight evenly distributed across both feet. To start the turn bend your knees and lean back slightly to put some of your weight over your back leg. Just by getting your head in line (i.e vertically above) with you back foot you will really begin to dig the fins into the water and engage the rails of the surfboard.

At the same time you will want to look and point in the direction that you would like to go. At first keep the movement small; you really don’t need to have full body rotation to set the surfboard on a different track.

When you want to stop the turn then just rotate your shoulders back to their normal surfing position, keep your arms pointing in the direction of the surfboard and bring your weight evenly across both of your feet again.

[themedy_columns structure=”50|50″][themedy_col position=”a”]

When you are surfing whitewater waves you don’t want to turn any more that 45º to the wave that you are surfing as this will make you very unstable.

If you need to straighten up then just do the same leaning action but look and point in the opposite direction.[/themedy_col][themedy_col position=”b”]

[/themedy_col][/themedy_columns]

Practise going from one side to the other until you are comfortable with this new skill and can perform it consistently. See what happens when you gently lean into the turn as well. You should find that the turn is a lot sharper but don’t be surprised if you fall off a few times at first.

Remember to protect your head when you wipe-out.

Wetsuit boots are a necessary evil in colder climates and if you ask the surfers who use them, most have a love/hate relationship with them. In general the least neoprene that you can get away with and still be tolerably warm will usually correlate to an increase in performance with your surfing. I can’t think of anyone who would prefer to surf in a wetsuit when they can surf in boardshorts and its the same with surf booties.

With wetsuit boots the difference between a good pair and a bad pair can be like night and day. The fit and style of your wetsuit boots will have a real impact on your ability to grip to your surfboard and how warm they will be so it is worth taking the time to do a bit of research to ensure that you get the right pair for you.

To help with your research we thought we would come up with a our own….

Wetsuit Boot Buyers Guide.

We aim to cover most of things that you need when you are in the market for a new pair of wetsuit booties so read on to find out what we think you ought to know.

The Fit of the Wetsuit Boot

Wetsuit boots come in the standard size ranges (5, 6, 7 etc) but I haven’t yet seen a bootie that comes in half sizes. However because most surf boot manufacturers use different templates then a size 7 in one brand might feel like a size 8 in a rival brand. In short it is worth trying a few different brands to make sure that you get the right fit for you.

The first thing that you should know is that any pocket of air or gap between your foot and the neoprene will just fill with water. While you do want to have a layer of water in your boot any excess water will just slosh around and feel really heavy when you are popping up to your feet and surfing.

So you want a tight fit?

Yes, but not too tight!

Wetsuit boots generally have a thicker layer of rubber over the toe and heel to provide extra support and strength and if this rubber is really tightly fitted to your toe then this can cause some discomfort.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking they will ‘give’ with regular use. They won’t and you will dread wearing them after a few surfs.

The Different Types of Wetsuit Boots:

 

Round Toe Wetsuit Boots

The round toe wetsuit boot is the most popular boot that you can buy. They feature a rounded end, are easy to manufacture and are therefore usually inexpensive to buy. They are generally the easiest to fit as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Split Toe Wetsuit Boots

This style of wetsuit boot is very popular with more serious surfers. The big toe is separated from the rest of the toes hence the name. They can be a bit colder than a round toe boot because when the big toe is in a separate chamber it is not quite as efficient to keep warm as when all the toes are packed together.

The difference in performance is noticeable though. Because the boot is gripping onto your big toe then your foot is not as free to move about as in the round toe boot so all of your bodies movement is more effectively transferred through your feet to your surfboard. With a round toe boot your foot tends to roll around inside them so the energy transfer from feet to surfboard is not quite as good.

Latex Dipped Wetsuit Boots

Most wetsuit boots are made from the standard double-lined neoprene – a layer of neoprene lined with a thin layer of fabric on either side.  In the last few years there has been a new material which has been gaining popularity called latex dipped neoprene. I won’t bore you with the manufacturing details but what you end up with is a very light and very flexible boot. They have the appearance of a single-lined neoprene – a layer of neoprene with only one side lined in fabric – and what they lack in durability they make up for in performance. These wetsuit boots are about as close as you can get as the feel of surfing barefoot but there have been a few question marks regarding their longevity. If you put a heavy emphasis on performance but don’t mind buying a new pair each year then these could be the boots for you.

What Thickness Wetsuit Boot Do I Need?

Most wetsuit boots are manufactured using either 3mm, 5mm or 7mm neoprene. The thicker the boot the warmer it will be. During the British summer when the sea can get up to the dizzy heights of 19˚ then boots won’t generally be required for warmth but if you suffer from cold feet or are petrified of the dreaded weaver fish sting then 3mm will be ample. The winter sea in the South West of England drops to around 8˚ and depending on how warm you like your feet to be then 3mm – 5mm wetsuit boots should be fine. If you are hardcore enough to enjoy surfing in Scotland, the East Coast of England and Northern European nations such as Norway where the water can drop to 4˚ then 5mm – 7mm wetsuit boots will be suitable for you.

Wearing Your Wetsuit Boot

When you have a good fitting wetsuit boot then peel up your wetsuit leg, put the boots on and roll the wetsuit leg back down over the wetsuit boot. This will prevent them from flushing with water, ballooning to twice their original size and getting wrenched off your feet when you do your first duck-dive.

Caring for Your Wetsuit Boots

Nothing makes the journey home from the beach slow down like a festering wetsuit boot slowly baking in the back of the van but it doesn’t need to be this way.

The trick is to take a little bit of care of them – nothing too radical, just a little rinse with cold fresh water after each surf and dry them in the shade. Doing this will help them last a little longer and prevent them from smelling like a washed up seal carcass.

Go on, do the right thing. It will make everyone feel a bit better.