Refine your technique - The Duck Dive

To understand a Duck Dive, try going for a swim in the sea. Swim out to the waves and dive under them. Get a feeling for how the foam passes overhead and how easy and natural it is without a board..

That’s all Duck Diving is essentially just with a board. Try to get to know your board, how it sits in thew water, where to push the nose down to sink it quickest etc

And don’t forget that you can practice endlessly in flat water. Paddle, Duck, Surface, Repeat!

Make the movement as natural as when you were swimming.

And make it fast. In order to Duck Dive well, you need speed which means paddling as fast as you can towards the wave.

Just before the wave hits, push the board underwater nose first.

Place both hands on the rail near the nose, and one knee on the deck, wherever it naturally falls.
It’s no good just pushing down the nose; if the tail is sticking up, it’ll drag you backwards.

As the wave passes, let the nose rise.

Try to explode back to the surface: use the natural buoyancy of your board to pop up, giving yourself some paddling momentum straight away.

Remember DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT abandon your board rather than try a Duck Dive. Ever!!
You never know who is near-by especially if your local spot is crowded!

Take the beating and/ or pummeling like a grown up because that board you so casually let go of is now a lethal weapon!

It can and will cause serious injury, take it from someone who has been on the receiving end and does not enjoy the ensuing trips to A&E!

As ever practice is the key to success.

If you have any questions for our Surf Instructors post them on our Facebook page and we will do our best to help.

Aloha :)