How to Surf Big Waves
Make sure you have some experience already., Find the peak of the break you want to ride., During your paddle out it's best to go through the wave in the green portion, not the white water., Hug your board through white water., Regardless of the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make sure you have some experience already.
As a semi experienced surfer, we are going to assume that you are aware of channels and how to properly get into the lineup. -
Step 2: Find the peak of the break you want to ride.
From your observations on shore, you've noted which peaks are breaking and how they are breaking.
If the wave forms a tube/barrel/green room, whatever you want to call it, be careful not to attempt to go through the wave where the tube is being formed.
Most likely you will be sucked "over the falls" and end up back on the inside in a used condition. , Exercise extreme caution not to mess up a surfer's ride on your way out.
Avoid being an obstacle in the water.
Obstacles in the water get hurt, badly sometimes.
Paddle out of the way of a riding surfer or a surfer attempting to catch a wave remembering that you should always cross the wave behind the rider, not in front of them.
Proper use of channels will help you avoid these situations. , If the wave is not "throwing a lip" and appears "mushy"
there's not nearly as much danger of going over the falls, but the white water can push you back quite a ways.
When passing through white water, hug your board making yourself and your board as hydrodynamic as possible.
Once the wave passes, from the hugging position begin paddling right away.
This allows the buoyancy of the board to work to your advantage. , That's the place the wave first starts to break.
If you're completely unfamiliar with overhead (OH+) surf, then you definitely want to start with a mushy wave. , When surfing OH+ mush, as with all waves, the take off is paramount.
Muscle memory will help you with your take off and the drop in.
Don't be overly surprised at the speed of your drop in.
You'll be traveling anywhere from 20 to 50 mph depending on the size and power of the wave.
Keep your eyes on what is happening with the wave in front of you.
If the lip is starting to break further in front of you then you can get before it does, it may be time to bail or pull out.
Often on a mushy wave you can drop in front of the white water and pull back into the green on the other side of an inside peak. , A longboarder will naturally sit outside further than a shortboarder.
The longboarder can use distance more easily to gain the speed/momentum required to drop in on the wave.
The shortboarder will want to catch the wave by the steepness, doing only 4-6 paddles to drop in.
An experienced surfer can actually catch a wave after it's started to break.
The take off is infinitely more difficult as the white water is raging all about the surfer, balance is much more difficult and sometimes even maintaining contact with your board can be a challenge. , From take off to dismount that's where the fun is.
Sure, white water surfing has it's own set of thrills, but ask any experienced surfer, the green is where to be. , Riding hollow waves is much more difficult than riding mushy waves.
The danger level is increased dramatically by how hollow the wave is.
When a wave is "throwing a lip" and creating an empty space inside itself, the forward motion of the water is tremendous.
Boards are snapped and bodies broken.
Hollow wave riding usually requires a much later take off than a mushy wave.
Decisions must be made instantaneously in order to avoid wipe out. , It is usually very difficult if not impossible to catch one of these.
They generally arise when the wave hits a reef or a sandbar.
The sudden obstacle underwater forces the power and the water toward the surface.
Sometimes (as at Suckouts, San Elijo State Beach, Encinitas, CA.) when the wave hits the reef it "jacks up" as much as 25% of the wave height while traveling less than 10 feet.
The experienced surfer uses this boost to help them drop in on the wave. , A curious phenomenon that occurs when water rushing in and water rushing out meet in the same place.
There is usually a peak, and the "sections" of the wave from the peak turn toward the shore, like a crescent moon.
Sometimes the ends of the crescent close out and can doom the surfer's ride. , Inexperienced surfers will often attempt to catch a wave long after they should have let it go.
It's not uncommon to see surfers pulled by the wave, not riding it at all, over the top of the wave and into the soup (an experience called "over the falls").
Truly a nasty experience that should be avoided.
Don't continue to chase a wave that you will not be able to take off on.
Of course it's great for cleaning sinuses... , OK, so you're in the lineup, you've chosen a nice wave coming in, looks like it might be OH+1/2, a good 6'
- 8' wave.
You're in the pocket and you're about to drop in and ... holy carp! That's a long way straight down! Seems like you're gazing into the chasm of your doom.
No worries! You are! You can bet your bottom dollar that the first 3 or 4 waves are not going to be good.
You'll feel like Cody Maverick's first wave on Penghu Island against Tank.
You get over the shock of how far down it appears to be, and look off to the sides.
Look at the peak next door.
Check out how "vertical" the face of that wave is.
Not nearly as bad as it looked from the peak during your near death experience earlier.
You notice that by watching the tubing waves next door that there's space to actually drop in on that peak, and make your take off. , It will happen to you eventually.
You're dropping in on an OH+ wave and ... son of a gun! Where'd my board go? You'll lose contact with your board, you will be airborne hurtling down the face of the wave.
If you've got the skills, there's a good chance you can connect with your board again and successfully complete the take off.
This difficult maneuver is called an "air drop" and happens more by accident than by design. , Tube riding is extremely difficult and frankly, it's uncommon in California to get tubing waves most of the time.
Generally you will find mushburgers, but when things are working together in perfect harmony, tubing waves can be found.
Not at all beaches, but the special breaks that are blessed with the tide, current and bottom that allow waves to tube.
Once you've got your tubing wave, you want to get into the tube correct? Believe it or not, you may be traveling faster than the wave, and want to slow down.
To do this most efficiently is simple. "Pet the cat".
This means that you put a portion or your hand into the face of the wave.
How much you want to slow down is how deep you put your fingers in.
Be cautious not to dig to deep lest you end up being swallowed by the tube you're riding...
When in the tube, the forces pushing up on the rail of your board that is in the wave are trying to get you to "circle the tube." This unpleasant experience occurs when the wave catches your rail and flips you upside down inside the tube, and subsequently over the falls. , As always, local knowledge is good to have, but if you're surfing an unfamiliar break, pay special attention to any "boils" you see in the water.
This usually indicates an obstruction that should be avoided, like a reef or protruding rock.
If you surf near Santa Barbara or Ventura, you may even come across abandoned pipes leading to the water that were once part of the oil industry. -
Step 3: During your paddle out it's best to go through the wave in the green portion
-
Step 4: not the white water.
-
Step 5: Hug your board through white water.
-
Step 6: Regardless of the size of the wave
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Step 7: you always want to be as close as you can to the peak of the wave.
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Step 8: Focus on the take-off.
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Step 9: Depending on the type of board you are riding
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Step 10: position yourself near the peak.
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Step 11: Aim to get into the green part of the wave.
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Step 12: Handle hollow waves with care.
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Step 13: Beware of waves that throw a lip early.
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Step 14: When surfing near a jetty
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Step 15: beware of the "bowl."
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Step 16: Be careful of going "over the falls".
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Step 17: Keep calm as you go.
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Step 18: Roll with the punches if you lose your board.
-
Step 19: Look out for tubing waves.
-
Step 20: Keep an eye out for obstacles.
Detailed Guide
As a semi experienced surfer, we are going to assume that you are aware of channels and how to properly get into the lineup.
From your observations on shore, you've noted which peaks are breaking and how they are breaking.
If the wave forms a tube/barrel/green room, whatever you want to call it, be careful not to attempt to go through the wave where the tube is being formed.
Most likely you will be sucked "over the falls" and end up back on the inside in a used condition. , Exercise extreme caution not to mess up a surfer's ride on your way out.
Avoid being an obstacle in the water.
Obstacles in the water get hurt, badly sometimes.
Paddle out of the way of a riding surfer or a surfer attempting to catch a wave remembering that you should always cross the wave behind the rider, not in front of them.
Proper use of channels will help you avoid these situations. , If the wave is not "throwing a lip" and appears "mushy"
there's not nearly as much danger of going over the falls, but the white water can push you back quite a ways.
When passing through white water, hug your board making yourself and your board as hydrodynamic as possible.
Once the wave passes, from the hugging position begin paddling right away.
This allows the buoyancy of the board to work to your advantage. , That's the place the wave first starts to break.
If you're completely unfamiliar with overhead (OH+) surf, then you definitely want to start with a mushy wave. , When surfing OH+ mush, as with all waves, the take off is paramount.
Muscle memory will help you with your take off and the drop in.
Don't be overly surprised at the speed of your drop in.
You'll be traveling anywhere from 20 to 50 mph depending on the size and power of the wave.
Keep your eyes on what is happening with the wave in front of you.
If the lip is starting to break further in front of you then you can get before it does, it may be time to bail or pull out.
Often on a mushy wave you can drop in front of the white water and pull back into the green on the other side of an inside peak. , A longboarder will naturally sit outside further than a shortboarder.
The longboarder can use distance more easily to gain the speed/momentum required to drop in on the wave.
The shortboarder will want to catch the wave by the steepness, doing only 4-6 paddles to drop in.
An experienced surfer can actually catch a wave after it's started to break.
The take off is infinitely more difficult as the white water is raging all about the surfer, balance is much more difficult and sometimes even maintaining contact with your board can be a challenge. , From take off to dismount that's where the fun is.
Sure, white water surfing has it's own set of thrills, but ask any experienced surfer, the green is where to be. , Riding hollow waves is much more difficult than riding mushy waves.
The danger level is increased dramatically by how hollow the wave is.
When a wave is "throwing a lip" and creating an empty space inside itself, the forward motion of the water is tremendous.
Boards are snapped and bodies broken.
Hollow wave riding usually requires a much later take off than a mushy wave.
Decisions must be made instantaneously in order to avoid wipe out. , It is usually very difficult if not impossible to catch one of these.
They generally arise when the wave hits a reef or a sandbar.
The sudden obstacle underwater forces the power and the water toward the surface.
Sometimes (as at Suckouts, San Elijo State Beach, Encinitas, CA.) when the wave hits the reef it "jacks up" as much as 25% of the wave height while traveling less than 10 feet.
The experienced surfer uses this boost to help them drop in on the wave. , A curious phenomenon that occurs when water rushing in and water rushing out meet in the same place.
There is usually a peak, and the "sections" of the wave from the peak turn toward the shore, like a crescent moon.
Sometimes the ends of the crescent close out and can doom the surfer's ride. , Inexperienced surfers will often attempt to catch a wave long after they should have let it go.
It's not uncommon to see surfers pulled by the wave, not riding it at all, over the top of the wave and into the soup (an experience called "over the falls").
Truly a nasty experience that should be avoided.
Don't continue to chase a wave that you will not be able to take off on.
Of course it's great for cleaning sinuses... , OK, so you're in the lineup, you've chosen a nice wave coming in, looks like it might be OH+1/2, a good 6'
- 8' wave.
You're in the pocket and you're about to drop in and ... holy carp! That's a long way straight down! Seems like you're gazing into the chasm of your doom.
No worries! You are! You can bet your bottom dollar that the first 3 or 4 waves are not going to be good.
You'll feel like Cody Maverick's first wave on Penghu Island against Tank.
You get over the shock of how far down it appears to be, and look off to the sides.
Look at the peak next door.
Check out how "vertical" the face of that wave is.
Not nearly as bad as it looked from the peak during your near death experience earlier.
You notice that by watching the tubing waves next door that there's space to actually drop in on that peak, and make your take off. , It will happen to you eventually.
You're dropping in on an OH+ wave and ... son of a gun! Where'd my board go? You'll lose contact with your board, you will be airborne hurtling down the face of the wave.
If you've got the skills, there's a good chance you can connect with your board again and successfully complete the take off.
This difficult maneuver is called an "air drop" and happens more by accident than by design. , Tube riding is extremely difficult and frankly, it's uncommon in California to get tubing waves most of the time.
Generally you will find mushburgers, but when things are working together in perfect harmony, tubing waves can be found.
Not at all beaches, but the special breaks that are blessed with the tide, current and bottom that allow waves to tube.
Once you've got your tubing wave, you want to get into the tube correct? Believe it or not, you may be traveling faster than the wave, and want to slow down.
To do this most efficiently is simple. "Pet the cat".
This means that you put a portion or your hand into the face of the wave.
How much you want to slow down is how deep you put your fingers in.
Be cautious not to dig to deep lest you end up being swallowed by the tube you're riding...
When in the tube, the forces pushing up on the rail of your board that is in the wave are trying to get you to "circle the tube." This unpleasant experience occurs when the wave catches your rail and flips you upside down inside the tube, and subsequently over the falls. , As always, local knowledge is good to have, but if you're surfing an unfamiliar break, pay special attention to any "boils" you see in the water.
This usually indicates an obstruction that should be avoided, like a reef or protruding rock.
If you surf near Santa Barbara or Ventura, you may even come across abandoned pipes leading to the water that were once part of the oil industry.
About the Author
Susan Rogers
Writer and educator with a focus on practical creative arts knowledge.
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