Surfing isn't the only board sport you can enjoy in the ocean. Bodyboarding is a recreational water activity in which you ride the waves on a short, wide board. Many beachgoers choose bodyboarding over surfing because the equipment is cheaper, it is more accessible for any age group and is less dangerous than surfing. Before catching your first wave, learn the proper bodyboarding technique to ensure you have a positive experience in the water.
Step 1
Lie face first on your bodyboard and paddle out to a point beyond where the waves are crashing. Depending on how far out the waves are crashing, you may be able to walk your bodyboard out past the crashing waves.
Step 2
Watch as the waves come in and choose one that you want to ride.
Step 3
Turn the bodyboard so that it faces the shore, place your hands on the front of the board and start kicking as the wave approaches, according to Sports Unlimited. You will need to kick hard to pick up enough speed so the wave picks you up instead of rolling under you. Stop kicking when you feel the wave start to carry you.
Step 4
Place your right hand on the side of the bodyboard if you want to ride left down the face of the wave, and your left hand on the side if you want to ride down the right face of the wave. You can keep your hands on the front of the bodyboard and ride straight if you are new to bodyboarding and want to get comfortable with the feel of riding waves.
Step 5
Raise your head and chest up over the bodyboard and lift up with the hand that is gripping the side of the board. Lifting your body gives you more control and more leverage when lifting the side of the board. When you lift the bodyboard you will turn down the face of the wave.
Tips and Warnings
- New bodyboarders should practice in shallow water riding the white water from waves that have already crashed in order to get a feel for how bodyboarding works. Consider purchasing a pair of fins to wear on your feet when bodyboarding. Fins help you move quicker in the water when kicking your feet. Raise and lower the side of the bodyboard repeatedly to ride up and down the face of the wave. This will prolong your ride and help you gain speed.
- Always keep an eye out for other swimmers in the water. Colliding with another swimmer could result in serious injury.
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