Small waves & big boards… great for improving SUP surf skills!

Riding big boards in less than average conditions is great for your general SUP surf skills and can be a lot of fun too. Board 360º, fin first take offs and head stands all promote great board skill, balance and control. Starboard waterman Zane Schweitzer is a master at having fun on the water.
If you haven’t tried any of these moves yet, fin first take offs like Zane’s at 0:47sec is a great manoeuvre to start with, and looks pretty cool too!

Tips for the fin first take off;

• Paddle onto the wave standing up towards the nose of the board, so the back of the board and fins are out of the water out the front (otherwise the fins will catch).
• Use small and less powerful strokes, because the board will want to turn if you put too much power in.
• Let the wave pick you up (maybe catch it later than normal).
• When on the wave lean back and keep the tail/fins up, trimming the board with your body weight and feet.
• To turn the board back around, lean forward, let the fins engage in the water and get ready for the board to spin back to its normal direction.
• When learning a bigger board will make it easier.

Give it a go next time and remember to mix it up, anything goes on a big board in small surf… but we will leave the paddling out backflips to Zane!

Feature image : Georgia Schofield