Body surfing IS surfing at its most base and pure level: riding a wave…no board needed. Sure, body surfing is a sport in which one can compete based on length of ride, style, and maneuvers; but body surfing is so much more than that. It’s the most connected a human can be to nature. Without any man-made devices or assistance, we harness the raw power of nature and feel every ounce of the wave along our bodies. Come on! You know I’m right.
So let’s go all encyclopedia here and define what EXACTLY body surfing is: body surfing is physical art of riding a wave without any flotation or buoyant assistance of any kind. This includes a bodyboard or surfboard. In my opinion, the greatest level of body surfing occurs without anything at all (this includes swim fins), but for safety and performance, its acceptable to use a pair of swim fins to propel you back into the lineup, into more waves, and help you maneuver along the wave face and stay connected to the wave.
One of the coolest moments in body surfing is that crucial second of connection with the wave, when you feel the wave and your forward motion become one. In order for this this moment to occur, you have to time that instance of launch. It takes strong and sustained swim strokes timed just as the peaking swell passes your body. It’s a full body commitment. Stroke your arms, kick your feet, and put your head down for optimal directional flow and minimal friction. It helps to arch your back forwards a bit to channel the water up towards your torso in order to create a lifting effect, so your body can reach maximum glide into the wave. This is achieved by lowering your head and feet slightly below the body (Watch a dolphin do it).
Some body surfers achieve this by swimming beneath the water and popping up as the wave accelerates much like a dolphin.
If you make it out onto the open face, here is where the action begins. You can now stretch your body and roll to your back and direct yourself with one outstretched arm. Your body will tell you which arm just like it tells you which foot to put forward when you ride you surfboard. You can turn using your shoulder as a makeshift fin. However, this is the one way ride a wave with your body. Turns, tubes, and even floaters or flips are possibilities depending on the size and form of the wave. But just like all surfing, body surfers around the world exercise their right to ride a wave in way they feel. And body surfing is all “feel.”
It’s best to start body surfing is small mushy waves over sand, but as your progress, you will look for more power and size. For me, I love a big, nasty shore break wave over sand. It offers loads of action with minimal lag time swimming back out to the lineup. Plus, I don’t need fins because there is very little treading. A wave like Sandy Beach or Waimea shore break (both in Hawaii) provide incredible opportunities for giant in-the-barrel views. The Wedge in California is also revered for its size and power. However, you will find great body surfing waves all around the world.
That’s what is so cool about body surfing: anyone can do it anywhere at any time. If you surf on a bodyboard or surfboard or surf mat or whatever, you would be remiss not to take time every so often to go body surf. Leave your board on the beach and just get out there on your own. It’s twice the exercise and twice the challenge and will make you a better board rider as you connect to the wave’s true form.
