Turning is a fundamental skill in surfing, allowing you to change direction on the wave, ride along the face, and set up maneuvers. It's a combination of shifting your body weight, engaging the board's rails, and using your upper body for balance and direction.
Basic Turning Mechanics
Performing a turn while surfing primarily involves:
- Stance: Maintaining a balanced, athletic stance with knees bent.
- Weight Distribution: Shifting your weight towards the toes for a heelside turn (facing the wave) or towards the heels for a toeside turn (back to the wave).
- Rail Engagement: Leaning the board onto its edge (rail) by applying pressure through your feet and ankles. This carve is what makes the board turn.
Using Your Arms and Body for Control
Beyond just feet and weight, your arms and upper body play a crucial role in initiating and guiding a turn. Think of your arms as steering and balancing tools.
As highlighted in guides for beginner surfers, your arm position directly influences how far and how sharp you can turn.
- To initiate a turn, twist your torso and lead with your head and eyes, looking where you want to go.
- Your arms will naturally follow. The position of your trailing or leading arm can dictate the carve's arc.
- According to the referenced video, pointing your arm further back in the direction of the turn allows you to turn further. This technique is effective on both frontside (facing the wave) and backhand (back to the wave) turns. By extending your arm's movement, you increase the torque and momentum needed for a more significant change in direction.
Essentially, your entire body works in coordination – eyes look, torso twists, arms point, and weight shifts to engage the rail and carve the desired path on the wave.
Practice and Progression
Mastering turns takes practice. Start with gentle carves and gradually work on sharper turns as you become more comfortable with weight shifts, rail engagement, and using your arms effectively to guide your board. Observing experienced surfers and practicing the movements on land can also be beneficial.
