Do you want to know how to balance on a wakesurf board? Here are some tips, techniques and strategies to improve your balancing ability while surfing waves. Learn faster, ride the wave longer and fall down less.
3 Wakesurfing Tips for Maintaining Your Balance
While wakesurfing behind a boat seem intimidating to beginners, the sport is actually quite easy to learn with the right technique and balance. Let’s take a look at some effective wakesurfing techniques, balancing drills and common beginner mistakes to avoid.
1. Wakesurfing Balance Techniques:
First of all, you must have a proper stance and positioning on the board. For instance, place your feet shoulder-width apart, so you feel comfortable and stable. Then, point your toes towards the long side of the board.
Then, bend your knees slightly and distribute your weight evenly between both feet. Also, focus on keeping your back straight and look up at the horizon, rather than downwards at your feet.
2. Get Better Control of Your Board:
Second, center your weight on the board. In other words, position yourself in the middle of the wakesurfer and don’t lean too far forward or too far back.
When people lean too far back, they tend to lose speed and fall too far back in the wake. On the flip side, leaning too far forward can cause the board to suddenly nosedive into the water.
Tip: Center your body weight and stance on your wakesurf board, and you’ll be better able to maintain control as you ride the wave. Not sure which wakesurf to buy? Check out the top beginner wakesurf boards.
3. How to Stay Balanced While Wakesurfing:
Third, hold your arms out to your sides for balance as you ride the wake.
Keep your arms outstretched and perpendicular to the board, and use them to counterbalance any sudden movements or shifts in weight. By doing so, you can maintain your balance and control on the board, even in choppy water conditions.
Wakesurfing Balance Drills
In addition to these basic techniques, you can practice wakesurfing balance drills improve your skills. Not only will these help you progress from novice to intermediate, they are challenging and fun as well.
One-Foot Balance Drill:
For example, try the one-footed balance drill. Surf the wake with both feet placed normally on the board. Then, slowly lift one foot off the board while you try to balance in a controlled manner on the other foot. Once you have mastered balancing on one foot, switch to the other foot and repeat the drill. This will help improve your overall balance and control on the board.
Rail-to-Rail Balancing Exercise:
Next is the rail-to-rail drill. This involves riding the wake and shifting your weight from one rail of the board to the other. By doing so, you can maintain your balance and control on the board, even in choppy water conditions.
Avoiding Common Wakesurfing Mistakes
Now, let’s take a look at some common beginner mistakes to avoid when wakesurfing. First of all, don’t look down at your feet while surfing. You can easily throw yourself off balance, and then you can lose control and the board flies out from under you.
Instead, focus your eyes upward on the horizon. Learn to feel the movement of the wave with your legs and body, and you will be better able to quickly adjust your stance as needed.
Also, don’t lean too far forward or too far back on your wakesurfer. As we talked about earlier, you want to keep a centered position on the board for better overall control. In other words, distribute your weight evenly between your front and back feet rather than bending too far in any direction.
Finally, try not to panic when you start to lose balance. It’s natural to feel a bit unsteady when first learning to wakesurf, but panicking will only make things worse. The good news is that falling in the water can be fun, and it happens to all of us!
In Conclusion
Instead, it’s better to stay calm and focused on your stance and body position. Therefore, you can learn from previous balancing mistakes and improve your riding skills and have a lot more fun on the water. Not sure what size board to buy? Click here.
As with any sport, you will get better at wakesurfing the more you practice. Remember to stay centered on the board, use your arms to steady you and practice balancing exercises. With patience, practice and a positive attitude, you can become a skilled and confident wakesurfer.
