Tips on How to Surf Backside

Surfing backside would be a lot more challenging and difficult than surfing frontside. While both approaches follow the same technique, you need to remember that staying high on the wave is important, as it allows you to gain more speed, in case you need to create sections while surfing. The truth is that this skill takes practice, and a lot of it too, but we’re not saying it’s impossible.

In this post, we will be discussing everything that you need to know to improve your backside surfing. Hopefully, you get to practice these tips to further your skill in surfing. Surfing backside is such a great maneuver you can totally show off to your mates. This would also be especially cool in case you’re joining a surfing competition. Keep on reading this post if you want to know more.

Tips on How to Surf Backside

What is Backside Surfing?

Tips on How to Surf Backside

Conclusion

What is Backside Surfing?

Before we proceed with the discussions, we first must talk about what backside surfing is. To make things a lot easier, frontside and backside surfing is the way you’re facing relative to the wave. With this, backside surfing is when you’re facing away from the wave or when the wave is at your back. It’s that simple.

Backside surfing is claimed to be the Achilles’ heel of a lot of surfers. Much thought is often considered by surfers like will they be able to do this maneuver gracefully in all wave conditions? Or do they need to dedicate more time to ride the waves on their back? However, some do prefer backside surfing instead of frontside surfing.

Why? Because even though the pressure is on the surfer’s back, it’s still a lot easier to pull the cornered snaps, as well as high line cutbacks. This is also true especially when the curl unexpectedly drops its energy over your buttocks and you’re forced to the shore.

Once you have successfully executed the backside surfing technique, you’ve now opened doors to a whole new level of your surfing dreams. For instance, you’re basically doubling your chances of riding more waves. You might also just be entitled to make out the most of A-peak frames. Additionally, you may get to ride the waves that others aren’t able to. You may pull some moves and tricks that you previously can’t do when frontside surfing. You may also get access to never before seen or experienced surf spots and wave peaks. But most importantly, you will be improving your overall surfing skills.

Tips on How to Surf Backside

Backside surfing is a skill that you don’t know you need. To further improve this skill, here are some tips for you:

• When you’re paddling for a backside wave, keep your surfboard angled towards the wave’s open face. Then, pop up to your feet as soon as you get the chance. When you’ve reached your feet, you may need to pump a bit to be able to get your feet back to the top. Keep in mind that your back foot must be forward a lot farther than when you’re going for a turn. Doing so allows you to access the flat part of your surfboard, which also lets you gain speed. Lastly, you may also need to use the pressure you have on your back foot to be able to turn your surfboard up the wave.
• Your front foot also has a job when backside surfing, as it should be able to guide you, as well as drive your surfboard up the wave. In case you didn’t know, the first little pump is the most crucial part of backside surfing. The reason is that it gives you the speed that you need to maintain throughout the ride.
• Once you’ve reached the wave’s top, this is the right time to perform the first full pump. You may need to put a little pressure on your front foot toe’s side edge. Do this while you’re gradually bending your knees. Then, drive down to the wave’s middle section using as much power as you have and watch the wave by simply looking over your shoulder. It’s also essential that you stay low in such a way that your front arm is pointed down the wave line. Remember that this move allows your momentum to keep moving forward.
• Once you’ve reached the wave’s middle part, you need to drive back up by simply applying pressure on your front foot’s heel side edge. With this, you may need to push your back foot hard while you lift your front foot up. When you do this, your body will naturally extend when you’re going up against the wave. So, you need to keep your arms in your chest pointed downward.
• Be aware of where you’re going simply by watching the shape of the wave. Drive towards the wave as hard as you possibly can. If you do, you’ll be getting much speed out of the little pump. Once you’re at the wave’s top, you may need to go straight onto your next jump to gain more speed.
• When you’ve successfully pumped through multiple sections, try to bank a power turn. You may also boost air to fully utilize your gained speed.
• When you keep practicing backside surfing, pumping becomes such a natural move. Soon you’ll be able to take a single pump and be able to make the most out of it to gain more speed.
• Try popping up as quickly as possible while taking a little pump. Doing so allows you to get back on top of the wave.
• You may also try bending your knees a little to move forward to your surfboard’s flat portion.
• Push a little harder on the front foot as you go down the wave. Then, pull up when you’re going up the wave.
• To further your skills in backside surfing, remember to always watch the wave’s lip, including the section that is ahead of you.
• It’s also a good measure if you try to lean onto your heels first when backside surfing. It would also help if you use your leading hand to point where you’re going. To add, you need to stay low and compressed. Finally, you need to spend your speed wisely.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve reached the end of the discussion, we hope that you’ll now be able to apply this new knowledge on how to surf backside. We admit that this maneuver may not be the easiest of them all but it’s totally worth your time and effort. If ever you’re in doubt, you only need to refer to this post for reference.