Surfing Waves

i went out yesterday and just watched people surf for about 4 hours, dissecting everything they did. i noticed some guys only turned using their rails, and some only from the tail of their board. is one better or more efficient than the other? i'm learning to do both, but don't want to develope any bad habits that will be hard to shake later on.

also, when turning from the rail, is it better to lean way into the turn and use your hips or to just put one foot off-center in the direction you want to go?

Don't worry about "bad habits" just get out there and get stuck in. Different turns suit different waves and different styles, also board type and fin types - an old glassed in D fin will be a bugger to turn unless you go drop knee.

Forget about the knees - turn your shoulders to face the way you want to turn and your body will try and follow.

Have fun.