Crouching - is there such as thing as too low

[Art]

If you go to any google image search and search for any top surfer surfing you'll see what I mean when you look at their default stance when not in the middle of a big move. The back knee always leans in towards the front knee(very much the opposite of the poo stance you see in learner.)

In regards to hands, I meant arms. The shoulders and hips are never directly parallel with the line of the board. There is always one arm on either side of the body and board side to side(obviously trailing arm is quite far back).

When I practiced this on land propping the board up on a few towels to mimic the rail to rail movements of a board - this open stance is so much more stable than if your body is directly parallel to the line of the board. You can lean back, forward, side to side much further, and if you become unstable, squaring the shoulders up in an exaggerated fashion seems to stabilise you from falling off. I haven't analysed the last bit on surfing footage of surfers who land tough airs etc, but I'm placing a fair guess that is how they land and stabilise.

[waikikikichan]

Understood about the "moment" when "pros" setup their legs and arms before the big move. When they coil up and compress their body. But that Arms out to each side and the back knee bent is also taught to beginners by some surf schools. It leads to this locked body, which might match your description of the stance to some people.

photo credit to Starboard
I totally get what you are saying, but some newbies might think "I should put my arms out to the side and bend my back knee to surf better."

[Art]

Yep agree with what you are saying and that pic is definitely not the action I am describing.

Here is an example I found

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You can see the girl has both arms and shoulders on the toe side and a back leg back. Look at the pic below - his stance is much more open, with a shoulders and upper arms on either side of the board - every top surfer has this stance. This is what I am describing. From a biomechanics perspective I imagine it relates to the need to create more torque when going up a wave, and therefore having a big reserve of hip and shoulder rotation which allows an easier turn up the wave. That's just my thoughts.

[oldmansurfer]

In the lower picture the surfer has made his turn and is going down the wave with his weight forward on the board. It is a moment in time however the knees together stance is a common one.

[Art]

Yep, you're right. But even in most non performing parts of the wave it seems to be a default stance. found another of slater just cruising about. just hanging there with the shoulders open and back knee angled forward rather than to the side.

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[Lebowski]

There's a surf simply video on youtube, which explains very well why good surfers have this knock-kneed stance. Basically it means you can subtly weight shift the board very easily whilst remaining stable.