duck diving a fun shape

[The111]

Few questions about duck diving.

Is it possible to duck dive a fun shape? I realize this question leaves a lot unspecified. Well, to start, I'm 6ft/160lb and riding a 7ft fun shape, I realize that still doesn't cover everything since one 7ft board could be way more buoyant than another, but for the purposes of this question let's assume it's a "normal" 7ft funshape, if such a thing exists.

I'm having partial success with my duckdives, with a 3ft wave I can duck dive the breaking crest or the wall of whitewater almost 100% of the time. With a bigger wave, I can do it if the wave is just breaking and I go through the wall, but if it has just BROKEN and I have 4-5 feet of whitewater coming at me, I usually get sucked quite a bit, i.e. the duckdive is not successful. I guess timing and power is more critical as the waves get bigger. I'm thinking it IS possible to duckdive this board, but it would probably be easier on a not-so-floaty shortboard. I've heard though that some people can duckdive 9ft longboards. Is that true?

Also, when you sink the front end, do you actually push the board "forwards" (in the direction it is pointing) under the water, or do you just push downwards (toward the ocean floor)? I usually try to push it forward a bit, and when I sink the back end I use my foot, even though the "how to duckdive" animation on this site (which I've studied immensely) says to use your knee. Anyone else use a foot?

One last thing... does having a lot of forward speed before starting it help? Or does it make it harder to sink the front end? Can you just do it sitting still?

Thanks for putting up with all my questions, hopefully someone will read this monstrosity and answer at least some of them. :D

[astral]

yes its true people can duckdive a 9ft long board. i can, but i hate doing it because the amount of energy required wears me out after a couple of these. The key to duck diving i think, and i have not seen anyone mention this, is the feet. my friend has been showing me how, and how he was duck diving under almost double overhead waves in hawaii. in hawaii he told me, you have almost 200yard paddles to get out to the breaks! The key like i said is your feet and back half of your body. This is what i do. I grab the rails like everyone else, and i push myself up off the board. in the back with my feet, i come up on my foot on my traction pad. this helps you to push the board under with that leverage in the back. its kinda hard to explain but youll see what im talking about when you try it. just push your upper body iup a little bit on the rails, and plant your foot (i use my right) on the back of the traction pad. so after you push ur upper body up, dip the nose very hard. when you go under bring your body down close the the board and with ur back foot thats firmly planted, PUSH DOWN HARD. this will rocket the nose back up towards the surface. duck dives can only work well if you can get under and back up efficiantly. the goal is to go under and pop back up and move foward. i have seen my friends gain ground when duck diving. so if you practice and do it right, you will get very good at it. just go out and duck dive on everything you see lol. and yes, i can duck dive sitting still, i just turn into the face, push the nose under, and get that foot up in the back, then i push the back down when im under water deep enough, and i rocket back up. its easy, and you really need any speed. you have to learn to manipulate your board and not let it work you.

[sinistapenguin]

There is one other key to duckdiving which astral didn't mention (and I still haven't got the hang of - TIMING.

When a wave has already broken the area that can work you over is bigger than if it is breaking. Therefore you have to dive deeper/ further to get through it.

The forward speed isn't necessary. As the wave approaches, grab the rails, I usually do this further forward than when I'm standing. Push yourself up from the board. At this point I put my knee on the board and keep my back straight to form a triangle - up my thigh and body, down my arms and back along the board. All the weight is now going down my arms and pushing the nose under.

Once my board is under and my head goes down, I bend at the waist and start pusing my arms forward over my head, this shifts the weight over my knee and starts pushing the tail under. As soon as the wave starts to pass over me, i straighten my back leg, pushing down on the tail HARD. at the same time I scoop my arms forward over my head (imagine the motion as if you were trying to empty a bucket of water over your head)

This completes the shift of the weight an the board is now pointing back towards the surface, the water now pushes you up and you pop out behind the wave. Smoooooooooooooth.

It sounds hard but all of the above is really one smooth movement (think about it too much and your timing will be off!!)

Hope this helps

Sinista