by rich r » Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:15 pm
While it's possible to dive your board, it's going to be a bit harder for you, as it's a foot bigger than you and probably a bit thicker in the body and rails.
However, some quick tips:
- it's easier to dive through the wave if you have a good head of steam going (it's easier to dive moving forward into the wave than standing still.)
- If the wave has already broken, you need to determine how strong the white water is. If it's weak, or reforming into a second section, you can usually just paddle over it. If it's pretty strong, you want to dive.
- For whitewater, you should have the nose of the board underwater just before the foam would hit it. Push down hard, then follow with your head, as if you were diving into a pool (hands first, head next). Use the momentum from diving your head to help drive the board deeper. Keep your arms straight, elbows almost locked, legs out straight behind you (you should be at a forward downward angle). As the wash runs over your back, pull up one leg, put your knee (some use their foot, I use my knee) on the tail of the board and push down hard (this should straighten your angle out and begin to point your nose on an upward angle).
- for a wave; if it's crashing you want to dive right before where you think the lip is going to hit the water. If it's starting to curl, you should dive right into the meat of the wave, right before it starts to angle up, so you almost are paddling straight through it.
