We finally made it to the good stuff! In this article we’ll go over how to catch broken waves, also known as whitewater or whitewash. Your life will be a lot easier if you’ve read through the first 6 articles and really practiced those 3 key fundamentals. Now let’s get to surfing yewwwwwwwwwwwwww!
So for your first few times out, you’ll want to focus on surfing in the whitewash. These are waves that have already broken, so they will be a little more gentle and a lot easier to catch. You’re looking for the small breaking waves that you can basically walk out to.
Alright so get your leash on your back foot, if you are a regular footed surfer that’s your right foot and for goofy stance it’s your left foot. The leash should be on the outside of your ankle.
Now when you’re walking out, just guide the board along with you, right on your side, use your arm to push down on the tail when whitewash is about to hit you, this will help get the board over the broken wave. As you are walking out, keep an eye out for other surfers and other people around you. Always have full control over you board, never ditch that board. Nobody wants to get hit with it!
If it’s your first time out, it might help to just jump on and start paddling around so you can practice and get a feel for it. Really focus on getting situated in the right spot, get those feet out of the water, toes on the end of the board, head up, back arched. If you are paddling out and whitewash is coming at you, you can get over the whitewash by pushing up with your hands and arching your back.
Once you’ve gotten the hang of paddling around, find a spot in the whitewash where you can stand. Place your board on your side, nose facing the beach, keeping an eye on what’s coming in. When you see one that’s not too big (but still big enough to push you), hop on and get in your paddle position, start paddling and as the wave starts to push you do your pop up. That’s it!
Now, there is no magical number to how many times this should take before you get it. Some people are lucky and get it their first time out, some people it takes a few sessions to pop up and ride a wave for the first time. So don’t be discouraged, surfing is one of the hardest sports to learn, especially as an adult!
Here are some things to look out for in case you aren’t having any luck.
If you are nosediving, try moving a bit further back on the board, sometimes the whitewash is too powerful and it will force your board down. Make sure your back is arched, this will also help prevent nosedives.
Try not to catch the wave while it’s still breaking, make sure it’s broken already and you are just focusing on the whitewash right now. You can move on to open faced waves (or green waves) once you master surfing in the whitewash.
If the wave is passing you by, try moving a bit forward on the board, you may be pushing too much water (so the nose out of the water too much).
Try paddling earlier and faster so that you have more speed, keep paddling until you know for sure the wave has you. You should be able to feel the whitewash pushing you.
If you are really having trouble getting a feel for the wave, skip the pop up and focus on just catching the wave on your stomach. Really get a good feeling of what it’s like to have the wave take you. Once you are comfortable with that, add in your pop up and start surfing.
Some surf spots are better than others for learning in the whitewash, and some days are better than others. So do your best, but don’t be surprised if you don’t get it your first time out. In between surf sessions, go back home and study the fundamentals we covered, practice your pop-ups, and get prepared for your next session.
If you need help or tips with catching whitewash, feel free to leave a comment on my YouTube video or shoot me an email. In the next article, we’ll take this a step further and get you out to the actual break where you can start catching open faced waves.