5 Ways to Improve Your Surfing Turns

It is normal to want to take our surfing to the next level and to want our surfing to become more stylish, fast and powerful; where carving is pure enjoyment, and splashing water when making more explosive and radical moves is synonymous with improvement and means our technique is evolving.

At Calima Surf, we have some tips to make your turns improve each and every time so that you can get maximum enjoyment out of your surf sessions.

Stay flexed and balanced

You will achieve more powerful maneuvers and turns if you make them as tucked-in as possible, crouching and grasping your knees. This way, you get optimum balance for the next maneuver and can change direction faster.

Control your timing

Many comment on the mistake of sliding straight along the wave to the flat part when they make their take off. You will lose speed and will get “stuck” there. It will be very difficult to make a good bottom turn to move to the next section of the wave.

Once you stand up and make the Drop, try not to go down the entire wall of the wave and make the bottom turn a little bit before you reach the flat area. If you do this, you will get a lot more speed and power. In addition, you will enter facing the wall of the wave, ready to make the next turn more effectively.

Turn your head

Don’t forget to rotate your head as much as possible when you want to make a powerful and radical turn. The upper part of your body, your hips and finally the board will follow the movement. You’ll see that by doing this your turns will be better and tighter.

Visualize your next move

It is important to always look towards the part of the wave where you will make your next turn. Focus on the turning area and mark it with your arms. Once you make the bottom turn at the bottom of the wave, focus your gaze towards the top.

Balance your weight

Don’t forget that to make a good turn, you must know how to balance your weight on both legs depending on which part of the turn you are in. For example, if we want to make a snap, we support our weight firmly and give a hard kick with the back foot. Then we shift our weight to the front foot to continue along the wave.

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If you want to know more about other moves, don’t miss this article: Surf culture and slang.