A common thought as the beginner surfer sits on the beach and contemplates on each wave as it comes crashing onto the shore: If only I could master the duck dive, I could look as good as the one who rode through it just now.
The Duck Dive is just one of the many things you can master on your beginners surf trip in our warm waters of Costa Rica.
Beginners watch, wait and try as they wash out time after time. Take it slow they say, first follow these steps:
- Take a swim out onto the water, just you, without your board
- Dive under a broken wave
- Go down
- Foam passes overhead; you are parallel to the surface
- Foam is gone; you tilt up and back to the surface
- It all just happens and it’s all natural
- Arms, head and shoulders guide the way
That’s the duck dive. Now, do it under a wave as you take your board for a ride. Hold the pressure on the back of your board and don’t forget those deep breaths. They matter in the end. That rush and gulp of air will not only throw off your balance, it can choke you up.
A novice surfer can definitely practice, practice, practice and get the hang of it. It’s not simple but it is worth the effort. You just need to be willing to try, to take the time to study the thought process and the fluidity of the movements you may just be able to master the natural flow of the body through the wave.
Learning any part of surfing is a skill within itself. Don’t let frustration take over your mind nor should you expect to be able to lay your board on the water and become a surf expert. The more experienced may look good out there but at one point, they stood right where you are and crossed every finger and toe they had as well. Try it out…it will be worth it in the end!
Experience a vacation like none other—learn how to surf from the experts in Playa Negra, Costa Rica with a Real Surf Trip’s surf camp.