Overview.
Once you have everything you need to boogie board, the next step is to learn how to do it. Be sure to check out our beginner tips for boogie boarding if you’re just getting started. Here we are going to go over the steps to boogie boarding from start to finish.
Make sure you’re prepared.
Become familiar with the water
Know what rip currents are, how to spot one, and what to do if you’re in one.
Learn how to read a wave
- Avoid close out waves – which are waves that crash all at once preventing the boarder from being able to ride it. These are waves that are completely horizontal at the top.
- Learn to identify the direction you should ride
- If the wave is steepest on one side, this is an indication of where the wave will break. You will want to ride in the direction that the wave is breaking.
Wear the right gear
Most importantly make sure you have a leash firmly attached to your boogie board and it is securely strapped around your wrist or bicep.
Correct size of boogie board:
- As a general rule of thumb, the boogie board should be close to your belly button when standing it upright next to you and should be no wider than the width from one shoulder to the other.
- When you’re lying on the boogie board, the back of it, also known as the tail of the boogie board, should be touching near your hips.
Make sure you have the right clothes
Whether it is a bathing suit, a wet suit, or a rash guard, make sure you have some sort of gear on for the water and to prevent chafing while riding your boogie board.
Swim fins.
As a beginner, you don’t need swimming fins, but these can help a lot when it comes to paddling out to catch the wave or paddling to stay in the wave.
Goggles.
These aren’t mandatory but they can be convenient as you get started. Sometimes when trying to catch the wave, you have to duck dive under a lot of waves. In doing so, you’ll be going underwater a few times and having goggles on can make it easier.
Swim out to the waves.
- As a beginner, it’s best to start with smaller waves before trying out a larger one.
- Once you have the boogie board leash secured on your arm or bicep, you’re ready to start heading out to the waves.
- Walk into the water carrying your board under your arm.
- Once the water is around knee and waist deep you can put the board down and get onto it.
- When on the board:
- Aim to have your right hand on the top right edge of the board and your left hand on the top left.
- Your hips should be touching the back of the boogie board
- Paddle out towards the waves with your legs and one arm while holding onto the board in the other arm.
Catch the wave!
Stay in front of the wave
- Once you see the wave, make sure to be about 1 – 2 meters (about 3 – 6 feet) ahead of the wave once it begins to crash
- Face your board in the direction the wave is crashing – or if you’re a beginner, point it towards the beach
- And start paddling! This is where the swim fins can help.
Riding the wave
- Don’t worry about paddling anymore, let the wave do the rest of the work!
- When riding the wave you want to position yourself differently than when you’re paddling out.
- Stay centered on the board.
- Raise your chest.
- Hold the front of the board up.
- Keep your legs straight
- The less you have in the water, the less drag you will create, and the faster you will go.
- Keep your elbows on the board.
- Point your eyes in the direction you want to go.
- Ride with the wave.
- Turning: If you want to turn right, keep your right elbow on the nose of the board, use your left arm to pull the left side of the board slightly up, and lean right.
- Aim to ride a little above the halfway point of the wave. This is the best part of the wave to be positioned in as it is the fastest part of it.
Final thoughts.
And there you have it! Now you know how to boogie board. Within no time, these steps will become muscle memory and you won’t need to read this over again. Have patience while you’re starting out and make sure to stay safe while doing so. Below is a great video to watch on the process.
Now that you know how to boogie board, learn more about the history of boogie boarding, why you should boogie board, and where are the best locations to boogie board.
