This tutorial breaks down the duck dive, one of surfing’s most important skills, into a five-step process. Mastering the duck dive is crucial for conserving energy and getting out past the waves to where the best waves are breaking.
Key Takeaways & Tips
Step 1: Position and Hands
Find your perfect paddling position on the board. The first step is placing your hands on the rail of the board under your chest, like a push-up position.
Step 2: Press Down
Press down with your arms. This action should immediately submerge the nose of the board under the water.
Step 3: Knee/Foot Push
Push with your knee or foot onto the deck grip. This action is the second stage, ensuring the whole board is submerged.
Step 4: Follow and Extend
Follow the board under and extend the board forward as you dive underneath the water. This is where you gain distance under the wave.
Step 5: Resurface
Slide your hands up towards the nose of the board. Pull your chest in towards the board to help your body follow the nose up and out of the water. Tie it all together with power and speed to go deeper.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Getting Dragged Back
Failing to successfully duck dive means you remain on the surface, where the oncoming wave will drag you backwards, causing you to get tired and fatigued much faster.
Over-Buoyancy
Ducking diving a board with high volume (like a longboard or high-volume shortboard) is nearly impossible. You will need to use an Eskimo Roll technique for high volume boards.
Pushing the Wrong Place
Being too far forward on the board means the nose will go under the water, but being too far back means the nose will be up in the air, making the duck dive ineffective.
Ditching the Board
Ditching or bailing your board is a last-resort method and is strongly discouraged for beginners, as it puts surfers around you at a high risk of getting hit by your surfboard.