The duck dive is a fundamental skill that requires a combination of speed, timing, and physical technique. This tutorial breaks down the essential steps needed to get your surfboard and your body cleanly underneath the wave’s whitewash.
Key Takeaways & Tips
Step 1: Push Down with Hands
Get up some speed and place your hands right at your shoulders. The first step is to push down to hold the board underneath you, keeping your chest close to the board.
Step 2: Follow Through with Leg
Once you are down to depth, follow through with your leg to scoop the board. Push with your shin, knee, or foot (depending on the board size) to drive the tail down and get the board to scoop all the way underneath.
Whitewater Timing
Start your duck dive soon enough to get completely underwater before the wave hits. If you are dealing with whitewash, you must start sooner to get underneath it so that it passes over you and you come up on the other side.
Unbroken Wave Timing
If the wave has not broken and is just cresting at the top, you can wait until the last minute and duck dive underneath the lip.
Big Board Solution (Tilt)
If you have a big, floaty board, tilting the board to scoop one rail is easier than trying to push the entire board flat. Tilt the board first, scoop it with your leg, and follow through.
Pro Tip: Eyes Open
Keep your eyes open underwater. Whitewash is not uniform, so you can look for lighter patches of water (less air/force) and move yourself into them to avoid the main force of the wave.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Starting Too Late
If you start the duck dive too late, the wave will hit you before you have a chance to get deep enough, pushing you backward.
Ignoring Leg Follow-Through
Pushing down nicely with the hands but not following through with the leg. If there is no follow-through, the board won’t scoop nicely and will fail to get deep.
Ignoring Volume
Bringing a board that is too big (high volume) to duck dive. For someone who is not proficient, trying to duck dive a board that is too floaty will be nearly impossible.
Spreading Legs Out
Spreading the legs out wide. You should keep your knees in the middle of the board and then get your foot on the board to push down from that central position.