Aloha! This tutorial, featuring T&C team rider Bella Eberz, breaks down two essential techniques for longboarders to get out past the break and over the whitewater: the classic Turtle Roll and the simpler Pushover technique.
Key Takeaways & Tips
Turtle Roll Timing
To determine when to start your Turtle Roll, you should be paddling fast and be positioned about 10 to 20 feet away from the wave. This paddling momentum helps to equalize the wave’s energy, keeping you in the same spot once you resurface.
Turtle Roll Execution
To execute, keep paddling fast, have both hands on the rails, and flip the board over. Hold onto the board until you notice the wave passes, then flip the board back over and keep paddling out.
Pushover Technique
Use this technique for small whitewater waves (about 2–3 feet). Gain momentum by paddling fast, sit down, grab the rails, pull the board up. As the wave hits the underside of the board, push over the whitewash, utilizing both the wave’s energy and your momentum to go up and over.
Pushover Goal
The main goal of the Pushover technique is to equalize the energy. You are intentionally meeting the wave and using the combined energies to push you up and over the small whitewater, rather than letting the wave push you back.
Pro Tip
For the Pushover technique, act like the wave was nothing. Paddle fast, sit down, and go right over it without overthinking the maneuver.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Turtle Rolling Too Early
The biggest mistake beginners make is turtle rolling too early (e.g., 100 feet away). If you roll too soon, the wave will just push you and your board all the way back to the inside, potentially hitting others.
Not Enough Pushover Momentum
Trying the Pushover technique on a wave that is too big, or failing to have enough paddling momentum. The board will be pushed straight back, as the combined energies were not enough to overcome the wave.