Paddling Out at a Beach Break – Part 2 Top 3 Duck Dive Tips

A good duck dive is an essential skill for enjoying a beach break session, allowing you to bypass whitewater and turbulent water efficiently. This segment covers three critical tips to improve your duck dive technique, especially for larger or turbulent waves.

Key Takeaways & Tips

Maintain Space Between You and the Board [1:16]
When you are under the wave in your duck dive, hold the one-leg plank position. This helps you find and shoot through small air pockets in large whitewater waves that you otherwise could not push your board deep enough to avoid.

Don’t Rush to the Surface [2:10]
If you float to the surface too soon, you may get pulled backward, over the falls, or surface in turbulent water that spins you around. Hold the one-leg plank position until you feel the wave pass completely over you—it’s always longer than you think.

Use Your Foot, Not Your Knee, to Get Deep [2:46]
For maximum leverage and to get your board as far below the surface as possible, you must use your foot to push the tail down. Using your foot gives you the power needed to sink the board deep under larger waves.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ditching the Board [3:15]
Ditching your flotation device is inefficient and dangerous, adding extra time to collect your board after the wave passes. Instead of ditching, focus on developing the fitness and technique (like the one-leg plank) to hold onto your board through turbulent water.