Focus on upper body and hip rotation to complete a directional turn.
Ombe’s Battle of the Small Waves compares two styles, detailing why one surfer struggled (surfing mid-face and tense) and how the other succeeded (surfing rail-to-rail, top-to-bottom, and relaxing).
Noel Salas details how to surf faster backside in small waves by using an angled takeoff, leaning heavily front-footed (60/40), and using the trailing arm to open the hips and project down the line.
Ombe’s Ant breaks down his personal struggles with the backhand barrel, revealing the problem of his knees blocking shoulder rotation and the mental hurdle of not trusting his line.
Jamie O’Brien teaches his backside barrel riding technique, emphasizing a low, quick pop-up, grabbing the rail on the drop, using the wave face for balance, and utilizing a low center of gravity for maximum stability.
Episode 1 on backside tube riding focuses on the paddle entry, setting the rail with the outside hand, and keeping the inside foot on the rail to maximize stability and speed through the barrel.
Coach Martin Dunn breaks down the forehand re-entry, emphasizing the need for a quality bottom turn, rotating away from the lip before impact, and compressing low to maintain speed.
Episode 1 on frontside barrel riding focuses on setting the rail with a tow-side lean, maintaining balance with opposite arm placement, and matching the barrel’s speed to shoot through.
Chris Bond breaks down barrel riding into three parts (entry, ride, exit), detailing the different ways to get into the tube, how to stall speed inside, and the critical stance for maximizing tube time.
Kale Brock breaks down the pro takeoff, focusing on the three pillars (paddling, positioning, movements) and detailing arm placement, the coiled spring position, and the importance of looking down the line.
Ombe Surf breaks down the correct line for a pop-up, arguing that a straight line creates drag, while the curved, cycloid line is the most energy-efficient way to match the wave’s spiral energy and gain speed.