An EPIC guide to bodysurfing
Bodysurfing, also known as body bashing, whomping, handplaning, hand surfing or surf de peito, is probably the easiest way to get stoked quickly on the planet.
OK - we may be a tad biased...but it’s next level fun!
In its purest form, bodysurfing is the art of riding a wave with just your body - no floatation devices, no accessories or boards.
If you’ve ever been to the beach, more than likely you’ve bodysurfed in one form or another.
If not - don’t panic! Bodysurfing is easy to get into and in this article we will walk you through how to get started with:
1. A Brief History of Bodysurfing
Before we get started, it’s worth noting that bodysurfing has been around as long as man has had a relationship with the ocean.
In Australia, for tens of thousands of years before the arrival of the Europeans, native Aboriginal clans used the coastal beaches as a source of food and enjoyment, mastering a number of ocean related endeavours. They were known to fish with spears, lines and hooks and would often dive off rock ledges, developing a prowess in the surf, whether riding waves in a canoe or simply swimming - aka bodysurfing.
Find out more about the history of Australian bodysurfing here: The Rise of Australian Bodysurfing
Similarly, for many Pacific Islanders, the coastal areas surrounding their islands provided the food, income, culture, and recreation that are so important to the Pacific way of life (1) .
In particular, Polynesian culture embraced the waves and developed the art of surfing. This was first recorded in 1769 by Joseph Banks aboard HMS Endeavour during James Cook’s first voyage, during their stay in Tahiti. He records that the natives would swim out under the waves, attempt to catch a wave in canoes (similar to a modern surfboat) or by body for hours on end (2).
Bodysurfers in Turkey practicing “Viya”
Surprisingly, centuries of bodysurfing tradition can also be found in a place one would not associate with waves or surfing - Turkey and the Black Sea. Around 600BC a population of Pontic Greeks inhabited the eastern Black Sea region before the Turks. From these communities emerged the tradition of Viya, passed down from generation to generation, in which fishermen from coastal villages took to the water and bodysurfed during the frequent storms of winter and is maintained to this day (3).
2. Choosing your Bodysurfing Equipment
Although bodysurfing can be done with no equipment, the majority of modern bodysurfers tend to enhance the experience by using fins and a bodysurfing handplane.
a) Bodysurfing Fins
Bodysurfing fins, such as DaFins, are designed to improve your ability to catch a wave.
Bodysurfing fins tend to be shorter and more rigid than the sort of fins you’d normally find a swimming pool as they’re designed for short bursts of power.
If you have never used fins or flippers before, we recommend you try them in a pool or still water before progressing to the beach. This will give you the confidence and safety to try them in the ocean. And don’t worry, lots of swimmers practice with fins on in the pool so you won’t be the only one!
Of course, in the surf it’s always a great idea to use finsavers in case one of your fins comes off. The last thing you want to be doing is chasing after a missing flipper or find yourself body surfing back to shore with one (or two) less fin.
A bodysurfer using DaFins and a WAW handplane
b) Bodysurfing Handplane
A handplane (also known as a handboard) is used to provide more power, lift and control to your body surfing.
A handplane will assist your ability to ride a wave by providing lift. Applying pressure to the handplane whilst on the wave will lift your body up onto the waters surface and reduce your body’s drag in the water and ultimately increase your speed.
Generally, a handplane is worn on your leading hand. E.g. If you are going left on a wave you wear it on your left hand. However, this is a matter of personal preference and if fully dependant on what you feel most comfortable with.
Some bodysurfers might prefer to take the double-handed approach - this helps generate a lot of speed as it streamlines the body and the extra weight on the handplane provides additional lift.
Handplanes are also used by experienced bodysurfers to enhance their control whilst bodysurfing big waves or riding in the tube.
Further reading: A Bodysurfer’s Guide: When to Use A Handplane
view our range of bodysurfing handplanes.
3. Where to bodysurf?
Ok, you’ve made it to the beach and you’re stood on the sand trying to choose where to jump in and start catching waves. Before you do, there are a few things to consider.
a) Your swimming ability
An ocean pool is a great place to develop your swimming skills
Some people say bodysurfing is just swimming in the waves. If you’re not a confident swimmer, practice swimming in an ocean pool (if you have access to one) as this will get you used to swimming in salt water.
Ocean pools are also great to practice as they quite often have waves washing into them and thus allowing you to get used to the feeling of moving water when swimming. If you don’t have access to an ocean pool a normal freshwater water indoor pool will work just fine.
B) Conditions - Waves
Make an assessment as to whether your swimming ability is good enough for the waves you are about to enter.
Understand what the waves are breaking over - is it sand or are there reef or rocks about? Is it shallow?
Unless you are a strong swimmer and have lots of ocean experience avoid large and powerful waves.
Know your ability. Large waves breaking in shallow water can be a serious injury risk whilst bodysurfing.
c) Conditions - Rips
Even if the waves are small rips could be present.
Rips can usually be identified by the area of water where no waves are breaking and are often sandy coloured as the outflowing water carries sediment and bubbles from the shore out to see.
It’s always safest to bodysurf between the flags at a patrolled beach
BE AWARE, rips are dangerous if you don’t have experience with them. If you’re not confident swimming with a rip select somewhere where some waves are breaking close to shore and away from the rips.
If you are on a patrolled beach, always start practicing between the lifeguard flags.
ADVANCED TIP: Once you’ve gained enough experience and understand how a rip works you can actually use them to your advantage and hitch a ride out the back.
4. Catching a wave
Ok - we’ve made the call to jump in and it’s time to catch some waves.
Beginners
Start by catching small and broken waves. Go about waist deep into the ocean and wait for a wave to break. As the whitewash is about to hit you, turn around, outstretch your leading hand (or both hands forward) and dive into the water allowing the wave to carry you. Learn to keep your head out of the water when riding the wave.
As you get used to the motion of the wave carrying you, try and throw in a couple swimming strokes, either freestyle or breaststroke to stay on the wave for as long as possible.
Intermediate/Advanced
We’re now surfing unbroken waves.
Start by sitting about 2 to 3 metres (about 6 feet) further from where the majority of the waves are breaking to ensure you don’t take the lip or whitewater on your head!
Here’s a little tip: Bodysurfers tend to sit a little closer to the breaking point of the wave compared to surfers as you don’t have the buoyancy of a surfboard to assist in getting on the wave and don’t require time to get to your feet.
As you watch the wave approaching, assess it’s speed and start swimming towards the beach. Make sure you swim on a slight angle toward the direction you’ll be heading (left or right).
You might need to have a couple glances over your shoulder as your paddling to ensure you are positioned well to catch the wave.
Keep paddling until you feel the wave start to carry you along.
5. Riding the wave
Beginner
Start getting used to the motion of the wave carrying you. The goal is to stay on the wave as long as possible.
Once you feel yourself slowing in the whitewash, try and throw in a couple swimming strokes (either freestyle or breaststroke) and start kicking to keep up speed.
Intermediate
When you feel the wave carrying you, keep your head up, look and point your leading arm in the direction you want to go. Try and traverse diagonally across the face of the wave, keeping your body as stiff as possible. Let’s try and stay on the face of the wave for as long as possible.
Getting barreled whilst bodysurfing is one of the best feelings in the world and the view is unbelievable!
If you see that the wave is starting to break in front of you try and quickly pull off the wave by either slowing down or ducking out the back of the wave.
Advanced
By this stage you’ll be more than comfortable riding all sorts of waves, from fat point breaks right down to pulling into heavy shoreys and getting WHOMPED!
EXPERT
The future of bodysurfing is looking extremely exciting. Bodysurfers are constantly pushing the limits of big-wave bodysurfing and trying radical manoeuvres.
Expert bodysurfers know how to read a wave, adjust their riding style and might start pulling of some of the advanced tricks listed below.
Bodysurfing is reaching new levels, with the boundaries being pushed further and further.
6. Bodysurfing Tricks
Tricks? In bodysurfing? For real?
Oh yes indeed! Let’s get creative. Here’s some options for you to test.
Intermediate level tricks
Bodysurfing Spin - A 360 spin or pirouette. The direction in which you spin is with the your lead arm going up the face of the wave and then landing underneath you. see below:
Bodysurfing Reverse Spin - Similar to the spin except you are rolling “up” the face of the wave.
Bodysurfing Dolphin - This is where you are riding the wave with your body fully submerged in the water. This can be executed at take off or whilst riding a wave with an unbroken face.
Bodysurfing on your back - Go on - show off a little! Do a half spin, turn onto your back and ride the wave! When done well it looks super stylish and provides for some fun spectating
Advanced Tricks
Tube riding - Getting barreled whilst bodysurfing is awesome - making it out of barrel is even MORE AWESOME! It requires knowledge of how a wave breaks and body positioning in the different sections of the waves.
The trick here is to stay high on the waves face and in the pocket. Leaning back into the wall of the wave helps to hold your line. On many waves you may be going to fast and race ahead of the barrel (aka barrel doging), so don’t be afraid to drop and hand or a knee and stall your speed to let the barrel catch up with you. Once inside release the stall and race to make it out again.
Cutbacks - Whilst riding a wave, get out as far as possible onto the shoulder without falling off the back of it and cut back into the power section of the wave. This is only really possible if you’re riding a long and fat wave.
El Rollo - A spin executed off the lip of a wave leading to air time. You need a lot of speed and a steep section to pull of a legit El Rollo.
Extremely Advanced
Bodysurfing Frontflip - A full forward somersault whilst riding/taking off on a wave. Sounds impressive and difficult? It is. You need a fairly steep section in order to maintain speed after completion of the flip.
Bodysurfing 360 Belly Spin - Whilst on the wave spin in a 360 on your belly. This a classic bodyboarding trick. However, when bodysurfing this is rare and hard. Very few bodysurfers in the world can pull this trick off.
7. Ok, I’m hooked! What now...
You’re not alone! Bodysurfing popularity is on the rise thanks largely to Instagram and a number of recent bodysurfing movies like Come Hell or High Water or Dirty Old Wedge.
Further reading: The Rise of Australian Bodysurfing
There are a couple of ways to get involved in the bodysurfing scene.
a) Local bodysurfing Clubs & Associations
Bodysurfing local meet ups / crews are becoming more and more popular. Check Facebook, Instagram or Meetup.com to see if there is one in your area.
If not - maybe YOU ARE the person to start it!
Australian Body Surfing Clubs
East Sydney Body Surfers (Sydney, NSW)
Bate Bay Body Bashers (Cronulla, NSW)
Cronulla Reef Kinds (Cronulla, NSW)
The Budgy Boys (Cronulla, NSW)
South Coast Bodysurfers (Illawarra, NSW)
Wommin Whompers (Wommin Bay, NSW)
The Cobras (Avalon, NSW)
Goldie Sliders (Gold Coast, QLD)
The Northern Beaches Whompers (Northern Beaches, NSW)
Newcastle Bodysurfers (Newcastle, NSW)
Southern Ocean Scavangers (Torquay, VIC)
Western Dugongs (City Beach, WA)
Some of the clubs that have competed in our annual Whomp Off contest and further contacts can be found @ https://wawhandplanes.com.au/theteams
US
Santa Cruz Bodysurfing Association (Santa Cruz, CA)
Del Mar Bodysurfing Club (Del Mar, CA)
Chubascos Bodysurfing Association (Huntington Beach, CA)
Gillis Beach Bodysurfing Association (Manhattan Beach, CA)
Golden Triangle Bodysurfing (San Clemente, CA)
Laguna Beach Body Surfing Club (Laguna Beach, CA)
Pine Street Bodysurfing Team (Oceanside, CA)
San Clemente Body Surfing Club (San Clemente, CA)
South Jetty Swells Bodysurfing Association (Ventura, CA)
Allsiders Bodysurfing Club (Santa Cruz, CA)
Atlantic Bodysurfing Club (New Jersey, USA)
Hawaii
Europe
B) BODYSURF Contests
Who doesn’t like a bit of friendly competition! Yes - there are bodysurfing contests that are held worldwide.
At WAW, we run Whomp Off Australia which is the world’s largest team-focused bodysurfing event. Check it out.
Whomp Off Australia 2019
If you’re reading this and have aspirations of quitting your day job to become a professional bodysurfer by competing in contests, please note the following:
Currently, there is a lack of an established “professional” bodysurfing industry or circuit. Whilst this may well change in the near future, probably not quite at the stage where a bodysurfer could rely on competition $ alone.
c) Social Media
There are numerous groups/pages on Facebook dedicated to bodysurfing where you can discuss all things bodysurfing related.
There are a number of influential bodysurfing Instagrams which you can follow. Start by following us @wawhandplanes for some epic bodysurfing content.
8. Recap
Bodysurfing is a great activity to get into. It’s a fun way for people of all skill levels and experience to enjoy the water.
As Mark Cunningham, one of the all time great bodysurfers, puts it - “it’s just bodysurfing, it’s just swimming - it’s not rocket science!”.
Want more information? Let us know in the comments below what area of bodysurfing you would like us to expand on.
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