Turning a foam surfboard involves shifting your body weight and direction to steer the board through the water.
Essential Techniques for Turning Your Foam Surfboard
To effectively turn a foam surfboard, focus on coordinating your body movements with your intended direction. According to guidance on learning to turn, the key steps include:
- Look where you want to turn: Your eyes lead the body.
- Follow with your shoulders: Initiate the turn by rotating your upper body in the desired direction.
- Engage your hips: Allow your hips to follow your shoulders, transferring weight and leverage to the board.
- Keep your knees bent: Maintaining a low center of gravity provides stability and control throughout the turn.
These steps create a chain reaction from your eyes to your hips, guiding the board into the turn.
Practical Tip for Long Foam Surfboards
When learning on a longer foam surfboard, an additional technique can be particularly helpful:
- Grab the rail: Grabbing the rail on the side of the board you are turning away from is also very helpful when learning how to turn a long foam surfboard. This action helps anchor your body and apply pressure to the opposite side of the board, initiating the turn more easily.
Breaking Down the Turn
Turning isn't just about one sudden movement. It's a controlled sequence:
- Initiation: Start with looking and rotating your upper body.
- Execution: Deepen the turn by engaging hips and bending knees.
- Control: Use the rail grab (especially on longer boards) for added stability and leverage.
By mastering these body mechanics, you can effectively steer your foam surfboard and navigate the waves. Practice these steps consistently to build muscle memory and improve your turns.
