10 Tips To Catch More Waves

We all have surf sessions during which we wish we’d caught a lot more waves. Whether the spot was too crowded, your knowledge of the wave was poor, or the number of waves coming through was limited, the feeling of an unsatisfying surf session isn’t fun. Below are a few tips you can apply to catch more waves during your next session.

1. Communicate

Communicating with other surfers in the water can sometimes help you get more waves. “Are you going for that one? Are you going left or right”?

“Simple, short communication with fellow surfers can avoid situations where you get in the way, and it can get you more waves. Sometimes, you may not go on a wave because you think a surfer will take it. When you see that surfer finally going towards another wave, it’s too late for you to catch it. Communication can be helpful in cases like those.

Some waves offer both a “right” and a “left”. They are commonly referred to as “A-frames”. Communicating will help you know in what direction another surfer wants to surf to.

2. Do a spot check

As you get to the beach, take a few minutes to analyze the surf spot. The daily surf conditions might be different than usual. There might be more surfers around a certain area and some less crowded peaks.

Sometimes, it’s worth it to try a different peak, one that is less crowded. Waves might not be as perfect, but you could catch a lot more waves.

3. Sit inside

“Sitting inside” means waiting for waves further back than most of the other surfers. This way, you can catch the smaller, less perfect waves that surfers in front of you don’t want or can’t paddle for.

Sitting inside can be a great way to increase your wave count, but it requires experience because:

• You might “pay the price”: if a bigger set comes through, you might not make it out over the bigger waves before they crash in front of you (or on you!).
• You must be ready to get out of other surfers’ lines. Sitting on the inside means you have no priority on any waves that the surfers in front of you want to catch. You are there to catch the “scraps”, the waves nobody wants.

Sitting inside means quantity over quality. You won’t catch the “wave of the day”, but you might catch many more waves since there are fewer people and less hassle for waves.

4. Move around

Especially on beach breaks, don’t get stuck in one spot unless you found a good one. Go explore a bit. Try different spots, look around, and see where most waves break consistently.

Always keep your head up for opportunities. A great wave can come in unexpected moments. In the illustration above, the surfer who is paddling for the wave wasn’t sitting and waiting to get a wave. He was simply paddling back from his last ride. When he sees the other surfer wiping out, he quickly turns around and catches the bonus wave.

5. Learn about surfboards

Not enough volume, too much rocker, or the wrong surfboard dimensions for your level can make it hard to catch waves, especially when more experienced surfers are around you. The right surfboard for your level and for the daily surf conditions can make the difference between catching 20 waves or no waves at all!

6. Wait for the wider ones

This can work really well on point breaks and reef breaks. You can sit further down the line and wait for either wider waves, for a surfer to wipe out on a wave, or for a surfer who can’t make a section. When you notice nobody is on the wave, it’s yours!

7. Patience

Sometimes, you need to be more selective, take your time and save your energy for the good waves. Paddling for any bump that comes around will tire you and make it more difficult for you to get some quality waves.

8. Paddle with Purpose

Commit to the waves you want to catch. Don’t hesitate, go for it! Want to know more about the ultimate paddle technique? Click here.

9. Sit around less experienced surfers

Sitting and waiting for waves around very experienced surfers is a bad idea if you are a beginner-intermediate. Unless they are your friends and they are willing to share some waves with you, experienced surfers will always read the waves faster than you, so you will have a hard time getting priority for waves.

10. Improve your wave reading ability

The better you get at the art of reading waves, the more waves you will catch. (See course: “how to read waves”)