PLANING FLAT SECTIONS

We've covered pretty extensively the generation of speed, but oftentimes the wave shape simply won't be steep enough (have enough curve) for you to carry out any of the techniques previously mentioned.

In these cases, the objective isn't so much to generate speed, instead it's to not lose it.

WHAT IS A FLAT SECTION?

A flat section is what we refer to as a part of the wave that has little to no curve. This happens as a wave moves over deeper water (away from a sandbank) inhibiting its ability to break.

Flat sections are very common in surfing, and understanding how to navigate them the right way is super important.

HOW TO MAINTAIN SPEED AND NAVIGATE FLAT SECTIONS

Successfully navigating flat sections is all about weight distribution on your board. The more evenly your weight is distributed, the more effective your board will be at planing over the water.

Think for a moment about when you ride your final wave to the beach on your belly. Have you noticed that you can ride the wave all the way to the sand with ease?

That's because your weight is so well distributed over the board that it's able to plane perfectly. We want to emulate this as best we can on our feet to navigate over those tricky flat section.

To do this it requires you to move your feet further up towards the center of the board.

WRAPPING IT UP

Flat sections are a common occurrence in surfing, so it's important to understand how to navigate them successfully.

Do this well, and you'll be able to breeze over flat sections with ease.

PLANING FLAT SECTIONS

YOU MUST BE LOGGED IN TO ACCESS THIS COURSE

LEVEL 1 BEGINNER

GOTTA HAVE POP!

SPEED

TURNING

THE SUBTLE ART OF NEGOTIATING WAVES

PADDLING

NEXT STEPS...

LEVEL 2 PROGRESSOR

IT'S TIME TO PROGRESS...

POP-UP LIKE THE PRO'S

READING WAVES

CATCHING UNBROKEN WAVES

TURN BABY TURN

TRIMMING

NEXT STEPS...

LEVEL 3 INTERMEDIATE

THE QUICKENING

ANGLED TAKE OFF

SPEED

BOTTOM TURNS

CARVING

CUTBACKS

NEXT STEPS...