THE FOUR STAGES OF THE WAVE

The hardest part of the transition to unbroken waves is understanding the mechanics of the waves, how they break and where you need to be to catch them.

To help with this, we've broken down the breaking process of the wave into four stages to help better identify which types of waves you should be trying to catch, and when to start paddling.

STAGE 1: At stage 1 the wave is still a swell out to see, visible to the eye but not yet near ready to break.
STAGE 2: During stage 2 the wave is beginning to pitch up as it hits the sandbank. At this stage the wave is starting to take shape.
STAGE 3: At stage three the wave is steepening up to a level whereby it's now possible to catch.
STAGE 4: At stage 4 the wave has broken, and is now moving through the ocean as whitewater.

WHY IS THIS WHOLE 'FOUR STAGES OF THE WAVE' THING IMPORTANT?

Breaking waves down into different stages creates a visual guide to help you know which waves to catch and when, and how to position yourself in the right spot to catch more waves more often.

HOW IT WORKS

Ok, so here's how it works:

STAGE 1

A stage 1 wave is still just a swell out to sea that's beginning to take form as it hits shallower water.

WHAT TO DO AT STAGE 1

Stage 1 is where you identify the wave that's coming, and begin to make positional changes to get yourself in the right spot - hopefully spot X.

STAGE 2

At stage 2 the wave is beginning to take shape and is nearly at the stage where it's possible to catch.

WHAT TO DO AT STAGE 2

This is where you need to begin building momentum with your paddling to match the speed of the wave, with the goal being to get on the wave as early as possible.

Why?

Well, the earlier you're able to catch a wave the less steep and critical the wave will be giving you more time to pop up early and set your line.

STAGE 3

A stage 3 wave is starting to pitch as it gets ready to break.

WHAT TO DO AT STAGE 3

Ideally - if you've followed along with the points above - you should be up to your feet and riding as the wave transitions from a stage 2, to stage 3.

It's at this point that the wave is at its most user friendly, making getting to your feet a breeze.

STAGE 4

A stage 4 wave has already broken and is now just a whitewater.

WHAT TO DO AT STAGE 4

If you're still surfing whitewater waves then this is fine, if however you're now a green wave warrior you'll want to avoid these types of waves and concentrate your efforts on better positioning and paddling to help get yourself into waves earlier.

COMMON MISTAKES

SEEING A WAVE AND NOT MOVING: A lot of people will see a wave at stage 1, yet simply sit and wait for the waves to come to them. Instead, this is the time to make positional changes - laterally and longitudinally - to get in the right spot.
PADDLING FOR STAGE 3 WAVES: All too often people will start paddling for stage 3 waves, and by the time the wave reaches them it's pitched right up, ready to break on their backs.
NOT ENOUGH PADDLE POWER: Not being able to generate enough drive and speed in your paddling will force you to catch waves that too steep. Improving your paddle strength will go a long way to mitigating this.

WRAPPING IT UP

The four stages of a wave should help as a guide to improve your positioning out in the water, and help you catch waves earlier as a result.

These things combined will get you catching more waves and riding out of them more successfully as a result.

THE FOUR STAGES OF THE WAVE

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...