How to Duck Dive – a guide for surfers

Duck diving is an essential skill for intermediate and advanced surfers, enabling them to navigate through broken waves and paddle out to the lineup. By mastering this technique, surfers can avoid the turbulence of whitewater and make their way to ubroken waves much quicker and with less effort.

Understanding Duck Diving

For beginners, attempting to duck dive may not be practical due to the high volume of their boards. Instead, alternative techniques such as the turtle roll, or simply locking your arms to let the whitewater pass, are more effective on larger boards or smaller waves.

The duck dive technique mimics natural instincts — a strategy to remain submerged while waves roll overhead. While this method is particularly well-suited for pointy-nosed boards, boards with a round nose and greater volume can also be duck-dived, albeit less efficiently. The effectiveness of duck diving diminishes with larger waves, as the force of the wave can rip the board from your hands or catch you and your board and pull you back a long way.

The Technique

1. Paddle with Momentum: Approach the wave with forward momentum to minimize the backward drag that the wave will apply on you. Avoid duck diving under the breaking lip of the wave, as the force can push you into your board (your face is soft but your board is hard).
2. Timing is Key: When the wave approaches, aim to dive slightly earlier than you might instinctively feel. Better to go early than be caught by the full force of the wave.
3. Depth Matters: Your goal is to reach maximum depth just as the wave’s peak force hits you. This position will allow you to avoid the wave’s energy.
4. Executing the Dive:
   • Paddle towards the wave, placing your hands on the rails slightly forward of where you would typically pop up.
   • Firmly hold the rails with both hands, lock your elbows, and allow your body weight to push the board down.
   • As your board nears its maximum depth, lean forward and push the nose down to achieve greater depth.
5. Surfacing: To control your ascent, place one foot on the tail pad—this provides leverage as you push the tail down with your back foot. This maneuver will help the board resurface smoothly as the wave passes.

Advanced Techniques

If you need to get under the wave quickly, consider twisting the board by applying more pressure to one rail. This reduces the surface area against the water and can be particularly effective on larger boards.

Practice Makes Perfect

Improving your duck dive requires determination and repetition. Common mistakes to watch out for include:

• Diving too early: Not achieving maximum depth can lead to being caught by the wave.
• Inadequate grip: Not holding the board tightly can result in losing control.
• Timing issues: Not pushing down at the right moment will compromise your dive.
• Using knees instead of feet: This reduces leverage and control and can result in dents on your board.

In some instances, if a wave is too big or powerful, it may be necessary to ditch your board altogether. Remember, the primary goal of surfing is to catch and ride waves, so priority is that the board volume and size is enough for catching the waves, not thin enough for duck diving

By honing your duck dive technique, you’ll enhance your surfing experience, allowing for more effortless paddling to the lineup and a smoother transition under breaking waves. Happy surfing!

If you’re a beginner or intermediate surfer, and you want to learn how to duck dive, we invite you to join our surf school at Uluwatu’s top surf camp where we will also teach you how to paddle the surfboard, how to stand on the board correctly, and how to steer and turn the surfboard.

Check out our surf tutorials for beginner and intermediate/advanced surfers.