Pumping a surfboard
Mastering the Art of Pumping: A Guide for Intermediate Surfers
For advanced surfers, the essence of surfing is executing powerful turns with speed. Speed is the key to making dynamic turns and adds to the thrill of riding a wave. The only exception to this rule is during tube rides, where slowing down to match the speed of the barrel is essential. For non-barrelling waves, the goal is to ride with speed, perform turns, and, if you are going fast enough, attempt aerials. Mastering aerials, however, is a skill only the most advanced surfers achieve after perfecting how to generate speed. This blog is aimed at intermediate surfers who aspire to reach that level, but first need to master the foundational techniques for improved control and speed.
What Sets Intermediate Surfers Apart from Advanced Surfers?
Intermediate surfers often struggle with essential maneuvers like top turns, bottom turns, and cutbacks, usually due to improper stance on the board. To surf with fluidity and control, it’s essential to adopt a functional stance—this allows for the flexibility needed to shift weight easily and quickly between the front and back foot, compression/extension and hip movement. Your base starting point for learning how to pump a board, is standing on the board correctly with your feet either side of the fulcrum. Without a functional stance, achieving smooth, controlled movements is difficult, and your surfing will lack the flow required to pump the surfboard and do accomplished turns.
The Fundamentals of Pumping a Surfboard
Pumping is the technique of generating speed on a wave by skillfully shifting weight and engaging the surfboard’s rails. Three main components define effective pumping:
- Rail Engagement
- Compression and Extension
- Weight Transfer
Follow these steps to develop a solid pumping technique:
- Weight on the Front Foot – Start by keeping most of your weight on your front foot as you descend the wave, using gravity and the wave’s momentum to help drive the board forward.
- Engage the Rail – At the wave’s bottom, shift weight to your back foot to engage the rail as you compress your body. Engare the rail when you have gained maximum speed from your downward movement.
- Extend Up the Wave – Shift your weight forward by moving your hips. Extend your body to direct the board up the wave’s face, lifting your arms and raising your front foot to help lift the board up the wave.
- Compress – Compress again as you release the rail to ride back down the wave, shifting weight quickly from the the back foot to the front foot. This continuous movement of engaging and disengaging the rail, compressing and extending, and shifting weight between front foot and back foot, builds speed through each pump.
Key Points for Consistent Speed
To maximize speed, ride wherever possible the wave’s upper half, where the energy is strongest. Use the wave’s bottom only for turning back up the wave or to navigate around whitewater. Many intermediate surfers struggle to build speed because they remain too low on the wave, or ride too high and lose balance. Effective pumping requires riding the wave at varying heights and consistently applying controlled force to generate and maintain speed.
Adapting to Each Wave
Each wave is unique, requiring adjustments in timing and weight distribution. Wave size and power affect how and when you pump, and adapting to these factors takes practice and experience. Over time, you’ll develop a feel for when to apply more or less pressure as the wave changes.
Practice Pumping with a Surf Skate
For intermediate surfers, pumping a surfboard can be challenging, especially when it comes to timing and body movement. Practicing on a surf skate is a great way to improve these skills on land, helping you understand the mechanics of pumping. Check out our recommended video for a tutorial on how to pump a surf skate in three simple steps.
Pumping a Surfboard Backhand
Pumping a surfboard on your backhand involves the same fundamental movements as on the frontside: engaging and disengaging the rail, extending up the wave, compressing, and shifting weight between the front and back foot. However, due to physiological differences, pumping on the backhand is more challenging. On the frontside, you have three-way movement involving the foot, ankle, and knee, allowing for greater range of motion and control. In contrast, the backhand generally allows only two-way movement, focusing more on the ankle and foot, making it harder to generate speed and fluidity without refined technique and timing.
With commitment to practice and refining your technique, you’ll build the speed and control needed to take your surfing to the next level.