5 Wakesurfing Tips And Tricks To Level Up Your Game

Wakesurfing is like any other sport; it takes a lot of physical and psychological strength and technical skills to master. Once you face your fear of the water, you’ll find this sport a joy to do during the summer when the sun’s hot and the waves are wild.

Whether you’re a newbie or have done wakesurfing a couple of times, it’s never too late to learn some more tricks. Keep reading to find out what else you can do on a wakesurf board on your next beach trip.

1.Floating

Want to show a cool ‘magic’ trick to whoever’s watching? Floating, also called the floater, is a technique wherein you ‘stand’ on the waves for a short time. It’s a pretty basic trick, which is why it’s first on this list.

It’s also an easy trick to learn as a beginner. It feels like walking on water, with some help. To perform this move:

• Stay in the middle of your board, right at the center.  
• Lean back a bit and point your board’s nose to the top of the wave. While you’re doing this, your foot in front has to be moving forward little by little, so that you can ride the wave smoothly.  
• Keep your foot at the back steady and maintain the pressure on your front foot. You’ll look like you’re floating on a wave effortlessly!

You can do this if you’re using a sturdy, high-quality wakesurf board in the first place. Choose one that complements your height, as a board of the wrong size will make you struggle even in a trick as simple as floating. The more you get used to wakesurfing, the more you’ll learn boards are built differently. Hence, find a board that suits you and your style best

2. Hang Five

Just because you’re not surfing, technically, it doesn’t mean you can’t pull off a hang ten or a hang five, in this case. If hanging ten means having both your feet (and all ten toes) forward and up front, hanging five is where you have one foot touching the front edge of your board. It sounds much simpler to do, but it’ll take a lot of practice and courage to master this.

No matter how long you’ve been on the board, you can do this trick. However, it’s recommended that you do this while you’re still holding on to the rope. With your hand gripping the rope, inch your foot forward ever so slowly. Do this until your toes slightly graze over the front edge. Let go of the rope once you feel you’re surfing at a comfortable rhythm.

Expect that you’ll be falling over multiple times until you get the hang of it. With more practice, your toes will stay over the front edge for longer than a few seconds. You’ll start seeing onlookers watching you with awe as you appear to have control over your board and the waves.

3. 360 Spin

Itching to do something more advanced? If you’ve grown more confident in your wakesurfing skills, you may try out 360 spins. There are various ways you can do this move, but you can also do it while on top of a wave.

To do this:

• Start from behind the wave.
• Pick up some speed as you come towards the boat.
• When you hit the wave’s mid-point, use your back hand to stick and pull into the wave.
• Use your hand to track it up.
• Once you start going up the wave, turn over your shoulder so that you’re looking back at the boat. You’ll find your board and body following that new direction, and look at that! You’re spinning!

The trick is not to overdo it. Fast spins seem more thrilling, but there’s a high chance you’ll fall before hitting 360. You can imagine doing a 180 first, so your movement slows down. 

Like all water sports, you’ll need to ensure utmost security before pulling off stunts like the 360. Read this refresher on water sports tips to avoid encountering accidents and make the most of your wet and wild adventures.

4. Rail Grab

If you want to be a better wakesurfer, then you’d have to be more comfortable holding the edge of your board. The rail grab is what it says on the can; you’ll grab onto your board’s edge or rail.

All you need to do is crouch down and keep your knees close to your chest. In this position, you can easily hold the front of your board with one hand, preferably the opposite of your foot that’s in front. (e.g., right foot, left hand).

When you master this technique, you’ll be spotting the perfect moments on the waves to perform this like a pro. 

5. Body Varial

While wakesurfing, you might find yourself in the ‘wrong’ stance. That is, you’re not facing your preferred way. Doing a body varial resets that. It’s simply doing a jump and spin while your board stays in place.

To do a body varial:

• Turn your shoulders halfway to get ready.
• Make sure the pressure on both feet is equal so that when you jump, your board won’t follow you.
• Spin until you get back to your dominant stance.

This technique is helpful after a spin trick, like the 360 spin, wherein it’s possible to have a sudden stance change.  

Surf’s Up!

Test out your new moves in these international surf destinations if you’ve grown tired of your usual wakesurf spots. Be careful, though; you might fall in love with one of them and never want to go home.

Any sports enthusiast would eventually want to amplify their game one way or another. The ones in this list are just a few of them. 

As you continue practicing and interacting with fellow wakesurfers, you’ll discover new moves and better techniques to make every moment on the waves a memorable experience.