13 . 12 . 23
We have all been in this position: you arrive at the beach, excited to surf, but the surf gods have other ideas and the waves are not what the forecast predicted… don’t panic – we have the solution!
13 . 12 . 23
We have all been in this position: you arrive at the beach, excited to surf, but the surf gods have other ideas and the waves are not what the forecast predicted… don’t panic – we have the solution!
So how do we make the best of waves that are not meeting the conditions we were hoping for?
Whether it’s a gnarly onshore paddle out, a lumpy shore-break, too many people out, or you simply just aren’t feeling it after checking how surf-able you deem the waves to be, there are other options…
Thinking of alternatives is not often your first thought, if you are with friends you might paddle out anyway, or waste time checking other spots, before giving up and loosing that precious surf window to the inevitable life admin that hangs over us all!
Instead, what about reaching into your bag and pulling out a handplane and some fins, then jumping in to get up close and personal with the ocean and its offerings:
We are big advocates of bodysurfing, it’s sometimes much more fun than stand-up surfing, it leaves many complications of the lineup behind, and gives to access to a wider range of conditions that you may perhaps be used to.
The feeling of sliding along a wall of breaking blueness, screaming towards the beach, with nothing between you and the energy of the ocean is a sensation we wish everybody could experience!
There are a few different ways to get involved in bodysurfing, you can simply swim into waves and stretch out to catch and ride them on your belly, or jump into them from the shallows letting the white water push you towards land. But once you get started, you might like some assistance with catching bigger waves and riding them for longer…
That’s where we come in! We make custom wooden bodysurfing handplanes and offer workshops to people who would like to make their own, we also stock our favourite DaFin swim fins which propel us into waves nice and early.
So the next time you are umming and ahhing, wondering if it’s worth getting in the sea – jump in and bodysurf!
We completed workshop number 112 in 2024, here's a huge thank you to everyone who joined us to come and make their own wooden surfboard!
Here's Jonathan to tell you what it was like joining us in our workshop to make a wooden surfboard...
