Swimming in the Sea and Bodysurfing with a Wooden Handplane

11 . 10 . 21

Simple pleasures. They’re wonderful things aren’t they?

Take bodysurfing for example; the simple act of swimming around in the waves and getting pushed about by the water can sometimes provide the best memories of a day’s surfing. No need for a surfboard or a potentially laborious paddle out, quite often bodysurfing sessions are snatched when the only option for getting in the sea is a quick half hour before or after work, or perhaps the tide’s too high or there’s a bit of a shore dump. Our handplanes make this whole process a whole lot easier, and they also fit rather nicely into a bag so you can put one into your carry-on luggage next time you go on a trip in case your surfboards become delayed in transit.

Simply put, they increase the surface area of your hand, meaning that you can actually push up and “plane” on your hand. They’re the bodysurfing equivalent of snowshoes. This extra surface area will allow you to catch a breath and control your direction on the wave, making sure that you’re making the most of the wave. A long way from just holding your breath and trying to see how far you can get in towards the beach in a straight line.

A friend of ours took one of our “Hand Baggage” triple stringer handplanes down to Hossegor in September, so here below is Harry’s Hossegor hand planing how-to. For more information about our range of handplanes please click through to our handplane page.

Step 1: Position yourself right on the peak and when a good, slow looking, wave approaches start swimming. Hold your handplane in the hand on the side that you will be going, so if it’s a left (as in the picture) then hold it in your left hand. This way your outstretched arm, along with your body and leg, will imitate the rail of a surfboard.

Step 2: Keep your arm outstretched and push up on the handplane to give yourself some directional control. Watch out not to cop a face-full of spray as Harry has here. If you’re trying to get yourself into the barrel then keep fairly high in the wave and set your line.

Step 3: Enjoy the view!

Disclaimer:

When bodysurfing it’s really important to be careful. Always be aware of what the waves are doing and do not bodysurf in shallow water where there is a danger that you could hit the bottom. Always protect your head and neck when you wipe out and take care of yourself out there. Be aware of your limitations in the ocean and respect the power of the waves.