Drop-knee bodyboarding: always keep the board flat on the water | Photo: Shutterstock

Unlike surfboards that rely on fins, drop-knee enthusiasts rely solely on weight positioning to control the board. Take your DK style to a whole new level.

Drop-knee bodyboarding will never die. Of all three riding modes - prone, DK, and stand-up - drop-knee was the one that always carried a special aura.

Once you've mastered the art, you're ready to explore its many offerings.

One of the classic mistakes people make is to plant both knees on the board before moving the front foot forward.

Although it might look like a promising way of learning, you're just misleading your brain into thinking it's the right way to do it because it is not.

That said, your knee always goes first. Be aware that when in drop-knee mode, your knee holds the line, and your front foot does the trimming.

Also, make sure you're wearing the fins you're most comfortable with. Large models will hinder the transition from prone to drop-knee wave riding mode.

Quite occasionally, the tip of the fin gets stuck in the bodyboard's deck while moving the front foot towards the nose.

Drop-knee bodyboarding: use your hands/arms to increase riding control | Photo: APB

DK Wave Riding Tips

Finally, remember that natural footers will drop their right knee, and goofy footers will drop their left knee. Now, take a look at the following drop-knee wave riding tips:

  1. Find your ideal DK stance;
  2. Start by practicing on mushy waves;
  3. Try to catch the wave faster than you would when riding prone;
  4. As you pop up, hold both rails and push the board down;
  5. Always keep the bodyboard flat on the water;
  6. Grab the nose of the board with both hands to help raise your knees;
  7. Plant your knee first, and then swing the front foot around towards the top third of the board;
  8. Transfer your weight forward to reduce drag;
  9. Work your hips while riding the wave for faster cutbacks;
  10. Put your hands/arms on the face of the wave to increase riding control;

When catching bigger waves, you will have to angle your board at 45 degrees so that you gain precious milliseconds, skip the bottom turn, and avoid going over the falls.

When you're catching a wave in a kneeling position, you need more balance than in the prone position, so try to find an optimal position on the bodyboard.

The more you practice your drop-knee posture, the better you get at it. And if you start feeling uber-confident, try standing up on the boogie board.

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