Bodyboarding: learn how to sit on your bodyboard to save energy | Photo: Loiterton/Creative Commons

Waiting for waves is one of the most common situations bodyboarders and surfers go through during their sessions. Learn how to sit on a bodyboard and relax your muscles.

The lineup is for wave riding what a waiting area is for airports. In both cases, people are on standby for their upcoming rides and flights.

Depending on the swell conditions, the wait for the next set of waves can last for several minutes, if not half an hour.

The bodyboard sitting technique has several benefits, including:

  • Saving body energy;
  • Spotting wave sets from a higher perspective;
  • Gaining extra boost for pushing and taking off into a wave;

If you've paddled back out to the take-off zone after a series of back-to-back rides, you might need a pause to regain breathing control and rest your body.

By sitting on the foam rectangle, you will put less stress on your body, as you'll reduce the time spent arching your back.

Sitting on the bodyboard is the best way to reset and prepare for the following challenges.

It is also the wisest option for better viewing the marching waves on the horizon.

Remember that by sitting on your board, you will gain around three feet in height compared to the viewing angle from the surface of the water.

Last but not least, when you spot the wave you want, shifting quickly from a sit to a prone position will provide an extra boost to your ride.

Sitting on a Bodyboard 101

Ready to learn how to sit on your bodyboard while waiting for the next set of waves? Here's how to do it:

  1. Lay on your bodyboard as you usually do to catch a wave;
  2. Grab the rails with both hands slightly down the nose;
  3. Spread the legs apart;
  4. Push the board down and back gently until it is between your legs;
  5. Hold the nose of the board with both hands;
  6. Keep your legs (and hands) spread out wide underwater;
  7. Look toward the beach or the horizon to maintain balance and stability;
  8. Relax your body and try to keep your back straight and perpendicular to the water;
  9. Use your core abdominal muscles to compensate for board and body unbalances while stationary;
  10. To turn the board around while sitting on it, circle your legs and swim fins underwater in the desired direction;

Sitting on your board is one of the most underrated bodyboarding techniques. It might be a bit hard to learn, but once you get the balance, it becomes second nature.

As soon as you're comfortable sitting, let go with your arms and rest them on both sides near the board or in the water.

Also, you'll want the board to be balanced underwater, i.e., not tipping backward or forward.

Last but not least, make sure to make minor body adjustments to adapt to the undulating ocean.

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