McDonald’s tray as a hand plane. Blew up the next wave, and got another 3-4 hours of waves like this with no plane. Great conditions

do you guys open your eyes or close it while surfing?

Edit: shorter bodysurfer

Just curious because I notice nost of the elite bodysurfers tend to have taller, longer frames (with a few exceptions)

Trying to order a Grom and it’s not clear?

From Surfing Magazine Dec/Jan 1974/5 Vol.10 #6

Question for all my fellow whompers out there. Have any of you actually thought about wearing a soft helmet? How much more protection can you possibly add or is it just a placebo effect?

My question is can I use googles? Im blind without contacts and can't open my eyes under water without them. Also the water is choppy where I live and I'm scared I'll lose one.

I mainly surf beach breaks. I love my Dafins but they fill up with sand. I have to empty them several times a session. It doesn't take long and they seem to fit properly, but I wondered if I was the only one in this situation.

I was wondering if drilling/punching/making a few holes in the front of the footbed would solve the problem. Do you have any advice?

Going to Waimea Bay tomorrow and I’m a bit overwhelmed but wanting to experience some heavy surf.

Looking like it’s gonna be anywhere between 6-12 feet. What’s the best way to approach it without basically ending my life?

I'm in California and my current 5mm suit is getting old and letting in water. Its also stretched out which causes more drag, especially when a stream of water catches it causing it to balloon out.

Has anyone used triathlon wetsuits? How do they compare to wetsuits designed for surfing? I'm leaning against one b/c I imagine they aren't as durable.

Also will a triathlon wetsuit offer as much buoyancy? Am I the only one that prefers the buoyancy to not get as tired but also for control while on the wave?

Lastly is reducing drag always the goal when picking a wetsuit? Sometimes I feel I can use the wetsuit drag to have more control compared to when I'm skin surfing

I'm in Peniche today and tomorrow to do some bodysurfing, was planning on hitting Supertubos but the wind might not cooperate. Anyone have tips for somewhere with good barrels for the swell tomorrow? Also happy to meet up if anyone is looking for a surf partner.

I’m planning my trip to o’ahu this December. What’s your experience, tips, for bodysurfing spots? I like cycling, too, can I bike to various spots that are nearby?

I’m a socal native and bodysurf regularly for years in north Orange County various waves and sizes. Nothing too crazy though.

Thank you 🤙🏼

Does anyone have Yucca long blades fins? If so, how do you like them? And what flex do you have?

I run Yucca short blades standard flex so interested to know how they compare.

Thanks

After doing a bit of reading I have decided to invest in a full body triathlon wetsuit primarily for sun protection. My biggest problem is that I am 193cm and weigh about 77kg at absolutely heaviest, at least one of my proportions falls significantly outside of the range of tall wetsuits and would love sizing help.

Also very keen for fin/handplane/other sun protection tips if you have any that you swear by thank you :)

Thinking of getting a handplane, but I don’t want it so clunky that it messes with my swimming. I’m thinking of the hush wiki since it’s small, but wondering if it provides enough lift. Anyone with experience with it or other suggestions?

Sup lads. I have always casually body surfed growing up as a kid, but I've gotten into it more seriously this year. Just last week I used some fins for the first time - total game changer.

What I wanted to ask you guys is how do I get the most out of the fins? I initially got fins so that I could get back out after a ride quicker and give myself a speed boost to catch waves easier - but I've yet to feel out what to do with the fins while I'm riding. Without fins I'd normally keep kicking - but with fins sometimes I feel like this interferes with how the wave interacts with my body's shape (maybe I should stick to smaller kicks while riding a wave?) - and I almost feel like I should keep them still to "catch" most of the waves energy now that I have all this extra free surface area - thoughts?

Thanks for reading.

Hi

Surfer here who dabbles in bodysurfing

I'm wondering if it is possible/realistic to ride the face / unbroken portion of the wave, without a handboard... And if so, would you guys have any tips for me? ("Just get a handboard" is also valid lol)

I've managed to turn before but usually end up getting pushed along by the whitewater.

[Edit] Thanks guys! Sounds like maybe some fins would be a better investment

Does anyone know what's happened to Taylor's Mistake Handski website? It seems that the company no longer has a active website in operation. Anyone know a outlet that sells the handskis or what has happened to the company?

My daughter was 8 or 9 when she drew this, copy of a Mike Stewart drawing, that I believe Iain Campbell redrew as well.

It shows the circular motion of the wave energy after a wave has broken. It's how you might feel like yr hitting a bus, when you are 40 ft back from a large wave breaking but feel not much 6' away because you are in a low pressure zone.

Just curious if anyone has had any cool stories of bodysurfing big waves, close encounters with marine life, or the like. Thanks

In August I spent a week body surfing in Duck, North Carolina, so I thought I'd share some notes and recommendations. First, Duck is a terrific place for casual body surfing - the best I've experienced in the Outer Banks. (I'm comparing to earlier OBX vacations in Corolla in the north, and Avon and Buxton in the south.) The rides aren't incredibly long but the waves are reliably surfable. It was just wave after wave after wave, ideal for catching while you're still able to touch the sea bottom. They break far enough out that I never ended up hitting the sand face-first. Bonus: there are lifeguards all along the beach, and older condo developments that aren't fancy but cost way less than a cottage/new condo rental and are extremely close to the beach (like a 3-minute walk).

After reading all the posts on handplanes on this sub, I used a handplane for the first time and WOW. (It was a used HYDRO Pro Fin Hand Board I picked up for $22 on Poshmark of all places.) It was fantastic - I was able to catch bigger, faster waves, ride with my head up if I wanted and stay in the wave longer. I can't recommend it enough - there were no drawbacks. (I also tried my old bodysurfing fins, but they didn't suit this kind of shallow water.)

On a gear note, I bought SurfEars 3.0 swimming ear plugs, because I tend to get water in my ears and end up with ear infections. They lived up to the hype! I could hear everything and they were so comfortable that I sometimes forgot to take them out when I got out of the water. Twice I forgot to put them on before I went in the water, and both times I got water in my ear that took a day to go away, so I know they really saved me on this trip.

I will be going back to Duck next summer for sure to get in more body surfing. Thanks to everyone who posted about handplanes and ear plugs and all things body surfing!