Taj Burrow A Warm up Routine Before Surfing

The Wipe Out

Posted by Annie Shay on Jul 3, 2013 in Learning Center | 0 comments

The Wipe Out

Even though there are hit songs about wiping out on a surfboard, it’s not always enjoyable to do it! Wipe out can be defined as ‘an end of a ride’ or more accurately falling off your surfboard quite ungracefully. Surfing is an exhilarating sport but a lot can happen if you are not careful enough. Imagine broken boards, cuts, gashes, rough collisions, concussions, drowning and far worse injuries. Fun to watch but risky to life, no one can be immune from a wipe out. However, don’t be disheartened, with practice anything is possible. You will even find experienced surfers complaining about the horrible wipe outs. Surfing is very easy once you get a hang of a right technique. If you are about to wipe out, do it the right way. Yes, there is an actual way to wipe out to reduce the risks of injuries.

There is a misunderstanding that a wipe out can only happen on a large wave. This is not true. They can easily happen on smaller waves too. Sadly enough, surfers tend to be more cautious when riding on a heavy, powerful wave while they often show a careless attitude on a smaller wave that often results in accidents. Moreover, they typically occur in small crowded beach breaks than large platforms. There are numerous moves that can terminate a ride and hence they are regarded as wipe outs – some of the maneuvers are a slip, fall, pitch, pearl, twist or splat. When wipe out occurs on a large scope, it can be life threatening. Death can take place from a severe head injury. Despite the deadliness and dislike of wipe outs, you will find many surfers carrying out the move terribly. From a professional surfer to a novice, no one is secure from it. For spectators, it can be really amusing watching a famous surfer falls of the board clumsily.

How to Wipe Out

During surfing, you are going to fall sooner or later so why not fall with some grace? Here are some tips that can save you from a horrible wipe out.

– Take a super-deep breath so you have more air and are more boyant. Tuck and cover to protect your face, throat, groin, and stomach. You never know when another surfer is possibly wiping out on top of you and you can get hit by them or their board unexpectedly.

– You need to avoid hitting the bottom or any shallow rocks, so try not to go to deep unless you’re sure there’s nothing down there to injure you, in which case it can sometimes be good to get yourself deeper.

– To avoid injury to the neck and cervical spine, keep your chin down. Basically curling into fetal position isn’t such as bad idea, especially at first until you’re more experienced.

– As you are spinning around inside the wave, don’t panic (obviously) or try to fight the wave too much until you’re sure you know which way is up. Save your energy and get to the surface efficiently when it’s over.

– You may feel your leash wrapping where it shouldn’t, so be prepared to kick out, straighten your foot, or whatever it takes to keep the leash pulling on your ankle and not painfully yanking some other body part.

– When you first come out of the water, protect your face with your arms in case your board is already just about to hit you. Try to keep the board between yourself and the coast so the next wave doesn’t slam it into your face while you’re recovering.

– Try to recover as quickly as possible and paddle into the white-water to duck-dive or turtle roll, not towards the shoulder of the next wave where another surfer may be riding. Always be aware of where you are and who you might be affecting with your wipeout.