Barrel riding

Advanced · 5 min read · Board: A shortboard or step-up with the right volume for the wave.

Riding inside the curl. The hardest thing to do well, and one where preparation matters more than courage.

Tube riding is as much about wave choice and position as about technique. A beginner can get a barrel by accident. Making it on purpose takes years.

Prepare

Pick the wave. Look for a wave that is hollow, but with a clear line and a section that stays open. Know where the exit is.
Know the bottom. On a reef or a shallow bar, a barrel can end on the bottom. Know the depth, the tide, and what a fall means.
Know your fitness. A wipeout in a barrel is a hold-down. Breath, calm and conditioning come first.

Take off a little deeper, with your hand on the rail and your body low.
Angle into the barrel with a high line along the face.
Stall when the lip begins to curl: shift your weight back, drag a hand in the face or a hand on the rail, to slow down and let the tube catch up.
Tuck your head and shoulders, look at the exit, not the wall.
Drive out when the tube opens: weight forward, drive through the opening.

Never try a heavy barrel at a reef or a shallow bar until you are comfortable on that wave in smaller conditions.
Cover your head with your arms when you fall.
Surf a spot with friends, and with a lifeguard if you can.

A guide is not a coach. If you can, take a lesson or surf with someone better than you.