TOP TURN
TIPS
Practice makes
perfect, and that is
precisely what you're
going to have to do
when it comes to
perfecting your top turn.
Don't begin your
transition down the
wave too late. Once
you hit the halfway
mark on the wave begin
to think about turning
down, and at ¾ of the
way up the wave, you
should be looking down
with your body rotating
down the wave.
Don't forget to bend
your knees. If you don't
bend your knees, you
won't be able to release
them as you come up
to the wave.
- SET YOUR TARGET
You’re at the bottom of the wave, your legs are
compressed, and you have your eyes on the
prize – the prize being the lip (wall of water) at
the top of the wave. Your weight should be on
your back foot; this will help you turn the board.
Think of your head as the steering wheel and
where you look will be where your body goes.
Your body should be facing the wave with your
arms out, slightly raised for stability. You want
to be able to touch the water with your trailing
hand while doing your bottom turn. - BACK FOOT
Have your back foot as far back as possible;
essentially you want your foot to be on the deck
pad, right on the kicker. If your foot is too far up
the board, you will struggle to turn it, which is
why it is essential for you to get your positioning
right during the pop-up and bottom turn stage.
Never underestimate feet positioning when it
comes to turns, your back foot is around 80%
of where your turns come from. - COMING UP THE WAVE
As you start coming up the wave, decompress
by slightly unbending your knees and
straightening your upper body. Aim to keep
your head centred over your body. When you
get to around ½-¾ of the way up the wave, you
will need to start looking down. The hand that’s
trailing in the water during your bottom turn
then needs to be thrown powerfully across your
body, and back down the wave, as you turn off
the top. - 12 O’CLOCK
You’ve come up to the top of the wave; your
surfboard should now be at 12 o’clock. Now,
this is when the board has to turn back down.
For most surfers, this will come instinctively;
however, if it’s your first attempt, don’t be
concerned if it doesn’t come naturally or
happen smoothly. - AT THE TOP OF THE WAVE
The same looking and turning principle applies
as it did at the beginning of the manoeuvre. You
will want to look down the wave, turning your
head, shoulders and arms down as you do so.
As you turn your upper body down the face
of your wave, your hips and legs will begin to
follow with your entire body rotating down
the wave.