Why Your Surfing Is Going Nowhere (And The Truth About How to Catch Green Waves)

Here’s the thing. 

Every surfer dreams of catching the perfect wave. Taking off, drawing your line, then setting yourself up for the ultimate ride.

Friends cheering from the shoulder, excitement lit up all over your face, Ahhhhhhh there is no better feeling. 

This is why you surf.

And more importantly this is why you need to know how to catch green waves so you can repeat, repeat, repeat. 

Surfing is quite simple. The more waves you catch, the more you will improve and the more fun you’re going to have. 

Mastering the art of catching waves is a very important one. It’s a skill reserved for those surfers who put the work in and who want to learn how to develop better ocean awareness.  

This is why we’ve created this article. 

In this post, this ultimate, step by step guide, we’ll share tips used by professional surfers to get you catching more waves so you can spend more of your time practicing your turns, getting pitted and sharing the surf stoke. 

You’ll learn the secret’s to catching more waves effectively, the reasons why you are not catching waves and what to do about it. 

Are you ready? 

Let’s get to it.

Catching unbroken waves is one of the hardest aspects of surfing you will need to master. There is a patheral of nuances to understand and learn. From assessing the swell as it comes in to noting where it is peaking. 

All of these factors and more will help you to determine which waves to catch and why. 

To add, even the slightest of subtle differences can turn a good wave into a bad wave and vice versa. 

For example: Too much shoulder (wall) might mean the wave will close out.  

The simple task of watching the waves carefully and noting how and where the waves are breaking will save you time, conserve your energy and limit your frustration. 

And the best part:

You can do this anytime and anywhere.  

Before catching a green wave, you will usually need to decide which direction you’re going to be surfing on the wave. 

What this means is: are you going to be surfing the left or the right?

On most beach breaks, you’ll be able to go either right or left. The wave may build up in a wedged shape or an A frame, allowing you to choose either a left or a right hand wave to surf. 

A good habit to practice, is to decide prior to entering the water which direction you will be surfing - based on wave conditions and your personal preference. 

This is a great way to eliminate and avoid any indecisiveness or uncertainty out in the water.  

But remember, things can and often do change from wave to wave. 

Here’s a tip:

Experienced surfers catch more waves because they move around a lot. 

As a wave forms on the horizon this will eventually transform into waves known as sets as it approaches the shore. 

These waves will form into many different shapes and sizes depending on what type of surf break you are surfing. 

The majority of waves can be categorized into 4 main types.

It’s important to note here; surfers identify the wave direction from their perspective out in the water.

ie. what appears to be a left from the land, is in fact a right out in the water. 

Let's break down each of these wave directions a little further.

A Left 

A wave that breaks to the left from the vantage of the surfer riding the wave. For people looking from the beach, the wave will be breaking to the right from their position. How to catch green waves.

A Right

A wave that breaks to the right from the vantage of the surfer riding the wave. For people looking from the beach, the wave will be breaking to the left from their position.

Closeout

A wave that closes all at once. There is neither a left or a right to surf. Usually your only option is to go straight. These waves are very limited and you pretty much have to ride straight, unless your Felipe Telado. 

A Frame

A wave shaped like an A which has both a left and a right wave peeling away from the take off position. 

Catching waves on a shortboard is a whole different story compared to catching waves on bigger boards.  

Here’s why.

Shortboards have less volume, so paddling and catching waves is much harder.  

This makes catching waves on a shortboard difficult for three reasons:

When making the step up from big board to shortboard things will likely get worse before they get better. But, stick with it as over time you’ll hone in on your skills and it’ll become second nature in no time.

Let’s face it. 

Surfing is a hard sport to master. It takes a lot of practice and you’re going to encounter a lot of setbacks before you see any results. 

There’s a reason why only a small percentage of surfers in the world are good...

But, the one thing you need for all of this is, to be able to catch waves so you can practise and perfect your skills to improve. 

There’s nothing worse than sitting out the back and not catching anything. Ahhhhhh surfing can be so frustrating at times. ‘

So how do you get waves without feeling defeated?

There are two main areas you need to focus on;

They are:

Let’s break these areas down into a little more detail. 

Body Positioning 

Your body positioning catching green waves at first may seem counter intuitive.  

The last thing you want to do is move your body further forward. The thought of racing down a green face is enough to put you off. 

On the other hand, this is why you see so many Level 1 and 2 surfers getting hung up on the lip. 

Their noses are higher than the tail which makes it almost impossible to catch green waves. 

Beginner surfers = spectacular wipeouts. 

Moving your body further forward and creating as little space between the nose and the water is what’s going to give you the edge getting you into most waves. 

Ideally you need to have the nose of the board lower than the tail at the moment you're entering into the wave. 

Talk about commitment! 

This at first will take a lot of getting used to, but stick with it and you will find you are catching more waves with less effort.

Paddling speed

Catching green waves requires you to begin your paddling in advance. 

I’m sure you’ve heard a surf coach shout “ remember three extra paddles” and for good reason. This is to make sure you keep your momentum with the moving wave as it travels to shore. 

Most Level 1 and 2 surfers feel a slight push and they stop paddling. 

The problem is, you need more paddle speed than this - in fact, when you feel this push start ACCELERATING. 

That means - you need to paddling at full speed by the time the wave begins to lift the back of the board. 

To note:

If you are lying on your board correctly but you’re not moving at full speed by the time the wave lifts the back you're going to nose dive. 

There is a reason why you learn to surf in the white water. 

It’s easy, safe and predictable. 

It’s also really helpful when it comes to catching waves. 

Here’s why;

The power from the white water pushes you forward without really needing to paddle. 

This force makes it relatively easy to catch unbroken waves. 

Even better there is no take off zone or positioning - did I mention crowds?

Green waves on the other hand is like learning to surf all over again. 

These waves are unpredictable and challenging at the best of times. This is also what makes them so much fun. 

Once you get a taste of surfing a green wave, you’ll never look back. 

What makes catching green waves so difficult is...there is no push forward. The force that lets you into the wave is gravity. 

In other words you're trying to paddle down a hill that’s moving forward. 

This is what makes surfing so hard!

Knowing gravity is at play can really help you to understand how to use it to your advantage so you get out there and start catching all the green waves you want. 

I let you in on a little secret…

There are four stages to a wave breaking. One of them is the ideal position for you to catch an unbroken wave. 

Let’s find out which one. 

Stage A: The wave is a lump

At stage A the wave is only a lump out to sea. It’s not defined by a peak and is only an indication that there is a wave coming. 

Stage B: Paddle!!! & catch wave

At stage B this is the perfect shape and steepness for you to catch the unbroken wave. 

Stage C: Too late

At this stage the wave has formed into a  ‘lip’. This lip is now really steep and full of power making it impossible to catch the wave without eating shit! 

Stage D: White water warrior

At this stage the wave has now broken and formed into white water before hitting the shore and fading out. 

Surfing a green wave for the first time is truly an unforgettable experience.

As surfers we all know, in order to experience the highs you’ll also have to endure many lows...

Granted, there will be times when you want to give up, but with practice and a little persistence this will eventually pay off. 

Each wave will teach you something new. This is what makes surfing so alluring. No wave is ever the same. 

What you will notice however, is there will be similarities and patterns. This new found knowledge and understanding of the ocean and how waves break will give you confidence to catch waves like never before. 

As the saying goes… Only a surfer knows the feeling. 

Let me know in the comments below how these tips have helped you catch more green waves. 

With Love,

Lauren