How to angle your take off in surfing

Surfing for beginners' guide

Lesson 17

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Introduction

In this lesson, I’ll go through the importance of angling your take off, with step-by-step instructions on how to execute the angling and take off effectively. Unless you want to ride straight ahead, catching the whitewater instead of the unbroken part of the wave, you need to learn how to angle your takeoff.

Why angling your take off matters

By angling your board during the take off, you’ll be able to ride along the face of the wave to the right or left. If you don’t angle your board, chances are big you’ll end up riding straight forward instead, surfing the whitewater instead of the unbroken part of the wave.

Angled vs non-angled take off surfing
In the beginning of your surfing journey you'll just be riding straight down the wave, into the whitewater. Once you get comfortable doing this, it's time to start practicing angling your take off so that you can start riding along the face of the wave instead. This is a challenging but game-changing and really fun part of surfing!

How to angle your take off

Step 1: Paddle perpendicular to the wave

When you see an incoming wave that you want to catch, start paddling perpendicular to the wave. Being perpendicular to the wave means that the tail of the board is pointing straight towards the wave.

Paddle perpendicular to the wave

Step 2: Determine if you need to angle your take off to the left or right

Check which way the wave is breaking, then choose if you should angle left or right for your take off. If the wave is breaking to the left, angle your take off to the left. If it’s breaking to the right, angle your take off to the right.

Step 3: Start angling your take off when you have 3 paddle strokes left

As you approach the critical moment, with about three paddle strokes remaining, begin angling your board towards the direction you’ve chosen. This is how you angle your board:

3a: Look where you want to go and paddle sideways

Your head and eyes act as your steering wheel, so by looking where you want to go your body will naturally start to align itself in that direction. Begin paddling in a sideways motion by pulling water towards the inside rail and pushing water away from the outside rail.

3b: Envision an imaginary line down the wave that you want ride above

Visualize a line extending down the face of the wave that represents your desired trajectory, aiming to ride above it. You can imagine the line somewhere in the middle of the face of the wave. When the wave’s shoulder is breaking quickly, aim to draw your line slightly higher than the middle. Conversely, if it’s breaking slowly, opt for a line slightly lower.

Visualize a line extending down the face of the wave that represents your desired trajectory, aiming to ride above it
Visualize a line extending down the face of the wave that represents your desired trajectory, aiming to ride above it

3c: Get into the cobra pose and lean by putting weight on the inner rail

Transition into the cobra pose by arching your back. Shift your weight onto the inner rail of the board.

Step 4: Take off

Now that you’re angled, it’s time to take off! This is how you take off:

4a: Pop up with your head and chest still pointing towards where you want to go

Pop up onto your feet while keeping your head and chest aligned with your intended direction of travel. If you fail to keep your head and chest still pointing towards where you want to go just for a second or two, you are likely to loose momentum and end up going straight down the wave instead of sideways.

4b: When in a standing position, put weight over your toes and continue to point your head and chest towards where you want to go

Once in a standing position, put weight over your toes, maintaining forward momentum, and keep your head and chest oriented towards your desired path for a successful ride. Ride above the imaginary line you previously envisioned down the wave.

How to angle your take off in surfing​

Lesson quiz: test your knowledge

1. 
Why is angling your take off important?

2. 
How can you determine which way to angle your take off?

3. 
What should you do when taking off?

Comments

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post! Whether you have suggestions for improvement, want to share what you liked, or have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. Your feedback helps me create better content for all aspiring surfers!

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