How to Kneeboard Surf

Initiating originally from the surfing community of Southern California, Kneeboard surfing is a water sport which is a culmination of the excitement of water skiing and the high rush of surfing.

Staring as an alternative to the conventional stand-up surfing, kneeboarding also know as kneeboard surf or knee-riding,  with time evolved through the years into a standalone water sport.

The technique in which they ride makes them closer to the wave compared to the normal surfers, that’s why for kneeboarders the sensation of speed is larger than the surfing itself. A kneeboard is easily maneuvered, but the key points that you have to have knowledge about are how to position, how to distribute weight on the board while in the water, and how to acclimatize your body to transitions of the wave.Kneeboarding is still popular. It might not have the same hype it had in the ’60s and ’70s when it was a new and charming activity to invest your time into and have unbelievable immense fun, but it is still a well enough known sport for the people to enjoy.

Standard ultimate kneeboards range between 5’6” and 6’2” and conventionally has the parts; a twin-fin, a thruster, a quad, and five-fin setups. Of course, the preferences completely depend on the rider itself.

A normal surfboard is quite different from a kneeboard as it has the distinctive features of a flatter and wider board, a round nose and the fin shape. The fins are usually used to get you slowly adapted to the wave, but the board is used to steer you in the main and climatic phase of the surf to make you go faster.The old traditional method of using wax to traction is considered to be the best even today, but some surfers like so install traction pads on the back and front-foot.

The most active and known kneeboarding organizations are USA Water Ski and Kneeboard Surfing USA.Wave Riding and Water Skiing

There are two constructive disciplines in kneeboarding: wave riding (surfing) and water skiing (wake-style). Kneeboard surfing is considered to be a discipline of surfing. The surfer rides the board in a kneeling posture, in a way considered to be similar to the drop-knee bodyboarding – and executes stunts in the open waves. They are often made with the materials polyurethane and fiberglass, similar to surfboards. Kneeboard surfers normally carry with them kneeboard ropes and put on leashes and swim fins, and they also have a few advantages over normal surfers on the topic of getting barreled – kneeboarders require a smaller amount of tube area, and they can easily overcome the challenge of steeper take-offs.Steps for a successful kneeboard surf:

  • Look out for a four-foot wave
  • Begin with paddling for the wave using your arms and kicking with your feet
  • After you got into the wave, push the board with your hands and get up
  • Bend your knees very slightly and eye where you want to go;
  • If required, use your hands to speed up
  • Go down the wave
  • Catch onto the outside rail with your hand
  • Keep the hand on your inside close to water to maintain maximum balance
  • Use both your hands to paddle or pump the board with both your knees if you need more speed while going
  • To do turns, complete spins, and out of the box maneuvers make sure to lower your position and use both hands to for the movements as they will provide support
  • In the starting of the 20th-century, kneeboarding lost some of its glitter and verve as wakeboarding and cable parks came to rise. Nonetheless, a tightly held community still continues to run competitions and produce world champions.