To use a bodyboard, watch the surf for at least ten minutes, start where you can stand, and paddle out during a lull between sets. Duck dive under breaking waves, and begin on slower waves, which need less paddle speed to catch.
This page follows one session in order: before you enter, paddling out, duck diving, and catching a wave. It draws on Bodyboard Holidays and eBodyboarding, both bodyboarding sites, read on 2026-10-21 (links under Sources). WaterSportHQ editors have not taught or filmed these moves, and anything marked “Editors’ rule of thumb” is general advice, not a tested method. For beach choice, gear and what to do in a rip current, see bodyboarding for beginners. For body position and steering once you are on the wave, see how to ride a bodyboard.
Before you enter the water
- Watch first. Bodyboard Holidays says to “watch the waves for a minimum of 10 minutes”, counting the waves in each set and timing the gaps between sets. eBodyboarding likewise says to take a few moments to watch the surf and see how people in the water are being moved.
- Check the wind. Bodyboard Holidays says a cross-shore wind will move you quickly across the beach, so pick a fixed landmark to line up with.
- Be able to swim. Editors’ rule of thumb: only bodyboard if you are comfortable swimming in surf, because you will wipe out and spend time under water.
- Leash and fins. eBodyboarding says fins help you get out past the whitewater, catch waves and steer. For the leash question, see do you need a leash for a bodyboard. To choose a board, see how to choose a bodyboard.
Paddle out
eBodyboarding says to begin close to shore where you can touch the bottom. Bodyboard Holidays’ paddle-out guide adds:
- Go in a lull. Wait for a gap between sets, then paddle with purpose. It says “make yourself as small to incoming waves as possible”.
- Use a channel. Water pushed toward shore flows back out through “the deepest water channel through the break line”, which is usually an easier way out. Editors’ rule of thumb: this is the same water that forms rip currents, so a channel is also where a current can carry you. Read the rip signs in bodyboarding for beginners first.
- Paddle with good form. Keep your legs under the water and your arms straight. For a burst of speed, it suggests paddling with one arm.
Editors’ rule of thumb: if a set is arriving and you cannot get past it, turn toward the beach and ride the whitewater in rather than fight it.
Duck dive under breaking waves
Bodyboard Holidays’ duck dive guide gives these steps:
- Paddle toward the oncoming wave “as fast as you can”.
- “Shove your knee into the tail to guide it downwards at a 45 degree angle.”
- Make yourself as flat as possible and push the board out in front of you.
- Angle the board upward, bending your arms slightly, and look where you are going.
It says the bigger the wave, the earlier you should duck dive and the deeper you should plunge. For a head-high wave, it says to dive when the wave is roughly two metres away. It suggests starting small and in deeper water, and practicing on small or flat days in the sea or a swimming pool.
On shallow reef, it warns that the main hazard is going too deep and hitting the reef. It says to keep your hands flat on the deck so your fingers do not scrape, and to use the “hand helmet” position if you bail out.
Pick a wave and catch it
- Start with slower waves. Bodyboard Holidays says slower waves need less velocity and power to get into, while larger, steeper waves demand more thrust and paddle speed. Editors’ rule of thumb: that is a reason to start on the slow ones.
- Paddle position. It says to paddle upright with an arched back, hands on the front corners and elbows locked out, kicking with the whole leg under water. The downward stroke gives the thrust.
- Wave knowledge. eBodyboarding says knowing where to be as waves arrive “can’t be taught” and is learned by spending time in the ocean. Expect to misjudge waves at first.
- Take-off and riding. For hand placement, steering and speed, see how to ride a bodyboard. For the kneeling stance, see how to drop knee on a bodyboard.
Where sources differ from older guides
An earlier version of this page gave a set nose height above the water, told readers to start at knee depth, and said to wax the board and learn duck diving before anything else. None of those figures appear in the pages WaterSportHQ editors read for this update. eBodyboarding says only that you should start where your feet touch the bottom, and Bodyboard Holidays’ advice is to practice duck diving small and in deeper water.
Safety
- The National Weather Service says to swim only at a beach with lifeguards and to check the local beach forecast before you go. It adds that rip currents often form on calm, sunny days.
- Editors’ rule of thumb: stay calm after a wipeout, keep your leash on and keep away from rocks and reef.