Stiff as a board

Lesson 8 – 40 minutes

Learning outcomes

• Attempt or perform body surfing on a wave

Preparation

• Water Safety Personnel (1:5).

IMPORTANT

• If you are not confident coaching the skills in this lesson, bring in a surf sports athlete or coach to help deliver the lesson.

Coaching Points

BODY SURFING TECHNIQUE

• Keep body stiff with hands out in front (above head).
• Keep head down between arms.
• Strong fast kick.
• To breathe, take a single arm stroke with one hand out in front and breathe to the side.
  

Demonstrate

• Demonstrate the correct body surfing technique for the participants to see.

Activity 1

• Organise the participants into a semi circle.
• Ask the participants to make their body as ‘stiff as a board’ in the correct body boarding technique.

Coaching Points

CATCHING A WAVE BODY SURFING

• Face the shore.
• Watch behind you for an approaching wave.
• Just before the wave hits, take a deep breath.
• Jump forward or swim hard to match the speed of the wave.
• Keep your body stiff and kick fast.
  

Discuss

• Discuss the technique for catching a wave.

Activity 2

• Take participants into waist-deep water.
• Line up participants facing the beach.
• Ask the participants to get into their ‘stiff as a board’ position.
• When you see a wave is about to reach the participants get them to bend over and push off with the wave.
• Repeat this until they get the idea and can do it themselves.

Activity 3

• If you have an advanced group of participants, move into deeper water and try catching waves by swimming onto them.

*AGE MANAGER TIPS

Use the skills and expertise of your water safety personnel to help participants.

ASSUMED SKILLS
This lesson assumes participants have acquired previous skills from earlier awards:

• Wading and Dolphin-Diving.