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.
ASSUMED SKILLS
This lesson assumes participants have acquired previous skills from earlier awards:
- Wading and Dolphin-Diving.
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