How to Skimboard on Small Waves

Skimboarding was first popularized in Southern California as a way for lifeguards to quickly move down the beach. Over the latter part of the 20th century, skimboarding grew into a highly competitive water sport. Similar to surfboards, skimboards are usually made of very thin pieces of wood or fiberglass and are used to glide across the shallow water near a beach shore. Skimboarders glide across the water, bank off a breaking wave and then back to shore.

Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a long, flat area of beach with no obstacles between you and the water. Pick the right wave to skim across, as the wave should not be too big, nor should it break too far out from shore.

    • 2

      Hold your skimboard flat in front of you and begin running at a slight angle to the wave as soon as the wave breaks.

    • 3

      Throw your board down as soon as you reach the edge of the water or wet sand and step onto it, using your momentum to glide it forward. This is one of the hardest steps to skimboarding and can cause many beginners to give up.

    • 4

      Keep your body weight centered over the board and keep the tip of it pointed toward the wave. As the board meets the wave, keep your weight on your back foot to allow the nose of the board to ride up the wave.

    • 5

      Bank off the wave and ride it back to shore by turning your body and shifting your weight while still keeping your feet firmly on the skimboard. If you have the proper speed going into the wave, and can keep your balance, it is also possible to do various tricks while turning.