Bodyboarding Safety
Posted: 31 July 2020
Many of you will be taking to the waves for the first time. You’ve got your bodyboard and you hit the waves. However, unless you have some basic bodyboarding safety knowledge, it’s easy to get in over your head.
Here’s some tips to help you stay safe whilst bodyboarding.
1. The Golden Rule of Bodyboarding Safety
Never go bodyboarding in water that you are unsure of:
Where the surf is larger than your ability
Ask yourself:
“would you still be able to swim in that surf and back to the shore if your leash breaks and you lose your board?
If you don’t think so,
Dont go bodyboarding until the conditions are more suitable for you.
2. Knowledge of the Ocean
As simple as it sounds, the ocean and waves can be unpredictable at the best of times. Knowing about the different types of waves and how waves break will help you determine what waves to catch and which ones to stay away from.
3. Don’t be Washed Away
Rips and currents are one of the major hazards for inexperienced bodyboarders. They can carry you far out to sea or into large breaking waves. Make sure you can identify where rips and currents are and stay away from them. Patrolled beaches usually have signs on the beach identifying where the rips and currents are. Look out for them.
4. Learn the Bodyboarding Lingo
Bodyboarding has a language all of its own. Experienced bodyboarders use not only bodyboarding terms, but also shouts and signals when out in the water. If you are out paddling in the water and you hear a shout or whistle, it is probably an experienced surfer or bodyboarder riding on a wave and heading towards you. It means “watch out, I’m coming through”.
5. Have Bodyboarding Awareness
Don’t be a UFO – an “Unidentified Floating Object”. This is the term commonly used by experienced surfers and bodyboarders for people who have little surfing or bodyboarding awareness. When out in the water, be constantly aware of all that is happening around you to ensure you are not an obstacle (hazard or danger) to other bodyboarders, surfers and swimmers.
6. Understand Bodyboarding Rules
Just like any other sport, bodyboarding has rules to ensure bodyboarding is safe. The one major rule in bodyboarding is the rule of “dropping in”. This is where you drop in on a wave another surfer or bodyboarder has priority on. Make sure you understand who has priority on the wave so you do not take someone else’s wave.
To continue reading click here: https://www.academyofsurfing.com/sports/bodyboarding/asi-bodyboard/bodyboarding-safety
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About ASI
ASI is a professional membership organisation and international governing body for instructors, coaches and schools in the outdoor recreation industry for surfing, stand up paddle and bodyboarding.
We set the standards for education, accreditation, professional development and ongoing support for our members, offering pathways from entry level to elite level.
International Instructor and Coach Accreditation. You can travel the world with ASI.
ASI Accredited Schools abide by the high international standards for operations, training and safety.
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