How to Perform a Perfect Bottom Turn in Surfing – Frontside and Backside Tips

The first thing to keep in mind is the specific goal of bottoming out, which is none other than reaching the power zone of the wave as fast as possible, regardless of the maneuver to be performed afterwards. From there, we must adapt the angle of entry to the maneuver based on what the wave allows us at any given moment, whether it be a vertical turn, a carving, or any other maneuver.

Frontside:

Starting from the plane of the wave, well balanced and with your weight forward, begin to tilt your body, trying to find the wave with your rear forearm completely parallel to the wave.

Now is when you start to look for the top of the wave with your front shoulder and your gaze, more or less aggressively depending on the maneuver you are going to perform. Up to this point, our board was still parallel to the wave, and therefore our weight was forward, but it is now that we begin to turn, looking for the top, when we must begin the transition of weight from front to back, as before, more aggressively if we want to reach the top with the board vertical, or less so if we are looking for a less pronounced angle. To perform a smooth frontside bottom turn and lose as little speed as possible, or even gain speed, it is very important to use the edge of the board, so we will need to use the tips of our feet and put all the weight we can on them.

Otherwise, a fairly common mistake is to shift your weight back too early in order to climb the wall, thus losing contact between the edge of the board and the wave and, with it, the fluidity and speed you were trying to generate.

Backside:

Starting from the same point as on the frontside, with your weight forward on the plane of the wave, begin to search for the top of the wave with your front arm and your gaze. It is very important to use your arm with your palm facing up to achieve greater rotation of your torso towards the wave. In this case, your rear arm should be relaxed close to your body while you throw your front arm semi-stretched upwards, following it with the rest of your torso. The weight transfer is performed in exactly the same way as on the frontside, starting when our board breaks parallel with the wave and with the appropriate aggressiveness based on the maneuver we are aiming for.

In this case, to keep the edge of the board in contact with the water as much as possible, we must shift our weight towards our heels, trying to achieve the same fluidity and speed as explained for the frontside. Flexing and extending your body. Always keep in mind that when doing a bottom turn, you are trying to go from the bottom of the wave to the top, so if you stay upright or flexed throughout the process without changing your posture, you will not be able to generate the upward momentum that will make this task easier. Therefore, what we should aim for is to start the maneuver flexed and decompress our body during the process to end up in a more upright position at the end.

Waves are always changing and often unpredictable, so, as with the rotation on ourselves and the weight transfer during the bottom turn, this movement can vary in intensity depending on the needs of each wave and each moment.

Exercise to practice the bottom turn out of the water.

Starting from a standing position on an uneven surface (bosu, fit ball, etc.), jump onto a flat surface with the intention of landing in the initial position of a bottom turn and then simulate one, either frontside or backside. This exercise can be very beneficial because most of the time when we surf, we are not always as comfortable as we would like to be, causing us to lose our posture and often jeopardizing the next maneuver. In this way, we will simulate being in that somewhat uncomfortable situation so that we can then prepare ourselves correctly before performing that bottom turn.