How to Get Better at Wake Surfing

Table of Contents

How to get better at wake surfing (Top 10 wake surf tricks)

Whether it’s surfing, sailing, or wake surfing, getting out onto the water to feel the spray is something people have been enjoying for years. But once you master getting up onto your wakeboard, what now?

How can you get better at wake surfing?

There are a few ways to get better at wake surfing before you head out into the water. Making sure you have the proper equipment—swimsuit or wetsuit, wake surfing board, wake surf rope, personal flotation device, and most importantly, a boat that can create a large enough wake in which you can surf.

Knowing how to stand up onto the board properly will also help you get better at wake surfing. Relaxing and allowing the boat’s force to push you up onto the board is the easiest way to stand up. Don’t make the common mistake of pushing your feet too hard on the board—be patient as you start wakeboarding and let the boat do the work.

Learning to properly drop the rope will also help you get better at both wake surfing and completing the tricks described below. When you get into the interior of the wave, make sure you have enough support from the wave before you drop the rope. Your posture is key, as bending over too far when you let go can affect your balance.

The last way to get better at wake surfing is simply practicing. Whether you can practice on the water or at home, you can complete some strength training and work on your balance. Practicing, whether on land or sea, can help you learn some of the wake surfing tricks below!

What tricks can you do on your wakeboard?

Top 10 Wake surf Tricks

1. Carving: rock back and forth in the wake.

2. Pumping: gain speed using the wake.

3. Floating: stand at the top of the wave.

4. Rail Grab: grab the front of your board.

5. Hang Five: hang your toes off the front of your board.

6. Fire Hydrant: lift your leg in the air while completing a rail grab.

7. Snap: twist into the wave to create a splash.

8. Ollie: jump the board off the surface of the water.

9. Air: ollie off the top of the wave.

10. 360 Spin: spin off the top of the wave.

Stand up on that board, let go of the rope, and get yourself ready to get some air on that wake with the following how-to guide on the top 10 wake surfing tricks.

1. Carving

Learning to carve isn’t just a wake surfing trick—carving can help you with harder, more elaborate tricks as you get better at your craft. Carving is when you rock into the wake, moving back and forth at your own pace, in almost a zig-zag motion.

To do this correctly, make sure you are at the center of your board and drop back into the wake. The nose of your board should be turned into the top of the wave. To do this, push your front foot forward and ride up the board, swinging back down again by pushing your back foot towards the boat. You should start moving back and forth, causing the water to spray when you push your back foot. Your back foot is key in this trick—use it to control the direction you’re headed by pivoting your back foot.

2. Pumping

Once you have learned to carve, you can start gaining speed by learning how to pump. Pumping is similar to carving as you are moving through the wave, but you use it to gain speed.

To pump, push the inside rail into the wave while using your weight to push down into the wave. Bend your knees as your board climbs back into the wave so you do not lose speed.

3. Floating

Floating isn’t the same in wake surfing as it is in other watersports. To float, you have to center yourself on your board and stand at the top of the wave by moving your front foot forward. Similar to carving, you start the same way, getting to the point where you are about to move your back foot. Instead of pushing back, you simply have to hold your position. While a bit harder than carving, it will appear as though you’re floating at the top of the wave. Try applying some pressure with your forward foot to maintain your balance.

4. Rail Grab

Another trick that is built upon with more complicated tricks is the rail grab. To complete the rail grab, you must crouch down, keeping your knees close to your body. From there you can grab the front of your board. Like a surfer, you can complete the rail grab with your right hand if your left foot is forward or vice versa. Either way, you can keep your balance and complete the trick.

Knowing when in the wake and where to grab your board is a matter of practice, but it will give you better control once you learn.

5. Hang Five

While you may be familiar with the surfing trick “hang ten” you can hang five when you’re wake surfing. To hang five, make sure the rope is still in your hand. From there, you can move one foot forward until they are just hanging over the edge of the board.

Once you get comfortable with this trick, you can do it without the rope. Note that it will take practice before you can achieve hanging five—or even ten—for more than a few seconds.

Can you wakeboard behind any boat? Find out here.

6. Fire Hydrant

This trick is built upon the rail grab. Once you master the rail grab, you can complete the fire hydrant by putting one hand on the board and foot into the air. This trick can be at the bottom of the wave and the wave size doesn’t matter.

Stay positioned at the bottom of the wave and bend over to place your front hand on the board above your front foot. Maintain your balance and speed while you transfer your weight to your hand and start lifting your front foot behind you. Your opposite foot and front hand should still be planted on the board, while your back hand is extended back behind you toward the wave.

While it can be a harder move to achieve, try lowering your body down first and getting into the rail grab position before raising your foot into the air.

7. Snap

Much like surfing, a snap is when you turn off a wave, staying banked, and create a splash. Learning how to snap your board teaches edge control, along with creating more momentum as you wake surf.

Bend your knees and lead into the wave with your front shoulder, much like you’re carving or pumping. Leading with your chest, push the nose of your board into the top of the wave using your back foot as a guide. As soon as you get to the top of the wave, push your back foot forward and down, twisting with your hips and shoulders. Lock your back leg at the top of the wave to create the snap.

8. Ollie

While the term “ollie” is borrowed from sports on land, it is similar in wake surfing. To ollie, you jump the board off the surface of the water.

When you’re first trying this trick, do it on the outside of the wave while you are still holding onto the rope. If your right foot is forward on your board, use your right arm to hold onto the rope while keeping it straight. Place your weight on your forward foot while bending your knees to jump. As you do, put your weight onto your back leg as you pop the board up with your front foot. When your board starts to pop, bend your knees more and pull them into your chest.

9. Air

Once you’ve learned to ollie, you can start practicing doing an air. To do an air, perform an ollie off the top of the wave with some sort of rotation to you and your board.

You may have to pump for a while off the back of the wave until you get enough speed to jump at the top; note that pointing your front hand to the top of the wave will help get you to where you need to be to complete the trick. When you come off the wave, swing your front arm out and away from you so you can rotate enough to land on the wave.

10. 360 Spin

While the hardest trick on the list, the 360 spin is built upon your earlier skills. First, you must pump your way from the back of the wave until you get to the mid-point, where you can slip your backhand into the water. This hand in the water will help you pull your body around into the spin—you will be turning towards this arm when you do the trick. When you come up onto the wave, look over your back shoulder, using your hand in the water to help you spin on the top of the wave, until you are directly looking at the boat again. Your back foot is doing the pivoting in this trick, like many other wake surfing tricks.

As with any sport, make sure you learn the basics first. Having the right equipment, knowing how to pop up onto your board, and learning when to let go of the rope in wakesurfing is imperative before you start attempting any sort of tricks on the wake. You may not get it right on the first try, but having the right attitude and knowing your limits will help you prepare for a great and fun day wake surfing.