Aerials: Taking Flight on a Wave

Speed is everything! You need to pump down the line like your life depends on it. Generate momentum by compressing and extending your legs, driving your board up and down the wave face in an “S” pattern. Set up on a steep, pitching section—usually a hollow beach break wave works best. The key is hitting the lip with maximum velocity. Without that raw pace, you’ll just bonk off the top instead of soaring above it.

You’ll want a modern, high-performance shortboard. Look for a lightweight epoxy construction with a lot of rocker (curve from nose to tail) to help get you up and over the lip. A pulled-in, narrow tail—like a squash or round—gives you snappy release. Keep it relatively small and thin for maximum responsiveness. While you can try on a fish or a mini-mal, a true performance stick is the tool for the job.

Totally different maneuvers! A floater is a wave-top move where you ride along the crumbling lip, staying in contact with the water. An aerial means you’re fully airborne, with the wave lip below you. Grabs—like an Indy or Slob—are things you do during an air to control your board and add style. You might grab rail to stabilize your rotation or tweak it out for extra points. Grabs are the punctuation on your aerial sentence.

Sliding out, or “blowing the fins,“ usually means you’re landing tail-first or with your board sideways. You need to land with your weight centered and the board pointed down the line, ideally with the fins re-engaging in the wave’s face. Try to spot your landing early and guide the board underneath you. It’s a delicate balance between committing forward and not over-rotating. A little wax and faith go a long way!