THE COASTAL ADVENTURER
Bodysurfing in summer is a real thrill, writes William Thomson
In the natural world, there seems to be a lag between causes and effects. This is demonstrated perfectly with tides; the most powerful ‘Springs’ do not happen precisely on the days of the Full and New Moon, but 36 hours after. The same can be said with seasons – although days are longer and the sun’s rays are more concentrated on the June solstice, Britain keeps heating up all the way to August. This is partly because the sea takes longer to warm than the land, so the full effects of June’s sunshine are not felt until August. When we have reached this point, the added heat around our shores results in warm moist air rising with greater intensity, cooling to form towering clouds as it rises and giving us intense showers. So although August is peak summer holiday season in the UK, it is not all blue skies, and we need to find an activity that takes this into account.
A typical August day alternates between bright blue sunshine and sudden downpours. The rain often comes with so little warning that you have just seconds to escape – so we may as well embrace it and plan adventures around getting wet. If you’re dressed in a summer wetsuit and in the water already, a quick downpour is hardly going to ruin your day – but if you had planned a family picnic, it might. So we want something that gets us in the water and makes the most of the prevailing conditions. Surfing comes to mind, but you need intense storms to create waves powerful enough to push us along on a surfboard – these are rare in the summer. The waves in August are often too small and weak for regular surfing, but they do have an advantage – they are perfect for riding on our bodies.
The best waves for learning bodysurfing are about 1m high, because they are just powerful enough to propel you and break in the water around 1.3m deep, so you can push off from the seabed. Ideally you want a flat and sandy beach; this is important because it makes the waves break gradually with smooth faces, in contrast to steeply sloping beaches that create steep waves that are dangerous to bodysurf. Because you are essentially riding the wave head-first, safety is paramount and it is sensible to study the beach at low tide to make sure there are no rocks or sharp objects to crash into. On Britain’s west coast this is not always necessary because the water is so clear you can
‘Sunny skies, then sudden showers, is typical weather for August’
see the seabed far below, but on the east coast the water is often darker with reduced visibility; on my local stretch of beach the powerful currents stir up the silty sea bed and hide anything submerged below – the local seals love to make the most of this by popping up right in front of swimmers and giving us a fright.
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The joy of bodysurfing in its simplest form is that you don’t need any equipment, making it emotionally and financially free. However, if you want to progress to expert level you’ll need some fins and a handplane. Riding bigger waves that break in deeper water means you won’t be able to push off the seabed, so the fins will give you greater power and acceleration when catching waves. They also help you get out of trouble by swimming more efficiently, especially if you find yourself in a rip. And if there’s a big wave you want to avoid, use the fins to swim down as deep as you can – the wave will pass without catching you.
As for the handplane, it will help you plane more effectively, increasing your control on the wave and even facilitating fun tricks like the barrel roll. Even with all the equipment available, you can fit it into a small backpack, making it an ideal travelling hobby. Remember to wear swimwear that doesn’t rip off easily – although some of the best bodysurfing breaks in Britain double up as nudist beaches, so I wouldn’t worry too much if you stagger out of the sea with just your fins on.
REWARDS
Bodysurfing truly is a blend of art and sport, surfing and
swimming. It demands, and develops, the core strength of a swimmer and the wave craft of a surfer. Many instructors encourage surfing with your body before you try a board as it teaches you about wave dynamics and gets you used to that environment without a cumbersome lump of fibreglass. It certainly is a fantastic adventure to introduce children to waves. They can do it on foamy waves that have already broken in the shallows, making it a fun activity that expands their understanding of the ocean. As they get older they can then take that knowledge and apply it to other forms of wave-riding, from longboarding to shortboarding. But don’t be surprised if they keep their fins and plane close-by – there’s no feeling more euphoric than shooting down a wave on your chest as the lips wrap around overhead and cocoon you in its barrel.
Although bodysurfing sounds simple, it’s actually incredibly demanding, requiring enormous core strength and Zen-like control of weight distribution. In different breaks around the world – from the Wedge in California to Point Panic in Hawaii – tribes of bodysurfers have even developed unique techniques of shaping their limbs to find perfect harmony with the specific characters of their wave. Putting aside the details, what all bodysurfers share is feeling the wave in every single part of their bodies, from the tip of the index finger to the bottom of the big toe. This makes it the coastal adventure that takes you closest to nature; it came about by Pacific islanders emulating the dolphins and seals they watched euphorically riding the waves offshore. When Captain James Cook visited Tahiti in 1769, bodysurfing was already well established and widely practised by common folk, who were banned from board surfing – the sport of kings. Now, riding waves on your chest can be enjoyed by everyone, from excited children to professional athletes.
Next month, William will explore September’s Equinoctial Gales, and share ways to make the most of them.
‘With LITTLE EFFORT, I was able to CRUISE down the line of the WAVE and enjoy the UNIQUE FEELING of BODYSURFING with my COMPASS HANDPLANE’