Skimboarding was invented in the 1920s when Laguna Beach lifeguards used pieces of wood to slide on the water. Over the years, this activity has become a fun and engaging water sport.
The best part about skimboarding is that it is not at all dependent on wind and wave conditions. But yeah, it involves some great tricks to perform skimboarding like a pro!
At first, it is hard for people to learn. Most of the time, people hurt themselves while learning skimboarding and even give up on this water sport. However, it is important to know the basics of skimboarding before you head on to the bead with your skimboards.
So let’s learn the basics!
Step 1 – Choose your Skimboard
The first step of learning skimboarding – make sure you choose your skimboard wisely. Skimboards come in different shapes, sizes, patterns, and materials. East Coast Skimboards provides you various styles and sizes of skimboards as per your requirement. We recommend using Zap Skimboards, which is perfect for beginners as well as professionals.
So, if you are a beginner and don’t know which one is the best skimboard for you, you can get in touch with the experts of East Coast Skimboards. Or, you can explore their wide variety of Zap Skimboards and get a good one that will give you a solid grip.
Our recommended Zap Skimboards:
Zap Small Lazer 40” Skimboard with rider weight limit 95 lbs is perfect for learners. It has the best-in-class quality and is small in size, which makes it a great skimboard for beginners, especially kids who love water sports.
For an effortless ride, the small lazer 40’’ skimboard is crafted from lightweight fiberglass w/foam core materials to handle and hold. There are different styles of Zap Lazer skimboards available for beginners to discover, buy & enjoy!
Zap Fish 47” skimboard with rider weight limit 160 lbs is designed carefully from fiberglass with foam core material. If you are keen to learn the art of wave riding, Zap Fish is the right skimboard that offers great flotation. Moreover, this skimboard provides enough surface area to speed up the learning process of riding waves.
The nose & belly of Zap Fish skimboard is wide in shape that helps in creating a stable platform for skimboarding at an advanced level. The fishtail helps in agility and speed to the skimboarder.
Zap Core 48” Skimboard can hold up to 180 lbs. It is crafted with premium quality fiberglass with foam core material. If it is your first time or you are giving up on learning skimboarding, then you can go for this New Zap Core skimboard, perfect for beginners to intermediate-level riders.
For optimal flotation, the core of this skimboard is 5/8 thick that assists in keeping the speed fast as well as maneuverable. Go for this product for impeccable quality and a great time learning skimboarding!
Step 2 – Sand Skimming
You are a novice and want to learn skimboarding like a pro, right? Sand Skimming is what you need to practice!
First, you have to choose the area and sand consistency with some water. Avoid sticky and rocky sand as it can affect your skimboarding practice.
Second, run behind your skimboard as fast as you can and head on your board to gain momentum and slide smoothly.
Third, drop your board on the sand as and when the wave starts to reach the sand. But make sure you hold the board with one hand from each end for safety purposes.
Lastly, step on the board and start sliding along with maintaining the balance (Front & Back foot). Remember, you have to ride with the waves on your skimboard.
Step 3 – Safety & Precautions
It can be frustrating while learning skimboarding. There can be different situations where you will fall and might hurt yourself during the learning process. But you have to accept the fact that you will fall and then only learn! You can buy traction pads and wax to avoid injuries.
Hence, taking the right precautions and safety kit with you will help you maintain the balance on the board. It will take a lot of time and practice!
Step 4 – Keep it Slow
Get familiar with your skimboard first. It will take a lot of practice and months to master skimboarding. Therefore, you have to make sure that your speed is slow and the basics are already clear in your head.
Pro tip: You can try skimboarding on wet sand, which has covered 1/4” thin film of previous wave’s water. Start sliding!
Step 5 – Observe your Transitions
The important part of learning skimboarding is to be observant about your transitions, i.e., timings and control. Apart from that, you have to understand the waves and their patterns to make sliding smooth and transitioning to the water.
However, you must know the fact that transition involves a firm and stable surface. Yes, it can lead to major injuries because you will lose control if you are not observant of the surface or waves, timings, and your transitions.
While skimboarding, you cannot expect the next wave, be it a small one. As a result, you have to be prepared in advance, and your anticipations during learning will surely help you in transition.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, we hope that you might have understood all the basic steps of learning skimboarding, and how you can become a pro over some time.
You must remember, learning skimboarding takes patience, time, and consistency. Thus, practice is the key!