What to Look For When Analyzing Your Surfing

Watching your own surf footage can be uncomfortable. Most of us think we look better than we do. The key is to approach analysis with curiosity, not judgment.

You're not looking for what's wrong with you - you're looking for opportunities to improve. Every surfer, from beginner to pro, has areas to work on.

Analysis Framework

When watching your footage, examine these areas in order:

1. Stance and posture - Your foundation
2. Pop-up technique - How you get to your feet
3. Bottom turns - Foundation of all maneuvers
4. Speed and flow - Efficiency of movement
5. Wave reading - Positioning and decision-making

Your stance is the foundation. Everything else depends on a stable, balanced, functional stance.

What Good Stance Looks Like

• Feet - About shoulder-width apart, angled slightly toward the nose
• Knees - Bent and flexible, not locked straight
• Hips - Low, weight centered over the board
• Upper body - Relaxed, facing direction of travel
• Arms - Relaxed at sides or helping with balance, not flailing
• Head - Looking where you want to go, not at your feet

Common Stance Issues

Poo Stance (Too Upright)

Standing too tall with straight legs. Looks like you're about to use a toilet. Limits control and makes you unstable.

Fix: Bend your knees more. Feel like you're sitting in a chair.

Stink Bug Stance (Too Wide)

Feet too far apart, butt sticking out. Creates stability but limits mobility and power.

Fix: Bring feet closer, about shoulder width. Stand more upright from hips.

Arm Waving

Arms constantly moving for balance, like walking a tightrope. Indicates core instability.

Fix: Focus on lower body balance. Keep arms more relaxed and controlled.

The pop-up happens in a split second, but it sets up your entire ride. Slow-motion review is essential here.

What Good Pop-Up Looks Like

• Hand placement - Hands flat beside chest, not gripping rails
• Push - Explosive push-up motion, chest off board
• Feet - Jump to feet in one motion, land in surf stance
• Timing - Pop up as wave catches you, not before or too late
• Low - Stay low and compressed during pop-up

Common Pop-Up Issues

Knees First (The Crawl)

Going to knees before standing, like climbing onto the board. Slow and unstable.

Fix: Practice jumping straight to feet. Drill on the beach.

Pearling (Too Late)

Nose diving into the water. Usually means you're too far forward on the board or popping up too late.

Fix: Move back on board slightly, pop up earlier as wave lifts you.

Behind the Wave (Too Early)

Standing up but the wave passes without you. Popping up before the wave has caught you.

Fix: Wait until you feel the wave push, then pop. Be patient.

Wrong Foot Forward

Landing with the wrong foot forward, then having to adjust. Slows you down significantly.

Fix: Know your stance (regular vs. goofy) and commit to it every time.

The bottom turn is the most important maneuver in surfing. It generates speed and sets up every other move.

What Good Bottom Turn Looks Like

• Drop first - Get down the face before turning
• Compress - Bend knees deeply at the bottom
• Look - Eyes and head turn where you want to go
• Rotate - Shoulders and torso follow your gaze
• Rail - Engage the rail to carve, not skid
• Extend - Rise up through the turn for power

Common Bottom Turn Issues

Too Shallow

Turning too early, not getting far enough down the face. Loses speed and power.

Fix: Wait longer, get lower on the face before initiating turn.

No Compression

Standing tall through the bottom turn instead of compressing. Loses power and control.

Fix: Think about touching the water with your back hand.

Looking at Board

Head down, looking at feet or board instead of where you're going.

Fix: Eyes up! Look at where you want to end up on the wave.

Skidding Not Carving

Board slides sideways instead of carving through the water. Often from weight too far back.

Fix: Engage the rail, shift weight slightly forward, commit to the turn.

Good surfing is efficient surfing. Watch for how well you generate and maintain speed.

Signs of Good Flow

• Smooth transitions between sections
• Consistent speed throughout the ride
• Maneuvers connected, not isolated
• Using the wave's energy, not fighting it
• Relaxed upper body, active lower body

Common Speed/Flow Issues

Getting Stuck

Losing momentum, wave catching up to you. Often from not reading the wave ahead.

Fix: Look further down the line, anticipate sections, pump for speed.

Outrunning the Wave

Getting too far ahead, disconnecting from the power source.

Fix: Stay closer to the pocket, use turns to slow down when needed.

Choppy Pumping

Trying to pump but movements are jerky and inefficient.

Fix: Smooth, wavelike motion from knees and hips. Think fluid, not forced.

Arms Generating Speed

Using arm movements instead of legs to try to generate speed. Ineffective and looks awkward.

Fix: Speed comes from legs and rail engagement, not arms.

The best technique in the world doesn't help if you're on the wrong wave or wrong part of the wave.

What Good Wave Reading Looks Like

• Catching waves at the peak
• Anticipating sections before they happen
• Being in the right place at the right time
• Not taking off on closeout waves
• Positioning for the wave, not chasing it

Common Wave Reading Issues

Late Takeoffs

Consistently catching waves too late, already behind the peak.

Fix: Paddle earlier and harder, position deeper at the peak.

Wrong Waves

Taking off on waves that don't work - closeouts, reforms, or dead sections.

Fix: Watch sets before going out, learn the break's patterns.

Missing Sections

Not anticipating sections, getting caught by closeout or lip.

Fix: Look further down the line, read the wave 2-3 sections ahead.

Always on the Shoulder

Consistently surfing the weak part of the wave instead of the pocket.

Fix: Paddle further inside, accept steeper takeoffs.

Self-analysis is valuable, but you're limited by your own knowledge and biases. AI analysis can help in several ways:

Why AI Helps

• Objective - No ego or self-perception bias
• Detailed - Catches things you might miss
• Consistent - Same standards every time
• Fast - Analysis in under a minute
• Specific - Actionable improvement points

How to Use AI Analysis

1. Start with your own observations from this guide
2. Upload footage to get AI perspective
3. Compare AI feedback to your self-assessment
4. Prioritize the issues both you and AI identify
5. Track improvements over time with repeated analysis

The combination of self-awareness and objective AI feedback is powerful for rapid improvement.