body-surfing
Hand-planing or body-surfing is as simple as it gets! It teaches you how to read the waves and gets you up close and personal with the swell. Interacting with nature is excellent for your mental and physical health and body-surfing ticks all the boxes. The hand-plane enhances the experience allowing for longer, cleaner rides in a wide variety of waves.
As well as a Granitesurf Hand Plane it is advisable to have a pair of well fitting swim fins to help manoeuvre in the water and match the speed of the wave.
Technique -
Choose your wave (crumbling, breaking or peeling) and facing the beach start swimming / kicking hard to generate speed. As the wave picks you up extend your front hand out in the direction of the breaking wave and let it lift your body. Pushing down onto the hand-plane will allow the water to flow fast through the concave on the underside and create ‘lift’. The shape of the hand-plane and rails will allow you to hold your position on the wave face and give you maximum control and speed.
Your leading hand should be the one closest to the wave face. To go left place the Hand-Plane on your left hand and to go right place it on the right hand. Keep your body stiff and extended and your other arm trailing behind you in a streamlined position.
Keep practicing and soon you will be speeding down the line and heading for the barrel. Keep kicking to maintain momentum and ride the wave of your life. Repeat!
