So you are surfing some of Bali’s reef breaks and you are facing a big wall of white water and you want to know how you can get past it without ditching your board? That’s where duck diving or turtle rolling comes in.
Both techniques help surfers pass the white wash effectively so that you can get back to the line up and keep shredding the waves. But which technique is more effective for your surfing level depends on your board, your surf level and of course the surf conditions. At Kima Surf Camps in Bali we teach both techniques and guide you to find the one that works best for you.
This technique is ideal for surfers on shorter boards, specifically the boards you will find in Kima’s Premium Surfboard collection and this is when you push the nose of the board under the oncoming wave and pass the white wash. Duck diving is essential for anyone surfing more intermediate or advanced breaks such as Bali’s intermediate reef breaks.
At Kima Surf Camps our custom 6-star session planner requires that surfers at the 3 star level and above are able to duck dive and ride unbroken waves confidently on a shorter board. Our knowledgeable surf guides will help you practice duck dives in theory classes and pool sessions at our Bali surf camps.
How to Duck Dive?
Turtle rolling is the technique that is ideal for surfers on long boards or soft tops which are generally the beginner surfers who are placed in the 2 star level according to our custom six star session planner. Instead of trying to get the nose of your board under the wave you can simply flip the board upside down and let the whitewash pass over your board.
Turtle rolling works for big buoyant boards such as the EZI Rider soft tops and the FLOW T and NSP boards and it is safer for beginners who are learning to surf at Bali’s beginner friendly beach breaks like Double six or Sri Lanka’s famous Weligama Bay where the waves are softer and more forgiving.
At Kima Surf Camps we start teaching the beginners to turtle roll in our surf theory sessions as well as our pool sessions.
How to Turtle Roll?
At Kima Surf we don’t think there is a one-size-fits-all approach. In addition to helping you select the right board based on your height, weight and surfing level we also help you figure out the best technique for your current skill level and the conditions you’ll be surfing in.
You can experiment with different techniques at any time as your surfing abilities improve. We’ll teach you new techniques as you advance, enabling you to surf a variety of waves and styles. Whether it’s your first turtle roll or perfecting the duck dive, our six-star session planner will make sure you are surfing the right board and waves with the most effective technique!
Knowing when to turtle roll and when to duck dive is important to make surfing as effortless as possible for you. Maybe you are surfing the powerful reef break at Echo Beach or gliding through Seminyak’s smooth beach break, these techniques are essential to improve your confidence and to get you past the whitewater.
Our knowledgeable surf guides will assist you from pool exercises to theory classes and 2 guided sessions a day so you advance safely and enjoy yourself while doing it.
Are you prepared to improve your surfing? Together, let’s transform those wipeouts into breakthroughs in Bali.