Lessons
10.Generating Speed
11.Floaters
12.Slash
13.Reo (Off the Lip)
14.Carves
15.Tail Slides
16.Late Takeoffs
17.Laybacks
18.Foam Climbs
19.360
20.Backside 360
21.Roundhouse Cutback
22.Backside Roundhouse
23.Riding Big Waves
24.Tube Riding

18. Foam Climbs

The foam climb is a strange manoeuvre to say the least, its far from the most flashy move in surfing but by having it in your bag will show people you know what you are doing and are an all rounder when it comes to using the wave to its full effect. It can have major benefits by being the only option for making some sections and you will also end up in certain positions where the only thing left to possibly do on a wave is a foam climb like at the end of a wave when it has closed out and you have a load of speed left do a little foam climb to add to your ride!

Not everyone is down with foam climbs, after all it is on foam, which is very unpredictable and unstable, and if you time it wrong you can look like a bit of a kook. But throwing a foam climb into a ride here and there will make people sit up and think, that guy can really surf!

Whether your going Frontside or backside the method to success is exactly the same. The tricky bit is getting up the foam so here are a couple of tips that should get you up there. Confidence… without the confidence that you are going to get up the foam you haven’t got a chance, you have to be committed as soon as you get a bit timid you will catch an edge or bog a rail and be thrown off or just stuck in the foam going nowhere. Make sure you have speed; the speed will carry you up and over the frothy stuff. No speed and your board will just get whipped from out under your feet. Start off on small waves to get the feel and there is very little risk. A good time to learn them is at the end of every ride, once the wave has closed out there is nothing else to do so you might was well learn the basics of a foam climb… its actually super fun to stick at the end of a ride, way better than just jumping off!! So you want that speed, when you do your bottom turn it is going to be a short and sharp one because you are riding with the foam right next to you. You are going to need to head high, the more vertical you head up the better, if you try and angled climb you will get nowhere near the top and get stuck and thrown off. You want to get to the top of that foam to feel it out and how nice that floaty feeling really is! To get up high, as well as pointing your board vertically, you are going to need to use your arms as much as anything, you need to propel yourself up there in a thrusting manner! So lets summarise it: Confidence, short sharp bottom turn, head in a vertical direction, thrust your arms up as you do the bottom turn, climb up onto the foam and head high. Once you reach your highest point like with every turn look back down with your head and turn your shoulders, the foam climb is very important for this technique because its like your travelling on air, your board cant push against the wave because the foam is such an unstable surface so its upto your upper body to guide the way!