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

16. Late Takeoffs

By learning how to handle and land Air drop takeoffs a whole new door opens for you to take off and make crazy waves that you won’t have a chance of making if you don’t know how to make an air drop.

Like with any critical situation in surfing late drops are all about confidence, no confidence on the drop, no chance you have of making it!!
Late drops only usually occur in sucky waves. Fat waves generally don’t cause a problem so its sucky hollow waves where the technique is key!
When your paddling for a sucky wave paddle into it with as much power and speed as you can, try not to over think the takeoff just think and visualise yourself making it into the barrel or nailing the bottom turn to fly down the line! When it comes to the stage of getting to your feet this is where the confidence kicks in, you have got to be positive that you are going to make it! By now im sure you have made some late takeoffs… either on purpose or by accident and you have stuck them so why should this one be any different?! Once you have got to your feet and you can tell there is going to be a bit of a free fall (where its so steep your board doesn’t touch the wave) make sure that your arms are spread to keep you centered over your board and that your knees are bent to absorb the impact at the bottom. It is also important to keep pressure on your back foot as you drop to avoid the chance of nose-diving. As you land at the bottom of the wave chances are you will land with very little speed depending on how much free fall you have had on the wave. Its important to do a bottom turn and make your way back up the face as soon as your board has set at the base of the wave. If you wait too long at the bottom you will get creamed by the lip or have no speed at all and the wave will run off without you. By getting a fast bottom turn in you will be able to get up the face and start to generate that speed that you have lost from the impact of the airdrop.