If you’re learning to surf or looking to refine your skills, one of the most important techniques to master is how you approach your turns. A simple yet powerful tip that can help you gain control and improve your surfing is to look through your turns. At San Diego Surf School, we emphasize the importance of using your eyes to guide your body and board during a turn. Whether you’re a beginner surfer just starting out or an intermediate rider looking to level up, this technique will help you surf with more precision, fluidity, and confidence. In this article, we’ll dive into why looking through your turns is so important, how to do it, and how it can make a huge difference in your surfing performance.
Why Looking Through Your Turns is Crucial
When you’re carving a turn on a wave, your body and board need to move as one unit to maintain momentum and control. The direction you look plays a major role in where your body naturally follows. If you want your turn to be smooth and effective, you need to look through your turns—meaning, you should be looking toward the direction you want to go as you turn, not just focusing on your board. This visual cue helps your body naturally follow the line of your turn and ensures you’re setting up for the next move. It’s a technique that’s often taught in surfing lessons at San Diego Surf School, as it allows for more fluid and controlled turns, giving you a better flow on the wave.
The Role of Your Eyes in Steering Your Board
A lot of beginner surfers tend to focus on their board or the wave beneath them when turning, but this often results in a stiff and uncoordinated maneuver. To improve your turns, try to look through your turns by focusing on where you want to go. The motion of your head and eyes will naturally guide the rest of your body and allow your torso to rotate in the right direction. When you turn your head, your shoulders and hips will follow suit, allowing for a more fluid, connected turn. At San Diego Surf School, our instructors spend time teaching students how to properly align their eyes, head, and body to maximize their turn efficiency, which makes a world of difference for beginner surfers.
Seeing Ahead: Better Timing a Look Through Your Turns
One of the key benefits of looking through your turns is the ability to time your maneuvers better. Surfers often need to perform turns at specific points on the wave to maintain speed and control, especially when transitioning from one part of the wave to another. By looking ahead, you give yourself the visual information you need to plan your next move, whether it’s to carve back toward the pocket or set yourself up for a deeper turn. This technique is critical for both beginner surfers and those looking to refine their skills, as it helps you stay ahead of the wave and anticipate what’s coming next in your ride. Surfing lessons at San Diego Surf School always emphasize the importance of timing, and looking through your turns is a huge factor in that.
Your Eyes as a Tool for Body Alignment
To really execute a powerful turn, your body needs to be aligned and coordinated. Looking through your turns is not just about your eyes; it’s about how your eyes help align the rest of your body. When you look where you want to go, your head leads the way, helping your shoulders and hips rotate in the right direction. This body alignment is essential for building the muscle memory needed for sharper, faster turns. For beginner surfers, the motion might feel awkward at first, but with practice, it becomes second nature. By focusing on looking through your turns, you develop better body control, which translates into a smoother surfing experience overall.
Applying the Technique in Different Types of Turns
There are many types of turns that you will learn as a surfer, and looking through your turns applies to each of them. Whether you’re performing a bottom turn, a top turn, or a cutback, your eyes need to lead the movement. For example, in a bottom turn, looking through your turns helps you push off the wave with more power and direction, making the next phase of your ride more efficient. In a top turn, looking where you want to go helps you maintain your flow and set up for the next part of the wave. San Diego Surf School provides the tools and techniques for beginner surfers to apply this concept in a variety of turns, ensuring that your technique is always evolving as you improve.
Look Through Your Turns: A Game-Changer for Your Surfing Progression
Mastering the technique of looking through your turns isn’t just about improving a single aspect of your surfing; it’s a game-changer that can accelerate your overall progression. By incorporating this simple yet powerful movement into your turns, you’ll notice a significant improvement in your confidence, control, and fluidity on the wave. As a beginner surfer, learning to properly use your eyes to guide your body will give you a head start on more advanced maneuvers. At San Diego Surf School, we emphasize this technique in our lessons because it makes a noticeable difference in how quickly you progress, no matter your starting point.
Practice Makes Perfect: Start to Look Through Your Turns Today!
The best way to improve your surfing is through consistent practice, and looking through your turns should be a focal point of that practice. Whether you’re just starting out with surfing lessons at San Diego Surf School or you’ve been surfing for a while, incorporating this technique into your turns will help you become a more fluid and controlled surfer. If you’re ready to step up your game and take your turns to the next level, book a lesson with us today. Our expert instructors will guide you through this crucial technique and help you take your surfing to new heights!