Surf Tip - Throwing Buckets – Steps to Creating a Fan Spray

There’s an oozing sensation brewing in your belly.  You’re a little tired paddling back out in the midst of a set, you’re trying to make it under each next up and coming wave, and you’re doing your best to watch, and watch out for on coming shredders throwing buckets out of each turn down the line as they approach you.  As you barely make it over another set wave, a surfer in perfect flow drifts and fades low to the bottom of the wave, letting him/herself get right behind the foam ball.  As you crest over the wave they’re on as you continue to paddle out, the surfer goes out of site for a few seconds…  You look back, and woosh, splitter, gcrash! Buckets of water are hucked out the back of the wave, leaving you drenched, enamored, and longing to someday be that guy or girl who throws those buckets yourself.

If you know that feeling, Then here’s a few basic steps you’ll need to hurl yourself as the new bucket slinger in town:

*  Yes, yes, yes, speed is the key.  The faster you go, the more spray potential…but we all knew this.  Ok, lets begin.

**   Visualization-  Have you ever noticed in surf videos that most surfers who are hitting the lip right in the crease between the foam ball and the lip, began the entire turn from behind the foam ball.  Basically, what you need to do when you’re going down the line, pumping and getting your speed, is think about the fact that you need to get to the bottom of the wave, behind the foam by fading the wave, so that you can then come from behind it with speed and really eye up the section you want to hit.

1.  The idea is that you need to fade your bottom turn behind the wave, behind the foam ball, so that you can see the corner pocket of the section you want to hit.  When you can see the pocket curling down the line, then you just practice, over and over, getting your timing down so that you can come straight up and get it.

2.  When you get to the corner pocket, rotate with your arms, then push as hard as can with your back leg;  this is how you throw buckets!

3.  Don?t celebrate too early, the wave is not over.  Fade your bottom turn behind the foam ball again, always keeping your eyes on the corner pocket that your going to time and come back up and hit again all the way down the line!

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