Why is it thought that there is no skill in bodyboarding?

I dont know why your asking everyone why you have no skill, your the gut slider you should know.

Bodyboards are great.... My 6 year old nephew loves playing around on his, heck even my mum has a play on it. That's as seriously as they can be taken....

They're great for the kids to have a play on christmas day, not for a 30+ year old man to be floating around the line up thinking "why doesn't anybody take me seriously :( "

Don't worry kid, one day your balls will drop, you'll realise you've become a man and start thinking you should take up a real sport.....

Fair point then Twig.... Sorry to make assumptions....

You'll just have to learn to live with people paying out on you then. My wife rides a lid, has done since I met her. I gave her heaps the first day she paddled out with me, two kids and a mortgage later and I still give her HEAPS....

Mostly those with the opinion that bodyboarding doesnt require skill havent tried it. I ride a sponge, i love it, wouldnt do anything else. The first time i rode a surfboard i stood up and rode a wave to the beach. I wasnt good, and i didnt turn but neither do most peopple first time they manage to catch a proper wave on a bodyboard. So how can i say one is harder than the other when essentially to begin riding either craft it takes a similar amount of time. Once youve mastered standing up or catching a wave on the boog the process of learning the skills involved begins. They are a slightly different skill set for each craft, however there is some overlap particularly in wave and ocean knowledge and where to be to catch a wave. My view is i'd rather take a steep drop into an open barrel and use the wave to generate the speed then find a beautiful ramp to enjoy the power of a throwing lip. I'd take that over take off, drawn out bottom turn so you go around the barrel, out run the barrel to do a turn (oh yay a turn) use the speed of a surfboard to generate more speed to outrun the next barrel and do a turn then be standing up tall enough to be able to jump over the breaking wave with minimal risk of getting pummelled on a stand up craft. :)

People should just accept that there are differrent craft in the water and follow the general ettiquette. Any opinions of superiority have no basis and anyone who acts on their supposed superiority based on the craft they ride doesnt deserve to enjoy the ocean.
peace and love
Dork

There is nothing worse than a body boarder dropping in on you!
especially when you have got a sick wave! when a surfer drops in on you i dont seem to mind as much, but when a body board does it pisses you off because all they are doing in cruising along the wave on their stomach
Peace out
zac

Hi Zac,mate dont take that drop in sh*t from anyone! Dosnt matter what they ride. Its some wanker with a big ego who thinks he's entitled to take your wave. Thay have plenty of reasons to justify their selfish behavior. More skilled,more deserving,riding the right equipment, the list go,s on. But whatch them start crying when someone tows/drops in on them. Still this sort of thing is encouraged,based on skill & entitlement. So I think a sociopath on a bodyboard has just as much right to take a piss on you as anyone else. The question is are you going to wear it? I think Ill go buy a SUP, stand up all the time. Thats evolution baby!

I ride a stand up board on the points and open beaches, i ride a lid at southstraddie and needledicks sometimes , i ride a SUP or mal at Currumbin Alley. I have equal fun on all forms of surf craft and have achieved a high level of riding each.

Riding all forms of surf craft has improved my skills and enjoyment in all types of surf conditions and on all type of boards. There are moves i've tried on a standup board that wouldn't exist unless bodyboarders had been doing them first.

I do realize that one of the unfortunate sides of bodyboarding is that a lot of people do use bodyboards as a stepping stone or introduction to surfing waves. This creates alot of novice riders on bodyboarders that dont always know the rules and etiquettes. This is always a huge disadvantage to the bodyboarders that have reached an advanvced level, as they get tarred with the same brush.

Surfing south straddie on tuesday on my lid I got heaps more tube time than on Wednesday on the short board. Yeah, the take off is easier on the bodyboard, but making that extra deep tube or late drop takes a level of skill that should be respected by all surfers.

The essence of the problem is this , two different sports , played on the same field. I think that it is a credit to surfers and bodyboarders that more conflict hasn't flared up over the years.

Imagine if you had a game of rugby leauge and an afl game on the same pitch at the same time ?

Anyone who can't recognise the skill level required for good bodyboarding and good standup surfing , obviously hasn't been in the water very long and is showing their ignorance/inexperience.

Peace

1st my credentials on why I think my opinion is valid.
I started out on a body board, stuck with it for a bit over 10 years and got fairly good at it.
Then over 12 years ago now I decided to learn how to surf standing up. It was hard work, so much falling off on waves that I would normally not bother with, but I stuck with it and now have surfed in many places around the world and love taking the drop on a 6fter whilst standing up.
Even tried SUP but couldnt get into it.
Now my opinion (and its something like an exsmokers opinion about cigarettes)
yep they both have different skills, both forms of riding waves have to put up with each other.
But to all bodyboarders, I suggest you put the thing in the cupboard, leave the flippers for mucking around in the pool and go buy a surfboard, right now.
the accomplishment and enjoyment of paddling onto a wave, then standing up, taking the drop and surfing is 10 times better than lying down and dragging your feet through the water.

But if you want to keep doing it, then fine, I respect that. I will even share the waves with you, just know that you are missing out on the best parts of wave riding.

to thegooch, fair comment and to thetwig. I started riding a lid for rehab for a serious injury. Couldn't bare the thought of being another geriatric on a mal thinking I'm a cool cruiser and as a kid couldn't wait to get off the log and on to a short board. Seems to be a good vibe from other body boarders out there that's missing in surfing. In normal conditions I feel I'm at the bottom of the food chain for getting waves so It's a bit of a shock to the system how much you have to hassle to keep would be dropins for burning you. However when it gets a bit rippey and sucky there's a huge advantage over surfers for positioning and making the drop. Hope that helps you but don't close your mind off to riding a surfboard each has an advantage in different conditions. Your only young once so don't worry about skills and who says what. just go for it!

Fair enough lost climber, i respect your opinion on most of what you said except this

lastly when you are headed off to the beach to ride some waves don't say you are going for a surf, because lying down your stomach is not surfing.

By: "thelostclimber"

The "SURF" is the waves that break in the "surf zone". Therefore any form of catching a wave is surfing, ie body surfing, stand up surfing, bodyboarding all aim to catch a wave breaking in the surf zone therefore are all surfing. A surf board is no more a than a vehicle for riding the surf, Just because a bodyboard doesnt have the word surf in it does not mean it isnt a surf board. What you said is the equivilant to someone who only uses a spining rod to go fishing (the act of catching a fish)saying that when you use a bait caster you are not going fishing (even though the goal is also to catch a fish :S

1st my credentials.

the accomplishment and enjoyment of paddling onto a wave, then standing up, taking the drop and surfing is 10 times better than lying down and dragging your feet through the water.

By: "thelostclimber"

That is true about the feeling of accomplishment when making a late drop on a stand up board. But, enjoyment/accomplishment are subjective things, the same feeling of accomplishment is also felt on a bodyboard when landing a backflip, ARS or reverse air. These are moves that 99.5% of standup surfers never even attempt.

Like i said , two different sports , two different skill sets in play , both with the potential of delivering the surfing high/stoke.

As Dork pointed out, surfing is a broad term used to explain the act of riding the surf.

fair enough. point taken and accepted

This it what is boils down too. Competent stand up surfers could grab a boog and be ripping within the hour, while as has been pointed out it can takes years to become a competent stand up surfer. That is why the majority of stand-up surfers consider body boarding something for the kids etc and why it will always be considered less skillfull than surfing.

Honestly, who really cares? As long as you are respecting your fellow people in the water and sharing the waves then really thats all the matters. Whether you bodysurfing, bodyboarding or bloody going backwards on the wave...its really only about the stoke. Unfortunately, that has been lost over the last 20 years when most groms being super aggresive in the water due to the mainstream medias portration of the sport of surfing in general. Just get out the and enjoy the waves in whichever way you find gives you the most stoke.

Of course it's quite hard to learn stand-up surfing, but in saying that it ain't easy to learn how to bodyboard either. Both in their own rights are difficult in their own sense.

This it what is boils down too. Competent stand up surfers could grab a boog and be ripping within the hour, while as has been pointed out it can takes years to become a competent stand up surfer. That is why the majority of stand-up surfers consider body boarding something for the kids etc and why it will always be considered less skillfull than surfing.

By: "simsurf"

Ha , funny

I had a mate who thought the same thing. We were both surfing rifles in the mentawai's and we swapped boards after a similar discussion in the line up (he didn't know i was already a competent stand up rider also) . I took the first wave , and to his surprise , made the two barrel sections and came back gloating like a MF. On his first wave (5footer or so) he slid out straight away and got dragged across the coral .He paddled back to the boat with plenty of scars to remind him that bodyboardings not as easy as it looks. (especially at rifles which is fast,shallow and superhollow). And i have fun reminding him everytime i see those scars!

Some people need to learn things the hard way i guess. (right sammy? ;) )

Just to through something into the mix. This is an article discussing the influence of bodyboarding on surfing. http://espn.go.com/action/surfing/news/story?page=body-on-a-boogie

Personally I ride a bodyboard. Have done so for 20 years. One of my best friends I surf with rides stand up. Personally neither of us cares what the other rides. I guess as a photographer I enjoy watching and shooting all kinds of surf craft in all waves. As for the skill side of things I feel that to catch a wave and move forward on a bodyboard is obviously easy, however to really become good at wave selection, positioning, manoeuvres etc is just as hard as it is on any other craft.

All valid but if anyone says "Do you surf?", generally they mean, do you ride a surfboard standing up. I mean, you could say yes to that technically even though you may use a boog, a kayak, a surk ski,a goat boat, a knee board, your gut, a log, a mal, a SUP, a lilo or anything that you can catch a wave on... BUT, usually unless you surf a proper surfboard in which case you would say "YEP, sure do", you'd probably add to that and say, "Yes, I do, well actually, I ride a boogie board (or substitute any of the above types of craft in here)", then it would be all clear than in fact, you don't "surf" in the real sense of the word :)

Put it this way, if they invented a time machine and the CIA assigned me to travel back and murder Adolf Hitlers parents I would.....but before that it would Tom moreys parents in the cross hairs. Even if it threw the time contiuem out and it meant AH oldies lived, it would be a gamble i'd be forced to take on behalf of the surfing world and their future.

Its takes years to become a good solid surfer yet even though I dont bodyboard when I had an ankle injury I jumped on one in desperation to ride a wave and was doing the same shit that a 5 year old grom can do or a veteran lid can do. Even did a silly little 360 thing of the lip that I was ashamed and embarresed of. There is a HUGE difference in the skill level of the two sports unless lids are charging crazy death slabs.

dunno what yas are all sookin about. surfing is hard, bodyboardin is hard. cant imagine anything as scary then droppin in head first on a shallow reef. ya can do backflips on a bodyboard, you cant on a surf board, u can do an ARS on a bodyboard, you cant on a surfboard. you only ever see surfers at clean breaks that have a hollow tube. bodyboarders are found on most waves from hollow to ledgy thick waves. the only surfers u see surfing them waves are pro's or surfers at a way higher level of surfing then most other people. both boards have different skills that everybody should accept. the water is out playground

I have been riding a lid for over 20 years i love it. I admire the stand ups and respect them. Give respect to gain respect.I have never had an issue with anyone out in the water. If someone thinks i have no skill because i ride a lid.... i don't care at all i'm there to surf for my self not to impress some guy with a closed mind. we are all there to ride the waves and have to share them. get out there n surf and stop running others down due to board choice. peace :)

well, Bodgen is mad!!

well said pauly!

boogie/bodyboarding to surfers is like what razor scooters are to skateboarders.

it is a crass over generalisation to say that 'all boogie boarders are kooks'.

it is like saying ALL STAND UP PADDLE BOARDERS ARE IDIOTS.

There are one or two SUP riders (in the world) that can surf and should continue to do so.

At least with Boogie Boarders they are either kooks who are just out for a laugh, or they are hardcore and pull in to big slabs. At least boogie boarders are not riding a dangerous big vessel and looking stupid.

Leave the Boogie's alone and point the 'kook' label at the stand up surfers riding weird fashion boards.

then you may as well call kelly slater a kook because he is the one experimenting with all these weird boards

The groms around here have taken too the booger for ease.The groms I know are too inpatient and want to get too a level quick which you can achieve on the boog.Now this lazy attitude may serve them in their youth but longevity will haunt them into their mid thirtys and fortys if they keep that outlook which when I talk too them comes accross as a disposable pastime anyway.Ask a young booger if they will be riding a booger when they are in their fifties and the reaction is priceless.

Nothing weird or fashionable about Slaters 'wizard sleeve', it is a far superior outline with a natural curve in the nose.

IS Slater getting resistance from people in the mainstream, of course. But so did Tom Blake when he helped push surfboard fins into the mainstream back in the 40's (before that boards were finless), so did Greenough when he was riding something 4 foot long and going vertical in the mid 60's, so did Mccoy (laserzap) and every shaper who has ever pushed something along that is a bit different.

Everything that is popular today was once scorned upon by the close minded mentality of surfers who think they know what is 'better' at the time.

No-one can call Kelly Slater a kook.

The kooks are the ones reading the magazines and following the fashion.

good point 1963-malibu
take a look of these experiments which is going underway at channel island surfboards
http://blog.cisurfboards.com/category/ci-experiments/
dont mind the emotion the : // is supposed to be where it is

well the s in surfing is shit and the b in bodge is not bullshit but best, better bieng bob busting beer bubbles bulling bells but boats are !! spearings madd!

What was that?

This subject is prone to provoke arguments. Don't take this shit lying down.

I like that one!

I use to bodyboard for years because i lived an hour or so from the nearest beach and was lucky to get 1 surf in a week. I knew that to get good at surfing (stand up) i would needs to dedicate more time however bodyboarding was very easy to pick up. I now live at the beach and surf (standup) everyday. I can tell from experience it does take a lot more skill to ride standing on a short board then it is to get good on a bodyboard. I will never ride a bodyboard again no matter what conditions... surfing is way more fun and challenging.

Fact.
*It takes a lot longer to build your paddle strength with surfing. Try paddling for 2 hours for the first time on surf board while its a piss easy to paddle for hours on bodyboard.
*It takes a lot longer to learn how to ride the face.
*It takes a long long time to learn the art of pulling into a barrel and making it out.
*Its a lot harder to bust airs, cutbacks, spins etc on a surfboard.

So i think its far for surfers to say that bodyboarding takes no skill. Yes we understand that there is a skill involved but there is skill involved in walking and breathing as well.

Deal with it or learn to stand up..

Verner:
I used to surf saw some bodyboarding and was like "that looks heaps better"

I paddle with mostly my arms with bodyboarding and it's harder to maintain speed compared to surfing.
I ride drop knee which, I find, is a lot harder to keep a rail, take off, throw spray and ride backside compared to surfing.

It's true that it takes more skill to pull spins and bust airs on a surfboard but... hardly anyone does it at a respectable level. Most of the time they just waffle and crap out all over the place.

The actual airs you do on a surfboard mainly consist of little pops and grabing your rail... yippee?

Airs on bodyboarding (prone) are much more tech with backflips ARS gyroll and a lot of the time we end up with the lip on our back. We're also pulling airs off of big waves compared to little peaky swell.

Deal with it or stfu.

We hope that you have a good fitness regime going on so you can keep spinning,flipping and rolling into twilight years shifty start your yoga now son so you can lay on your tum tum for another twenty years and progress.

I ride DK most of the time...

.. hardly anyone does it at a respectable level. Most of the time they just waffle and crap out all over the place..

By: "shiftykilla"

Same could be said about DK and most of the other points you made defending bodyboarding..including paddling. You must be one of the few BB's that surfers don't mind sharing waves with.

Most BB's are prepubescent knobs that really dont have skills. Getting barreled, hitting the lip, spinning etc are basic moves the most competent people could learn in a month of BBing. My argument is you cannot progress that fast with standup surfing hence surfing is WAY more skillful. Hence the title the surfing is the hardest of all sports to learn and become skillful at. Hence the right surfers have to say bodyboarders have no skills.

To reiterate my above points about bodyboarders being knobs please click on the below link of a thread started by one of your fellow dick-draggers.

http://swellnet.com.au/forums/1/topics/165

shiftykilla how old are you btw?

it goes on and on and on... BBers MUST understand that if you can HOLD the board in your hands and lie on it, it's a F&$K of a lot easier than having to learn how to stand up and ride the wave just using balance and your feet. Anyone can pretty much belly ride a surfboard first go (or almost any surf craft), then you just learn to put the rail in and go along the face, EASY! But then, how much HARDER is it to actually stand up on that thing, bloody hard !! Aerials or whatever the hell it is you care to discuss are difficult in both sports, but if you can HANG ON with your hands and have a low center of gravity, it does make things easier to control.

Hence the title the surfing is the hardest of all sports to learn and become skillful at.

By: "verner"

I'd say chess is the hardest sport but that's a different story.

A lot of the maneuvers that bodyboarders pull are actually quite difficult to pull especially when it comes to larger waves. It takes a lot of balls to try and ARS off your first 6ft wave.

With all that being said, I love watching surfers in the water. I show them a massive amount of respect for doing their thing (ie. chucking a lot of spray and a nice drawn out bottom turn.) but I think that the tech tricks bodyboarders pull are just more impressive and are a lot harder and that's what pulled me towards the sport.

shiftykilla how old are you btw?

By: "verner"

I'm 20 going on 21

but if you can HANG ON with your hands and have a low center of gravity, it does make things easier to control.

By: "brendo"

Yes it is a lot easier but, when it comes to speed and actually making waves surfers have it a lot more easy. The board shape differences allow for surfers to go a lot faster compared to a bodyboard. Surfers also have fins or "skegs" as we call them which allow for more control over a wave. Try riding a 6ft wave with no fins.

so it's agreed - woop !

Must be hard to bear all this skill,how do you stop it going to your head?

c'mon spongey, it's all just a bit of fun, don't take it so hard.

Killa, no fins = alaia.

brendo I prefer to be called cock dragger,gut slider,groverler,speed hump or esky lid.I find spongey extremely offensive!

LOL

I think as long as your not dropping in on other surfers, it dont matter what you ride. I started out on a boog before standup surfing, which i personally like a whole lot better, but i still have respect for the old gig that got me started. The folk out there that rip into bodyboarders still annoy me. Yeah sure on any given day there will be a few fuckwits floundering about in the lineup, but some of the ignorant comments made at the start of this post regarding skill, should simply take a look at old hellman chargers like Mike Stewert, who have gut slid places like Jaws. He has elephanat sized balls compared to some of the people making comments in here!
Enjoy the ocean - peace, love, respect.
J

Peace