Line-up rules
Ready when: First waves, with an instructor (b5) started.
What you are learning
The rules surfers follow in the line-up so nobody gets hurt: the surfer nearest the peak has the wave; nobody drops in on them or snakes round them; paddle out wide of riders; and call "left" or "right" when two share a peak.
Words on this card Paddle, Peak, Take-off, Line-up, Drop in
- Paddle
- Pulling through the water with the arms while lying on the board; paddling from the beach out to the waves.
- Peak
- The highest point of a wave, where it starts to break.
- Take-off
- Catching the wave and standing; riding down its face.
- Line-up
- The area beyond the breaking waves where surfers wait.
- Drop in
- Taking off on a wave someone nearer the peak is already riding; paddling round someone to steal their place.
Set up
A drawing of a wave and surfers, or a surf video, or the beach.
Weather: any weather
Show it first for the one teaching
- Draw a wave and mark the peak, where it starts to break.
- Draw two surfers; point to the one nearest the peak: that surfer has the wave.
- Draw a third surfer taking off in front: that is a drop-in, not allowed.
Your part while they practise
Point at riders and ask who had the wave.
Step by step
- The surfer nearest the peak has the wave.
- No dropping in.
- No snaking.
- Paddle out wide of riders.
- Call "left" or "right" on a shared peak.
How much: 5 pictures 10 min a session 2 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Spot the drop-in
You show a picture or a wave in a video; the child names who has the wave and who broke a rule.
Who plays: the child against you, taking turns to draw.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Draw or pause a video on a wave with 2 to 4 surfers
- The child points to the surfer who has the wave
- Then names any rule broken
- 5 pictures each
- Fair play
- A grown-up must explain each answer in one sentence.
- Points
- 1 point for the right surfer; 1 point for each rule break named.
- Fouls
- No points
- Pointing to the surfer furthest from the peak
- Naming a break that is not there
- Answering before looking at the whole picture
- Winning
- More points after 5 pictures each.
- 4 points for 1 star
- 7 points for 2 stars
- 10 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Two surfers.
A crowded line-up.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child picks the wrong rider
Who is nearest the breaking part?
Find the peak first. - they forget the paddle-out rule
Go wide, not through
Round the riders.
Self-check
The right rider named in 5 of 5 pictures.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains etiquette, safety.
awiseathlete.com/sports/surfing/surfing-i2