When performing a frontside bottom turn, you will be facing the wave with your chest, and your shoulders are opening out to the face of the wave. This will make life a little easier than a backhand bottom turn.
How to Bottom Turn
Part 1: Frontside Turn
Frontside Bottom Turn
A step-by-step guide
1
Once you have made your take-off, focus on the bottom of the wave. Crouch low down, bend your knees and start to lean over towards the wave. Now focus upon looking down the wave face in the direction you want to travel.
2
Lean over your toes, getting even lower down. Drop your leading shoulder and drop your head.Your upper body is looking at the top of the wave towards where you want to go. Open your shoulders so they are parallel to the wave face.
3
As you progress through the turn, you can use your backhand to drag through the water. This will add stability. Alternatively you can rotate your backhand toward the tail of the surfboard, opening your shoulders further and performing a more critical bottom turn.
4
Focus down the eave face as your surfboard turns. We need to set the rail into the wave face before retuning to the correct body positioning for surfing in a straight line.
5
As you complete the turn heading to the face of the wave, straighten your body and start to look back down in the direction you want to go. Putting weight on your front foot will generate drive to see out to the open face of the wave.
6
You are now surfing along the face of the wave. Be sure to look down the wave face to read the wave and decide if you want to speed up (learn forward), slow down (lean back) or perform a cutback to stay in the critical part of the wave.
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Part 2: Backside Bottom Turn
The backside bottom turn is much like the frontside bottom turn. However, this time you have your back to the wave which means there are a few extra points you need to remember.