Using Video Analysis to Improve Your Surfing

Surfing is one of the most challenging and rewarding activities in existence. If you’ve never experienced the joy of surfing yourself, there is no way to adequately explain the freedom and unique happiness that comes with conquering the ocean on a surfboard.

But for many, surfing can be an extremely frustrating sport and few people are able to push past the tedious early stages of learning the craft. For this reason, Beach Break Surf Camp in Playa Venao offers expert coaching incorporating video analysis so that you can see for yourself what is holding you back from progressing to the next level.

All Great Athletes Use Video Analysis

Mike Tyson famously had a library of tapes of both himself and his opponents. As one of the best boxers in the world, he saw great value in watching himself on film and working with his coaches to tweak anything that was holding him back from improving.

Iron Mike was not alone; many of the greatest athletes of our generation religiously studied themselves on film. Additionally, film analysis is now a routine part of many professional, college, and even high school sports practices. Many coaches incorporate a low tech set up where a simple video camera runs all throughout practices and games, while other coaches will even go as far as to hire videographers to capture all of this footage. Athletes will gather with their coaches early in the morning and late in the evening to study these films, aiming to eliminate any inefficiencies or bad habits that may be keeping them from victory.

But self-video analysis isn’t limited just to athletes. Many comedians and actors also study themselves on film alongside their coaches and mentors to make sure they are conveying the proper emotions, timing their jokes correctly, and using proper body language.

There is no shortage of professionals who see value in analyzing themselves on video!

Benefits of Surfing Video Analysis

When it comes to surfing specifically, feeling the waves and finding your balance are important aspects of improving your surfing abilities. However, seeing yourself from an outsider’s perspective often helps you determine where your mistakes are occurring and how to correct them from a point of view that can’t be achieved without the use of video.

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See what your coach is seeing.

Our surf coaches are experts with years of experience. They help beginners become competent surfers and professionals become legendary. We even have guests return to Beach Break, year after year, to work with Brent, our head surf coach.

Working with a world-class coach like Brent makes all the difference in the world. Being able to see what they see– the exact waves, turns, and falls you’re taking– takes it to a whole new level. You’ll be able to better understand what your coach means by certain cues and moves when you can see yourself from his or her perspective.

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Study your skills away from the waves.

When you’re out on the water with your coach, many different factors are at play. There’s a good chance you’re nervous or unsteady, particularly if you’re a beginner. (Or maybe you’re just overly excited!) As a result, you probably aren’t really able to fully grasp the tips your coach is trying to give you.

When you sit down with your coach and play back the video, you’ll be able to understand what he or she was trying to tell you out on the water– without worrying about a wave crashing overhead. During your next surfing session, you can put these tips into practice.

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Have “Ah-Ha!” moments.

They say it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill. While there is no substitute for putting in the time and work necessary to get better at something, video analysis is an excellent way to help you see where your errors may lie.

From a third-person perspective, you can see how you may be shifting your weight in correctly, dropping in at the wrong point of the wave, or any other issues that may be preventing you from progressing. When watching the video, many beginners and pros finally have an “Ah-Ha!” moment where everything just clicks and they understand where they were going wrong.

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Helping beginners master the basics, and helping pros master the nuances.

Everyone is going to have some stumbling blocks the first time they try an activity as complicated as surfing. Even the greats such as Laird Hamilton had to start somewhere. So, it’s important that beginners master the very basic skills necessary to become a competent surfer while avoiding bad habits early on.

At the same time, more seasoned surfers can benefit from video playback by seeing the very small details of their rides. They can catch little glimpses of what their coaches are seeing during their rides that will help them progress from good surfers to great surfers.

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Feeling awesome

There is nothing like that first time you catch a glimpse of yourself (whether on photo or video) surfing. That’s you! You’re actually doing it! Social media flaunting aside, it’s a pretty rewarding feeling to see yourself gracefully ride that wave. You’ll feel both proud of yourself and motivated to get out there and keep surfing.

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Why Our Guests Keep Coming Back

Every year we’re lucky enough to host guests of all levels, backgrounds, and ages at Beach Break Surf Camp. Many of them keep coming back year after year. We love seeing all of the familiar faces that return to us each time having improved their surfing skills a bit more every year.

There is no ceiling when it comes to athletic feats. No matter how good you get at a sport such as surfing, you can always get better. Our coaches understand this and have the ability to help any of our guests improve their skills, no matter what their goals are. For this reason, we offer reasonably priced packages that can accommodate any surfer’s needs.

Checkout our surf camp packages here, and start using video analysis to improve your surfing at Beach Break.