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All these info
about tips and how to skim are from Victoria
Skimboards please visit them!
If you don't
know how to skimboard yet, visit the Learn Section
Here we give
you info about how you can treat your skimboard in the best way, safety,
and some FAQ's!
Maintenance
You must savor and preserve these sleds: Skimboards hate the
heat of direct sunlight or being in the trunk of a car. The
polyester resin will get so hot that it softens and the board
can change shape. When you are through skimming, stick the tail
in the sand and point the nose towards the sun to that as little
of the board as possible is directly facing the sun. A white
board is not that much of a problem, but any dark colored boards
are very vulnerable. Skimboards are not unbreakable, if they
were, they would be too heavy. It is not unusual to hit a wave
too hard and snap the board. Also, some maintenance is requuired
on all boards, especially wood boards. Rocks and sand will wear
away the finish and dings must be patched before the water can
penetrate the wood or foam. Don"t call us if the board
delaminates because of water damage due to dings not getting
fixed soon enough. Look for water stains regularly, and patch
the holes as soon as possible. Let the ding dry completely,
rough up the area with sandpaper, mix up some polyester resin or
some 5 minute, 2 part epoxy and spread it over the ding. Use
some fiberglass cloth to do it right. Sand smooth the next day.
Patch the noses of skimboards early, before the water peels the
entire bottom off. Victoria will send you a basic 1 page guide
to repair techniques if you send us a stamped, self addressed
envelope.
Safety
Be Safe!!!!! Avoid skimming where people might get hit by a
board. Check the water for rocks and sandbars before skimming.
Never do flips into shallow water. Keep control of your board.
Don"t let the board get away from you. Learn slowly,
don"t run any faster than you are prepared to fall. Don't
try going into the waves until you have mastered the basic run,
jump-on,and slide maneuvers. Be responsible and encourage other
skimmers to be responsible as well. Be courteous to beach goers
and respect the lifeguards wishes. It can only reflect
positively on the reputation of the sport.
Intermediate Tips
Why do I sink before I hit the wave? The simplest reasons are
the wave was too far out to begin with, the board is too small
to carry you, the curve of the bottom of the board is too much
and you may need a flatter bottom. Or you just weren"t
running fast enough. When you turn the board, you lose speed. So
turn as little as possible. Approach the wave from a flat angle.
Going straight out to a wave and expecting to make the turn and
ride it back is the worst way to approach a wave. The hop: use
your legs and body to the max. Lift up and push down as you skim
over every little bump in the water. This will pump you much
further out. On the other hand you don"t want to look like
a spastic grasshopper, hopping up and down and flapping your
arms like a mad man. Keep it smooth. Keep the board flat on the
water. Leaning on the rail to turn wastes a ton of speed.
Touching the water to turn wastes less energy and keeps the
rails lined up with the turn. Store the rotation in your torso
until you get into your turn. Let the wave pick you up and
accelerate your board, keep your body firm, you don"t want
to collapse down into the board during the turn. Keep the rear
foot as far back as possible on the tail of the board. This will
give you much more control in the turns and smooths your
transitions from the sand to the water. Doing some small turns
before the main turn off the wave helps to establish a feel for
the tail. Your body will follow where your head is looking. So
if you are looking into the lip of the wave as you start your
turn, then that is where you will end up. High on the wave. If
you want to get in the barrel, look down there as you start your
turn and that"s where you"ll end up. Tele-scoping. As
you loose speed, crouch down lower and lower, this will lighten
the load and prolong the plane. Smooth head keeps clear vision.
Like golf, you must keep your head still and your eye on the
ball. Same for skimboarding. Be steady and your vision and depth
perception will improve dramatically.
CAUTION: Once you
start trying to ride back down the waves you are making a
radical commitment to being thrown beyond the cushion of water
and onto the hard sand. You must be prepared to get pitched onto
the sand, but avoid this at all costs. Heavy joint tweaking is
possible here so be mindful of hugging the face of the wave and
not getting too far ahead of the water. I am a firm believer in
the notion of conservative skimboarding. Conservative meaning
falling as little as possible. So that my body will last as long
as possible before a major joint failure makes me take up golf
as a full time sport. Showing control and style in the face of
difficulty is the essence of skimming and most other things as
well.
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