SKIMBOARDING TECHNIQUE

Unlike surfing, skimboarding starts on the beach(or anywhere with a thin layer of water). The skimboarder stands a short running distance from the point of entry into the water with the skimboard in hand and waits for a wave. As white wash from the previous wave recedes, and a wave suitable for skimming on approaches, the skimboarder runs towards the water. Upon reaching a sandy area with about a 1" or 2" film of water, he drops the board on the water and runs onto it. A common mistake is to throw the board ahead and run after it. However, to maintain and gain speed, stay in control, and be able to reach a wave in deep water, one must drop the board then almost immediately run onto the board placing your back foot first then your front foot.

Novice demonstrating the Fistral Turn
Once on the board, the skimmer faces the difficult task of remaining stable to avoid allowing the board to dig into the sand or simply sliding out from under the rider's feet, thus losing control. Ideally, the skimmer should put his or her back foot as far back as it can go on the traction pad, or far back on the waxed area. The front foot should be between the middle and nose of the board. When the skimboarder reaches deeper water, he or she can steer the board by shifting weight around and using the back foot as the steering focal point. The skimmer then (hopefully) glides out into the ocean toward the oncoming wave, banks off of it, and rides it back into shore.

There are many possibilities for riding the waves and this is where skimboarders can really get creative.

If a skimboarder is not a "wave skimmer," then he or she can ride on a short film of water. If a wooden skimboard is used, the shortest film of water viable for skimming is about an inch. If a fiberglass skimboard is used, which is usually for wave skimming, the water must be deeper to account for the thickness of the fiberglass board. All skimboards will slide on very thin layers of water, to the point of being wet sand. Planing behavior is determined by the outline and rail, not the materials.

Novice demonstrating the Fistral Turn

(wikipedia)