Why the duck dive fails on guns and tow boards — and how the turtle roll gets you safely under every wave without wasting energy.
Why does the technique that ducks you under every wave on your shortboard suddenly stop working on a gun? The honest answer: it's the volume. A big wave board has so much buoyancy you can barely push it underwater — even with your full body weight.
The solution is called the turtle roll, also known as the Eskimo roll: instead of pushing the board under you, you roll yourself and the board together underwater and let the wave pass over both of you. This technique isn't new — it's been the standard solution for decades for any board with too much volume for a classic duck dive.
In a classic duck dive you push the nose and your knee into the water so the board dives under the wave. On guns and tow boards with their high volume, the board simply stays up — the wave hits you and the board sideways with full force. The bigger and more buoyant the board, the more impossible classic ducking becomes.
Grab your board on both edges, roughly at hip height, with a firm hold. Your body stays beside the board rather than lying on it — that way you can rotate the whole package in one motion instead of fighting the buoyancy.
Just before the wave reaches you, rotate board and body together along the long axis — the board lands upside down with you hanging beneath it in a firm grip. Keep the nose as flat on the water as possible, with no air gap beneath it, or the wave will tear the board out of your hands.
Stay calm underwater, keep your grip on the rails, and wait until the wave's pressure has rolled over you. It often takes only one or two seconds — fighting against it costs more energy than simply riding it out.
Once the wave has passed, rotate back into paddling position and pick up speed right away. Big wave spots rarely produce just one wave — every second of delay costs you ground against the next one in the set.
Practice the turtle roll first in small, manageable conditions before you need it in a real big wave line-up. In tow board sessions the problem usually disappears entirely — the jet ski often brings you around the outside of the impact zone instead of having you paddle through the waves. Still, never lose your grip on the rails: a loose board becomes a hazard to others in the water at big wave spots.
Deliberately train the turtle roll with your eyes closed in flat water. Under a real big wave you see nothing but white water and bubbles anyway — whoever masters the motion blind loses no valuable time orienting themselves when it counts.
Because guns and tow boards have so much volume that the board can barely be pushed underwater — even with full body effort. The wave then hits board and surfer sideways with full force instead of rolling over them.
You rotate yourself and the board together along the long axis so the underside faces up and you hang beneath it. The wave rolls over both of you instead of hitting you head-on — the standard solution for all high-volume boards.
Keep the nose as flat on the water as possible, with no air gap underneath, and grip the rails firmly with both hands. An air gap gives the wave a surface to grab, which can rip the board out of your hands.
Rarely — in tow-in the jet ski usually brings you around the outside of the impact zone instead of you paddling through waves yourself. Still, you should master the technique in case you need to paddle in between.
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