Surfing 101: HOW TO Paddle In Like a Pro and Catch Waves with Ease

Josh Kerr teaches you step-by-step how to master proper body positioning, arm technique, core engagement, and breathing to improve your paddling efficiency.

4 Steps to Paddle In and Key Moments in Video:
Step 1: Timing and Acceleration
Step 2: Leg Kick and Body Position
Step 3: Matching the Wave Transition
Step 4: Avoiding Common Mistakes

Watch more How To Surf tutorials:

In This Video:
Pro Surfer: @joshkerr84
Filmer: @owenmilnmedia

[ralphiewigs]

This is my 50th anniversary of standing up on a surfboard. I am self taught so these tips are greatly appreciated and very useful. I have so much experience surfing with poor fundamentals, your words penetrate my skull immediately! I know I'm going to be an older version of Kelly Slater before autumn.

[mrmalcolmification]

Love it it's the little details that are so important

[floating-in]

I struggled with this for 20 years. Watch those two micro kicks as he lifts his chest off the board and gets to his feet, helps keep any forward momentum so the foot drag doesn't stop you dead in your tracks and pull you back up into the lip. Most good surfers don't even notice they're doing it.

[ubetucan]

Thanks Josh, never had a problem with paddling or take offs until about a year ago. Illness and the resultant lack of surf fitness meant it was harder to get waves. When I did score one, blowing the take-off in exactly the fashion you described, was another issue. Hope to be putting these suggestions into practice and some good waves soon.

[fipsdeluxe]

big thanks to you kerrzy!
finally my wave count went up and i am catching most of the waves that i want because i still have some juice left in my arms when the wave lifts me up. before watching your video it happened often that i started paddling almost full power when i saw a good wave and by the time it arrived i was already exhausted without even realizing it. either i didnt catch the wave then and got the next one on my head or me went over the falls 😅😂
thx again for that really precious piece of advice, made surfing fun again for me ❤

[keno]

I like the idea of kicking the feet to keep the nose of the board down. Thanks!

[jonnybemusic]

I started surfing 40 years ago and still have a problem with hesitating on a steep wave which catches me at the top and over the falls. Thanks for the tips.

[vitobrockmann]

Wuuhuu nice tips. I just tried. immediate improvement. Thanks bro

[mm.f]

You da man! Thanks I needed to hear this

[The_Bri_Cli]

So we should not be paddling a whole bunch to catch a wave. A couple paddles if your position and technique is right. Correct?

[bob_is_op]

This really helped me a lot and now I’m gonna go to the menehoone

[daniellopezeverest]

Thank you for sharing does this matter for the beginners in the Whitewater short small waves?

[YedderBedder-kxlj]

These tips right here are the keys to the farrari yewww 🤙🏾

[tonybeatbutcher]

Isn't Paddling a Lifetime Exercise, the more you pure it out, the more your surfing is getting Kunfu 😉🤙

[dannyeckert]

Why is this not working for me. No matter what I do I just got get into waves. I am training and surfing regularly but I just can't get into waves. Please help me!

[Hotwire_RCTrix]

Not really true for planks. Because mals are heavier and won't fit a curved wave face you need to give the board momentum so you get an early takeoff. However I would never say JK didn't know what he was talking about. 👍

[andrempn]

Been surfing for about 1 month now. Really impressive how efortless it looks and how many unnecessary strokes I overdo

[Sky_Hustle]

Pretty much the opposite of what Ombe teaches 😂

[agniyogabyinessa]

Ok…. Today is high tide and good waves…. I’m gonna try 😅 my main issue is fear. I’m afraid to nose dive on the shallow reef 🪸

[estebanlucas]

Por eso es que los pro a veces no reman y las olas llevan igual, en cambio yo remo mucho con fuerza y no siempre me lleva 😢