Bodysurfing (Dolphins Know What’s Best)

Dolphins love waves

I have been lucky enough to be right next to dolphins playing in perfect surf， using the power of the waves to travel even faster than they normally swim. There is no doubt they are enjoying themselves and， though of course I cant swim like a dolphin， I can experience this same fun when bodysurfing.

What is bodysurfing？

Bodysurfing involves riding on a wave with no help from any buoyant device such as a surfboard， which makes it the ‘purest form of surfing. In fact， it is one of very few extreme sports—free climbing and cliff diving are others—that can be practised using nothing but the human body.

What do you need？

Nevertheless， it is more enjoyable—and safer—if you use flippers （large flat rubber shoes）. This is because they enable you to swim faster， and so catch waves and surf along them more easily. A wetsuit is also advisable unless you are bodysurfing in tropical seas.

Another aid is a handboard， a mini-surf board about the size of an iron， held in one hand to generate more speed along the wave. These are frowned on by purists， however.

How do you do it？

To catch a wave， swim to where the waves break and， as one approaches， start swimming towards the beach. You must try to travel at the same speed as the wave and， if you do it correctly， you will feel the wave lifting you and pushing you forwards. Then try and cut along the surface of the wave.

Unofficial world championship

Bodysurfing is not a professional sport， but it does have its own unofficial world championship—the Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic—held each year at the legendary Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. Local bodysurfers compete against athletes from places such as Australia， Brazil， Japan or France， in terrifying walls of water above the razor-sharp coral reef. Famous bodyboarder Mike Stewart has won the event no fewer than 12 times， and Kelly Slater， the greatest surfer in history， has also competed.

For me no other sport is as much fun as bodysurfing. Theres a good reason why dolphins choose not to use surfboards！