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The Lip is Your Friend

© Nathan Myers

Learning to surf goes in phases. First you've got to learn just to paddle out, to duck dive and to hang when a meaty set starts demanding you go home. Your first days in the water you barely turn and face the shore. Then, slowly, naturally, you learn to survive in the ocean, you learn to paddle for the wave, and finally, you stand up.

Once you're standing up regularly, a whole new world opens up. The wave changes when you see it from a standing position, and you learn to pump for speed, to carve and turn, and you even start doing little S-turns. Soon you're looking for barrels and wondering what else the wave has to offer. For a long time your surfing will probably plateau at this level. There's a lot to learn. You learn to compete for space and survival with the peeling face of the wave, racing to stay ahead of the foam, and relishing the rush of speed. For those of you surfing this plateau, ready to take your skills to the next level, this little bit of advice is just for you.
THE LIP IS YOUR FRIEND.

The lip of the wave is the very top. It comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes it is thin and blown onshore, it crumbles down on itself and is nothing but a pile of foam. Sometimes it is thick, held up by offshore winds until it can hold no more and it pitches out into thundering barrels of both terrifying and beautiful.

Whatever form it takes, there's one thing you must never forget: it's only water. It will not hurt you (unless it's HUGE), it will float your board (unless you're HUGE) and it is the most crucial and dynamic point of any wave.

Treat the lip like a friend. It won't be offended if you hit - though it may hit back; it won't be embarrassed if you snuggle up against it. Get on top of it, get beneath it; just get in there and get a feel for it. As with anything in life, the only way to learn is to do it. If you want to understand how to ride the lip, get on the lip.

Here's some fairly obvious get-to-know-you games you can play with the lip:

• Drop in, bottom turn and go straight for that lip, no matter what it's doing, just charge it. As you are about to hit the lip, turn as sharp as you can, a full 180 if you're up to it. Try to push you fins right through the back of it as you hit and ride back down. Depending on the wave and your turning powers, this can have a lot of exciting results.