#5 Top Tips For Getting A Drop Knee Barrel
- Take off on the peak or as you progress slightly behind the peak.
- Paddle hard and fast then get up in to the drop knee stance quickly.
- Engage the inside rail by shifting your weight down your inside leg and through the knee
- Turn your body side-on to the wave face and use your leading arm to point you in the direction you are going.
- When inside the barrel keep your rail engaged, maintain good body position and keep driving towards the exit
When you think of one of the most fun things to do in Bodyboarding, the Drop knee barrel has to be right up there at the top of the list. Nothing quite beats that feeling of pulling in under the curtain, composed and balanced, rail engaged, arm back and hand gently dragging in the wave face. The tunnel view and your mates hooting from the shoulder.
That golden moment when bursting out clean and relishing the glory of a sick drop knee pit! Magic!!
However, it’s not all as easy as that. First you need to master the basics of riding drop knee on mellow and rolling waves.
When you feel confident getting up and riding with speed, well balanced with good posture and composure you are now ready to take it into steeper more barrelling waves, it’s time to try your hand at pulling into your first dropknee barrel.
In the video above Rob Barber breaks down step by step the key points to follow that will not only help you select the correct wave and be in the correct position but also how to negotiate the wave to maximise your chances of coming out of the barrel successfully.
The first thing is to position yourself on or slightly behind the peak. Paddle hard into the wave and get up dropknee, well balanced and in the correct stance as soon as you can.
As you drop into the wave face make sure you have your weight going down through your inside leg and down onto the inside rail with your knee. This will ensure that you drive down the wave with the rail engaged and eradicate the chance of you sliding out.
Turn your body side on and lead with your front arm. Point in the direction you are going. When the wave barrels over you make sure to keep that rail locked into the wave face and point your board slightly toward the beach. If you try to hold the board too side on you will get sucked over the falls.
You can regulate your speed by dragging your hand in the wave face to slow yourself down if you find yourself just in front of curl.
Likewise, if you are deep in the barrel and need to accelerate to exit you can shift your weight onto your front leg. This will see your speed increase and hopefully you will exit the barrel cleanly.
Keep that rail locked into the wave and keep your eye on that exit the whole time. Point in the direction you are going and bust out onto the shoulder like a hero.
It’s not easy and it will take time to master but when you have drop knee barrels on lock down you really will be the king of the beach.. Get out there and give it a go… Yew!