NEW TO BODYBOARDING?
Download our free beginner guide and learn the essential skills that help you feel more confident, safer and more in control from your first few sessions.
Created by Bodyboard Holidays Director Rob Barber, this free instructional guide breaks down the simple techniques every beginner bodyboarder should know before heading into the surf.
From putting your fins on properly to catching whitewater, paddling, braking, duckdiving and trimming, it’s a clear, practical starter guide for anyone ready to build confidence in the water.
No spam. Just useful bodyboarding tips, trip updates and coaching advice from the Bodyboard Holidays crew.
What's Inside The Guide?
This volume of the instructional guide is a practical beginner bodyboarding ebook packed with simple, useful techniques you can take straight into the water.
How to put your fins on properly
Avoid discomfort, drag and lost fins before your session even starts.
How to choose fins that fit
Learn why comfort matters and why most riders end up with different setups for summer and winter.
How to wear your leash correctly
Set your leash up so it stays secure, streamlined and out of the way.
How to walk in swim fins
A simple technique for moving across the beach and entering the water without tripping yourself up.
How to catch whitewater
Get the basics right so you can catch your first waves with more control and confidence.
How to paddle and duckdive
Build the core skills that help you move around the line-up, slow down safely and get through waves.
Built For Real Beginners
Bodyboarding is one of the most accessible ways to enjoy the ocean, but the basics still matter.
A few small changes can make a huge difference. Wearing your leash the right way, using your fins properly, paddling in the right position and understanding how to slow down can help you feel calmer, safer and more in control.
This guide keeps things simple. No heavy jargon. No ego. Just clear advice from coaches who have helped hundreds of riders build confidence in the surf.
The best bodyboarder in the water is still the one having the most fun.
Created By Rob Barber
Rob Barber is the Director of Bodyboard Holidays and has spent more than 25 years coaching bodyboarders around the world.
Over the years, Rob has worked as a bodyboarding journalist, run a bodyboard school, operated an online bodyboard shop and helped create unforgettable coaching trips in destinations including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Portugal, Morocco, Bali and beyond.
This guide brings together the starter skills he teaches new riders again and again, helping you avoid common mistakes and enjoy your time in the water from day one.
25+ years coaching | International trips | All abilities welcome
Is This Guide For You?
Simple beginner advice before you paddle out
You’re brand new
You want simple advice before your first proper session.
You’ve had a go before
You’ve caught a few waves, but want more control and confidence.
You’re unsure about kit
You want to understand fins, leashes and setup without wasting money.
You want to feel safer
You want to know how to slow down, get through waves and avoid common mistakes.
You’re returning to the sport
You used to ride and want a simple refresher before getting back in.
You’re thinking about a trip
You want to build confidence before joining a UK weekend or international coaching holiday.
Includes Video Support
The guide links to Bodyboard Holidays coaching videos, so you can see the techniques in action after reading each section.
That means you’re not just reading instructions. You can watch the movement, understand the timing, then try it for yourself when you next get in the water.
- Swim Fins
- Leashes
- Catching Waves
- Braking
- Duckdiving
- Paddling
- Trimming
How Do I Use Swim Fins?
Learn how to fit and walk in fins properly.
How To Catch Your First Wave
See the whitewater technique in action.
How To Duckdive A Bodyboard
Learn about technique and timing.
How To Trim On A Bodyboard
Learn the basics of speed and line.
Ready To Take It Further?
Once you’ve got the basics, nothing beats hands-on coaching in the water.
Bodyboard Holidays runs UK coaching weekends and international bodyboarding trips for all ages and abilities, from friendly beginner progression to world-class waves in Portugal, Morocco, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Bali and Nusa Lembongan.
No pressure. Download the guide first, get a feel for the basics, then come and join us when you’re ready.
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Women’s Bodyboard & Surf Holiday Nicaragua
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Newquay
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Ladies Weekends
Start Your Bodyboarding Journey Here
Download the free Bodyboard Holidays Instructional Guide and get practical beginner tips you can use before your next session.
You’ll learn how to set up your kit, move through the water, catch waves, slow down safely and start trimming with more control.
