How to Complete a Floater

The floater is a move of many moods and uses. Depending on the wave, floaters can be slow and soft, fast and intense, or even downright frightening.

No matter if you are connecting a section at your home spot or getting all Slater-esque gliding across a Pipeline ledge, floaters are a great addition to your surfing that will open many new wave riding possibilities.

(The photo here is of Bruce Irons pulling a beautiful floater on the North Shore)

When to Float

Moments arise during a ride where you must make a decision. You must decide if an oncoming section is makeable or not. Is it so long and vertical that you have to just straighten out? Is it hollow enough to go through the tube? Or maybe, just maybe, is it possible to hop on top of the oncoming section and glide across it to the next bowl? Here is where the floater option is very helpful. When a simple bank off the lip will not cover enough area and will slow your forward momentum, and when the section is not hollow enough to pull into, the floater is a stylish and functional way to utilize a wave.

How to Float

Completing a floater is a delicate balance of weighting and un-weighting. It begins with a solid bottom turn, as do many of surfing’s greatest moves. However, instead of heading straight up for the lip, veer at an angle until your board reaches the edge of the curling lip (or top edge of a whitewater section), letting your board drift onto the very top of the wave. Don’t drift too far off the back of the wave or you will lose speed and power and find it diffiult dropping back in to the wave. Once your board is level on the “roof” of the tube, you must hold your line to extend your float. Here is where you must un-weight and try to stay as high as possible on the top of the falling lip.

One way to do this is by aiming the nose of your board toward the back of the wave, letting the bottom of your board slide sideways along the top of the wave perpendicularly (like a railslide on a skateboard). This may require you to land your floater tail-first, which looks spectacular but can be challenging. Maintaining a wide stance and keeping your weight over the center-point of your board increases your chances for success. Another more challenging technique to prolong your floater effectiveness is by “pumping” your board mid-maneuver much like the way you would pump for speed along the wave face. As you feel the board begin to drop from your prime tabletop position at the top of the wave, simply lift your board back to the crest of the falling section. A few small pumps like this will allow you to cover more distance and in effect, complete a more functional and dramatic maneuver.

Landing a floater depends on a nice, wide (although not like kooked out wide) stance over the midpoint of your board. As long as your spine is somewhat perpendicular to your stringer, and your weight is also over the midpoint of your board, most floaters are quite do-able. Remember, the floater is very functional and can be done with style for a pleasant, as well as radical, addition to your repertoire. However, be warned that passing up a good barrel and opting instead for a floater could open you up to some serious ridicule from purists.