Duck diving and paddling. Perhaps to around 98% of all surfers, these, two aspects of the sport are as glamorous as an ingrown toenail. To other surfers, they’re a necessary evil. A pain in the butt, sure, yet essential to enable one to, well, actually surf a wave.
Trident is the first to admit an arduous paddle through unruly water, currents and white water like snow won’t always be most surfer’s idea of fun. Being confronted with a long paddle out (perhaps after a sketchy rock jump or climb down a cliff) is more akin to a battle against the elements than a relaxing dip in the ocean. We’ve checked some stats on paddling distance on surf sessions at the very least more than mere grovels – 2 – 3km a pop. We’re not even speaking of marathon sessions really. Two to three kilometres of paddlin’? That be some serious work, boys and girls. No bleedin’ wonder our shoulders are in their moer.
And Duck Diving?
So. When you’re trying to duck under innumerable waves, you’re probably doing the most intensive kind of push-up known to humanity. After all, you’re not trying to push yourself up from a floor, you’re trying to sneak your entire body (plus surfboard) under an avalanche made of seawater. Multiply that, by, how many paddles back after each wave? With conservatively speaking, say two duck dives with each paddle back? After the above mentioned 2 – 3kms of paddlin’? 20 waves is 40 duck dives, 30 is 60… You can see the maths at work here. And work is exactly what paddling and duck diving is. That’s the effort. The waves are the reward. Unless you blow a wave. ‘Coz you’re so knackered after a 500 metre paddle out (resplendent with a dozen plus duck dives). Trident can attest to that on plenty of occasions.
Rewards Ratio.
One multiple second tube and getting spat out is worth any number of exhausting duck dives and paddling. One measly close out is probably not. But surfers are looking at it all wrong we say. The effort is what makes it all worthwhile. Whether you’re simply becoming fitter, more agile and more prepared for another better session another day, or the current session is so good it’s worth paddling through water churning more than a sewage treatment plant, we need to learn to kinda enjoy the endeavour for its own sake.
For many beginners, duck diving and paddling takes longer to learn properly than popping up on a wave. Intuitive or not, it’s the truth. We all started in small waves, where paddling and ducking were all but unnecessary. The moment a beginner feels more confident, out they go in waves of slightly more consequence, slapping water like its the rumps of hip hop dancers in a rap video. We all know how to spot beginners by their awkward paddling. Trident did a whole article on it here. Beginners duck diving? Well that’s even easier to spot. Beginners’ boards get ditched faster than blind dates who show up to a restaurant wearing a gas mask and wielding chloroform.
Indeed, there’s speculation that wavepools may evolve their surfers into bizarre freaks of nature. All massive legs for punting airs and arms, shoulders and chest like pigeons on Ozempic ‘coz they barely need to paddle.
Count us out. We believe in the paddle and the duck dive.
It’s exercise after all. The days of 1980’s pro surfing training regime of drinking beer all day, and groupies and reheated slap chips washed down with whiskey all night are over. Although to be fair, how those okes used to still surf a compo a day after that brand of training is probably still more hardcore than the way pro’s do it today. Circa 2026 pro surfers require personal trainers, dieticians, coaches, social media managers,masseuses, bodyguards, butlers, bootlickers, makeup artists, a personal mariachi band, professional red carpet unfurlers, professional rose petal scatterers as well as, of course, their personal throne bearers.
But that’s the pro’s. For most of us surfers, the hard paddling and deep duck diving will build strength, fitness and character. If you surf often enough, that should suffice for fitness, but most of us don’t have said luxury. So stretch, train – whatever – forms of exercise is up to the individual. Just ensure you build up those surf muscles. In other words, every muscle. For real.
