All surfers want to surf better and besides lots of ocean experience, there are a number of key principles that all surfers should follow. One of the main ones is for the surfer to surf tight whenever possible. Surfing “tight” for a wave’s duration is where a surfer performs there manoeuvres off the top of their waves right next to the foam . When a surfer surfs “tight”, they perform their turns in the most critical part of their waves, effectively accessing the maximum power available from the wave’s they ride.

A surfer wishing to surf tight, can create it at takeoff by positioning themself on the peak or behind the peak. This deep positioning will setup a tight 1^st manoeuvre, by positioning the surfer’s first bottom turn under the breaking part of the wave.

For competitive surfers – surfing performances where there are combinations of tight manoeuvres fit the judging criteria precisely, maximizing scores awarded by the judges. It is a big step forward for many developing competitive surfers to constantly be looking to surf tight in all sections faced.