It is a common ruse among everyone to debate whether which water sport is easy and which one is not. All have different opinions, given most of them had tried playing both sports. Is bodyboarding easier than surfing? The simple answer is yes. That answer will base on the difficulty of doing the ride.
Beginners can learn bodyboarding effortlessly, but it doesn’t mean that bodyboarding is easy. Advance bodyboarding, especially doing different tricks, takes a lot of time and practice. It can get notably laborious as well. The answer likewise doesn’t mean that surfing is extra complicated, thus remarkably troublesome to master. The difference lies whether which sports suit your skills best.
Bodyboard vs. Surfboard
The board sizes are different as well. Surfing requires a taller and bigger surfboard, while a bodyboard is noticeably smaller and shorter. A surfboard is heavier than a bodyboard. While it’s convenient to drag a bodyboard around, you’ll have a more difficult time carrying the surfboard.
When you go surfing, your surfboard will need wax to keep your balance. For bodyboard, you can take a ride even without the use of wax.
Surfboards are more expensive compared to bodyboards. While surfing isn’t best for young riders, bodyboarding caters to riders of all ages with ease.
Bodyboarding vs. Surfing
When it comes to riding waves, surfing and bodyboarding are the best options to choose what to start. Surfing is a common and popular pick, while bodyboarding is gaining its enthusiasts. The easiest way to know the difference is how to ride the two sports. Surfing requires standing up and riding the wave, while bodyboarding lays flat on the bodyboard as it manages through the waves.
Surfing
Such difference makes surfing more thrilling and extra challenging to master. Learning the ability to maneuver your surfboard is very crucial. Since surfing has a high level of difficulty and requires a lot of practice, learning how to ride and control the board may take a longer time. It can get frustrating, so keep your patience in extra shots.
However, mastering the skills for surfing gives you a satisfying reward. You will have overflowing happiness and a sense of accomplishment. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing yourself ride a big wave so effortlessly.
Bodyboarding
Bodyboarding, compared to surfing, is easy. You get almost instant gratification when riding the bodyboard. Mastering some skills is easier too. You won’t have the constant fear of falling into the water; you feel safe while on the bodyboard. Even with challenging waves, bodyboarder can ride their way on it. Some unfavorable waves are easier to withstand since bodyboards are extremely firm and sturdy.
The downside many riders notice is the lack of challenge, especially when compared with surfing. Lying on the bodyboard can get boring for some. But if you prefer a relaxing time, riding through waves, bodyboarding is the excellent choice for you.
Paddling and Taking-off
Paddling
Another significant difference between bodyboarding and surfing is the skill of paddling. When surfing, you have to remember to keep your balance and stay on the board all the same time. In this way, you can only use your hands to paddle your way through the waves.
Learning how to paddle well could take even months to master. Beginner surfers have a hard time balancing on the surfboard properly while drifting at the same time. Staying on the surfboard while paddling can be uncomfortable, particularly on the first try since it is easy to slip.
However, paddling when using a bodyboard is easier compared to surfing. Because of the bodyboard’s smaller size, your whole body doesn’t lay flat on the board. Your legs will stay in the water at all times, making it easier to move and paddle in the direction you want. It likewise makes it harder to fall from your bodyboard while cruising, so you learn how to balance and stay on the board without exerting too much effort.
The professional riders suggest using fins to help you paddle faster and catch the waves. It is serviceable in helping you feel less stressed when paddling. It may likewise take time before you get used to the fins, but the difference is imminent. The trick is to constantly move your legs the right way, like a frog swimming. Fins also help protect your feet.
Taking-off
There are different ways of taking off for bodyboarding and surfing. The way both sports catch waves and ride them is somehow distinct. The take-off is the part where the waves begin to push you.
Take off when surfing means getting up on your feet while you try to balance and ride the wave. Timing is everything in here. Standing up at the wrong time can make the rider lose balance and fall. In a few seconds, the surfer must be able to take off at the right time.
When bodyboarding, the take-off is easier, but it can be tricky. Because of too much pressure, you might end up diving nose-first into the water. Pull up a little bit as you get near the end of the wave and set your weight back further on your bodyboard. It will prevent you from losing grip and falling underwater.
Conclusion
Now, it doesn’t matter which sport is the hardest. Is bodyboarding easier than surfing? Is surfing extremely difficult? Well, it’s not a matter of how easy or difficult a sport can be. All these sports are both easy and tough. That is why, when you master them, you will get the feeling of triumph and accomplishment.
So, when you are still undecided which sport to try, why not do both. You can have all summer or all year to practice, decide, and have fun. Take the burden of choosing and try both instead. You’d find the same enjoyment and excitement when it comes to riding the perfect waves.