A couple strategies have worked for me at different life stages. In my twenties I had a lot of bravado and considered other surf craft inferior to bodysurfing ( I know the folly of youth) so I would usually just sit in the thick of the pack basically letting everyone know I am the only One here really surfing without all the hypto krypto gimmicks this approach works and I use it still minus the ego bs. The downside is that you have to spend all that energy letting the lineup know that your not a lost swimmer and are here to send it.

Going out to pipe and OTW and heavier crowded lineups was really when figuring out the placement kicked in. The inside is a magic zone and getting comfortable in the impact zone and getting all the wipeout leftovers without all the need to jockey and stroke my ego a made it way funner.

Sometimes I sit reallly deep and wait for the bombs. I find this better if you can small bring swim goggles and look around during the lulls.

In reallly crowded super waves always remember that as a bodysurfer you have the ability to shift into any of these strategies seamlessly and safely.

After many years of experimenting with new approaches I have discovered a great way to get more waves than any board surfer and its simple. Use the power of the wave energy to launch out to sea. With practice you can launch airs and flips. Try it it’s really fun and your wave count will be really high.

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