Learning to turn your surfboard can feel tricky at first, but once you get it, everything about surfing clicks. As your surfing improves, you’ll realise it’s all about adapting to the wave, knowing when to gain speed, when to slow down, and when to change direction.
So, how do you do it? The answer: Trimming and Carving.
Trimming is less about changing direction, it´s about fitting the contour of the wave allowing the board to flow through the face.
Trimming vs. Carving
Trimming and carving are both ways to control your speed and direction by shifting your body weight and foot placement.
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- Trimming = for speed and flow
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- Carving = for turning and direction changes
Trimming:
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- Small, subtle body leans using your toes or heels
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- Adjusts your line to match the wave’s shape
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- Helps you stay in the “sweet spot” and keep your speed
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- Ideal for fast, peeling waves
Carving:
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- Stronger, more powerful turns
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- Uses deeper body rotation and rail engagement
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- Perfect for changing direction or cutting back on slower, open waves
Weight Distribution
Your feet control everything. Think of them as your accelerator and steering wheel.
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- Move your feet forward = more speed
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- Move your feet back = tighter turns
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- Heels and toes = fine-tuning your rail control
When trimming, slide your front foot slightly forward to stay high on the wave face.
When carving, shift your back foot over the fins for sharper, controlled turns.
Surfboard feet placement
Carving: The Back Foot Is Key
Your back foot is the anchor of every good turn.
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- Lean into your back foot to sink the rail and engage your fins.
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- This lifts the nose, giving you smoother, more controlled turns.
Common mistakes:
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- Back foot too far forward — hard to turn or overbalance.
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- Not enough weight on the back foot — leads to slipping or falling out of the carve.
Fix these two things, and your carving will instantly improve.
Look how the tail is fully sinked, that´s from the back foot pushing it hard.
Frontside vs. Backside Carves
Once your stance and balance feel natural, you can start exploring different carving techniques.
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- Frontside carves: Face the wave, open your shoulders, and lead with your front arm.
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- Backside carves: Back to the wave, rotate your shoulders and eyes toward the turn, staying low for control.
Your weight distribution and timing make all the difference — small adjustments equal smooth turns, while deeper engagement gives you sharper power moves.
backside turn
frontside turn
Keep Progressing
Trimming and carving are what take you from riding waves to really surfing them.
On the following blogs we will get into more technical details for the more advanced surfers. Talking about the role of the head/shoulders/arms movement.
If you’re ready to take your technique to the next level, think of joining a private lesson with the Aotearoa team. Our coaches will help you master body position, timing, and board control in real waves and even include video analysis.
