If you've ever taken an intro to oceanography class at your local community college, you’re aware of the fact that waves break in water that is roughly 1.3 times deep as the wave is high. While this may seem like trivial information, it has everything to do with the quality of the wave you’re riding. Generally speaking, the faster the wave energy transitions from deep water into shallow water, the hollower and heavier the wave is going to break. That’s why at freak spots like Teahupoo or Shark Island, open ocean swells encounter the shallow reef shelf and pitch into barrels big enough to drive a bus through. And let’s face it, barrel size and quality is one of the primary measuring sticks for assessing the surf. After all, why do you think Pipeline is so famous? Massive barrels.

Moving right along, there are different types of barrels that you're going to encounter. You've got wedging barrels (usually influenced by a side wave), flat bottom sandbar dredgers (the type that have you picking sand out of your teeth), reef pass barrels like Indonesia, warping shelf pits (sick stuff!), ovular barrels that force you to take a high line on the face, pitching peaks that you can backdoor, cobblestone and rock bottom barrels with the boils you have to negotiate, slow moving peelers held up by offshore winds, and a few more breeds depending on the nature of the particular spot that you're riding.

With so many "tube types" to contend with, it can be challenging to learn how to ride them all equally well. The good news is that there's a fundamental technique you can use that will surely enhance your tube riding abilities. This is a technique that many skilled wave riders practice and demonstrate with regularity. It's rarely discussed and often overlooked, but if you're willing to study these guys in videos that feature water shots, you're sure to notice it. The technique is... learning to properly make micro-adjustments to your line while you're in the barrel. It doesn’t matter what type of board you ride, or even your style of riding, you’ve got to keep moving while you’re in the pit. Remaining stationary is not an option.

From a Taj Burrow to a Joel Parkinson to a Mike Stewart… the best wave riders in the world understand that the tube is a dynamic and changing environment -- meaning, you’ve got to keep adapting and adjusting. In smaller waves, micro-adjustments to your trim line are critical as you have less room to maneuver and thus less room for error. In big waves, the barrel can transform into a violent, gurgling cylinder with turbulent features and dire consequences for miscalculation. In either situation, if you want to master barrel riding -- you've got to master making micro-adjustments to your line while you're in the tube. That's the key. Tiny, rapid modifications. Again, I encourage you to study the pros in videos that feature water shots at hollow breaks. You’ll actually witness many of the world's best making these little “half turns” while in the cylinder. And it's these very micro-adjustments that help them navigate out of the deepest caverns.

Beachbreaks are rather unpredictable by nature. Drifting sand causes them to shift and change constantly.
How would you negotiate the barrel on this draining left?

The best types of waves to practice your micro-adjustments and line placement on are beachbreak or shorebreak closeouts. Reason being, the nature of the wave forces you to adapt and adjust very quickly. Your entire ride may last only a couple seconds. You’ve got to get to your feet, negotiate the vertical drop, engage your rail, adjust your line, and read the rapidly evolving barrel to extend your tube time and maximize your speed. See how long you can ride the closeout before it tosses you off. The longer you can stay locked in a closeout barrel, the deeper you’ll be able to ride in pits that actually have an exit.

A couple points to consider...

Keep an eye out for areas on the wave where your speed, control, and momentum are compromised. You may occasionally hear another surfer comment that their board bogged out while on a wave. That's a major indicator that they hit one of these areas. Common "blackout points" on a wave can include turbulence (boils, wind chop, etc.), hitting the shockwave (the explosion generated when the lip hits the trough), riding too high on the face while in the tube, or being too low on the face in a critical section without momentum or a "power pocket" to regenerate speed.

Also be on the look out for parts of a wave that allow you to either maximize your speed or make up for lost momentum. Common "power pockets" include double-ups, steeper sections due to bottom features (shallow points in the reef, etc.), sidewave interaction (where the wedge meets up with the main wave -- hop the sidewave and use it to accelerate back onto the main wave), and reforms (the wave breaks… slows down… and breaks again).

You drop in and swoop under the emerald curtain. The exit is within reach.
How would you adjust your line to compensate for the lip if it were to start pinching the barrel closed on this gorgeous peak?

To follow up on the points noted above, when you're riding the average wave, the most speed is found about 1/3 up the wave face with your board angled slightly down. As you're pulling under the lip, learn to stay agile. Stay vigilant and ready to adjust. If your line is too high, you'll get pitched. Too low, and you’ll be eaten by the shockwave. It's at this critical point where making micro-adjustments and modifications is key. Maintain your intertia. Learn to minimize resistance. This is especially true for bodyboarders. Slide up on your board and keep your legs and elbows out of the water. When you’re six feet back in a double overhead reef pit, a little elbow drag can lead to serious trouble.

In closing, it's without a doubt that micro-adjustments to your line are a key to success when you're charging the green room. Learn to adapt your riding style to the particular wave that you're on. Barrels are dynamic creatures; perpetually changing and morphing. As with anything in life, change is constant. Learn to embrace change and use it to your advantage.

Until next time, I'll see you in the water.