Describes catching a wave and involves paddling until the waves power drives the waveski forward. Taking off can be a simple gentle affair by taking off diagonally down the line, or to a radical reverse take off that requires a radical bottom turn.

Taking-off is where every ride starts. A waveski's paddle-power enables you to catch a wave easily, and not necessarily in the "power-point". By watching the form of the waves and other surfers' positioning on the 'peak' (where the wave starts to break), you can pick the best spot. When a suitable wave approaches, turn towards the shore and paddle slowly. As the tail of the ski is lifted by the wave, paddle harder, leaning forward gently until the ski starts to plane. Lean back before the nose digs in and start setting up for the 'bottom turn' in the direction away from the breaking wave.

Bottom Turn - The most important move of the wave, setting the rider for the next manoeuvre and generating the acceleration to allow you to negotiate the breaking section or 'hit the lip' (lip is the clean face folding over about to break). Lean forward and into the turn, extending both arms fully and placing the blade of the paddle slightly in the water on the side where you want to go. Use the blade as a pivot, turning the board in an arc into the new direction.

Top Turn - A steep wave-section provides the perfect opportunity for a top turn. As you come out of the bottom-turn, ascending the face of the wave, pick a steep section of the wave that will provide enough power to push you back down the wave. As the board reaches the crest, twist and lean hard on the 'inside edge' (rail facing the shore) while digging the paddle blade into the wave's face on that side, providing a pivot point and brace. The ski will change direction back down the wave. Beware of turning too far along the section or turning too slowly as this will often lead to a stall, falling off the back of the wave or requiring some frantic paddling to regain the face.

Cut Back - Surf onto the 'shoulder' (where the wave is tapering into sea level) of the wave, keeping high on the face. Do a full 180° turn back towards the pocket of the wave and again another 180° turn to carry on riding the wave in the direction it is breaking. An advanced version is riding the nose of the ski squarely onto the white water and bouncing off it. Using the power of the wave to assist you, turn down the wave and regain the clean face of the wave. Lean into the wave and slightly back to avoid a nose-dive.

Re-Entry - An advanced move that allows you to use the maximum energy of the wave as it breaks and 'closes out'. A pure adrenaline rush as the wave pitches you forward and you free fall to the bottom of the wave. Timing is critical and good speed is vital. Bottom-turn and aim the nose of the ski at the steep, pitching section of the wave. Continue the direction until the nose of the ski is clear of the wave and then turn the ski back toward shore with a quick twist of the body toward the shore and leaning forward to push the nose down. Leaving the blade of your paddle in the wave will help in snapping the nose around as you pivot around it. The pitching lip of the wave acting on the bottom surface of the ski will push you shoreward, helping you to land on the wave or even the clean face. Be sure to lean back to avoid nose-diving on landing.

Tube ride - Highly advanced. This requires a steep 'section' (section of clean vertical wave face) with a lip that pitches out far enough for the rider to pass underneath. As you complete the bottom turn and set up for the section, stall the board briefly by changing direction back down the wave. This will allow the lip to catch up to you and start pitching over you. Lean forward and into the wave to accelerate the board while tucking the paddle in close to the body, on the side away from the wave wall (awkward at first but critical!). Trim the board as high up in the pocket as is possible, keeping away from the lip crashing down at the base of the wave and avoiding the roof of the tube. Ideally the rider exits the tube through the hole, but often the tube collapses and the rider is pushed out through the white water or 'dumped'. To avoid being harshly dumped, as the wave collapses dive into the wave wall so you punch through to the back

Takeoff - Successfully catching a wave, obtained by paddling in the direction the wave is travelling until it picks you up and you no longer have top paddle to stay on.

Fade / Reverse Takeoff - Taking off on a wave in the direction of the breaking or broken section (toward the pocket), resulting in the need for a turn away or bounce of the peak, adding speed and putting you deep into the pocket.

Down The Line - Surfing in a straight line diagonally away from the pocket and/or breaking section of the wave.

Bottom Turn - A turn made at the bottom or trough of the wave inorder to climb up to the top of the wave face.

Top Turn - A turn made from carving down and away from the wave face and into the trough.

Roller Coaster / Hot Dogging - The succession of top and bottom turns while travelling in the same direction away from the pocket toward the shoulder.

Cutback - A sharp turn of 90 to 180 degrees, on the rails, resulting in no slippage and little or no loss of speed, often accompanied by spray being radically thrown outward.

Slash - A sharp turn of 90 to 180 degrees where the rails are not engaged intentionally sliding the back whilst keeping the front almost in the same position. Results in a loss in speed,and lots of spray. The difficulty is not stalling and losing the wave or being pitched.

Roundhouse Cutback - A cutback of a 180 degree rotation where speed is generated by the tight turn and driving into the pocket and bouncing off the foam creating another 180 degree turn, essentially carving an S in the wave face, and setting you up back in the pocket.

Re-entry (Reo) - When the wave closes out the opportunity is used to hit the breaking lip and re-enter the wave which is now white water.

Vertical Re-entry - When the wave closes out the opportunity is maximised to first aim the nose of the board as high into the sky as possible whilst hanging on the breaking lip and then snapping it back down to re-enter the wave which is now white water.

Lip Turn - Few waves give the opportunity but Jeffrey's Bay is one. The shoulder of the wave pitches over so fast that you are able to drive off the top so hard that it feels the same as a bottom turn except you have the pitch & gravity accelerating you.

Floater - Successfully riding the backside of a pitching lip, by riding along the lip and allowing it to break under you and riding along the top and then floating down back into the wave. Difficult manoeuvre to master but the view is great as you can see the backline.

Bounce Floater - As an oncoming section approaches, aim for the oncoming peak and float over it.

360 / Spin - A 360 degree rotation of you and your board on the wave face, not difficult if your skegs are small. Beginners should not perform this even though it's tempting as it often becomes uncontrolled and results in accidents. If you can do a re-entry then master a controlled 360.

Cutback 360 - Initiated by turning toward the pocket as if doing a cutback but continuing the turn until facing away from the pocket. Powered carves rather than spins are sought after.

Re-Entry 360 - Initiated by turning away from the pocket as if doing a re-entry but continuing the turn and bouncing off the peak until facing away from the pocket. Powered carves rather than spins are sought after.

Off the Lip - A move performed by bottom turning up the wave face and launching off the (near) breaking lip, and going along the lip with the bottom of the board riding on the breaking edge of the lip.

Air / Aerial - Executed after a driving bottom turn up the wave face and hitting any steep part of the wave, i.e. the pocket, an on coming section, or a closeout(Aerial Re-Entry), and becoming airborne off that steep part of the wave

Hand-Drag - When approaching an oncoming section of the wave that could potentially break over you, stick the arm closest to the wave out and grab the wave to slow you down(stall). Very effective in helping you get barrelled or covered up.

Cover Up / Pull In/Tuck In - The manoeuvre performed to position the rider under the breaking lip of the wave. As the section about to break approaches, bottom turn up the wave, but at about half way, level out your edging, so that you are positioned under the throwing lip. Lean into the wave face.

Barrel/Tube Ride - When the rider pulls into or tucks under a pitching/throwing lip and is completely covered by it for a prolonged period of time. Also known as the being in the "Green Room". Barrel describes not coming out but having the wave collapse. A tube allows you cleanly in and out. Coming through the curtain describes being in the tube and escaping through the front.

Kickout Aerial Corkscrew / Kickflip - A horizontal 360 degree rotation performed as an exit move off the back of the wave. Completed by performing a corkscrew while airborne. Major goal, but seemingly impossible is to regain the wave!

Bunny Hop / Otter Pop - A move that lifts you and your board off the wave face. Lean as far back as possible pulling up with your feet and/or knees, lifting your nose off the water. When our it reaches the peak of its upward travel, lean aggressively forward to pull your tail out of the water. Best performed on big steep shoulders.

Flip-Turn - An extremely hard carving turn where the result is the stern of your craft releasing from the water. Performed by carving your craft as hard as possible in one direction, and leaning into the turn, until the edges and fins release, causing your stern to fly out of the water. Easiest with small fins.

Helix - A radical extension of the flip turn, the helix is an upside-down 360 degree corkscrew. The move starts out as an extremely aggressive flip turn, and when the side releases out of the water, flip upside down. You should now be upside down, leaning forward with the nose of your board facing the back of the wave. Keep rotating by throwing your legs around, and once in an upside down (near) frontsurf position, sweep out with your paddle blade and roll up into a successful frontsurf.

Exix - An exit-helix performed any time one wishes to exit the wave. Executed when you are starting to turn toward the rear of the wave, where you will often encounter slippage. Enhance this slippage to where your tail flies outward until you are parallel with the wave, facing where you came from. From here start to turn upside down, and complete a helix in the void behind the wave. You may not perform a complete helix, but even a half or three-quarter helix is good.

Kickout - Punch a hole through the back of the wave staying upright. After a close out duck dive the white water by riding away from the foam and then turning sharply back into it and turning upside down so that the wave washes over you and Eskimo roll on the other side.

New Manoeuvres & suggestions Welcome !