Do I need to be able to swim?

Yes, and a confident one. You swim into the waves with fins, so you need to be comfortable in the sea.

How is it different from surfing?

No big board and no standing up. You ride on your chest with a small handboard, much closer to the water, which makes it feel fast and direct.

How fit do I need to be?

A decent level of swimming fitness helps, as the fins and kicking do the work of catching waves.

A wetsuit in cooler water, plus the handboard and fins. In warm water, swimwear and fins may be enough.

Do I need much equipment?

Just a handboard and swim fins, which can be provided. It is one of the most minimal ways to ride waves.

Handplaning | adventuro

Handplaning strips wave riding back to almost nothing. You swim into a wave with a small board strapped to one hand and a pair of fins on your feet, and that little planing surface lifts your chest and sends you skimming across the face. No big board, no fuss, just you and the wave at eye level.

It is easy to start and brilliant fun, and it gets you in the water on days when the waves are too small or messy for much else. Being so close to the surface makes even a modest wave feel quick.

The coaches on adventuro can get you going with the handboard and fins. It is the kind of simple, joyful surfing that reminds you why you got in the sea in the first place.