READING WAVES
Transform your surfing with our Wave Language Method©
Feeling in control during your surf sessions is not a myth
A surfer spends 95% of their time in the water laying on their board paddling around waves, navigating the impact zone, the line up and looking for the best position to be in.
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If all you focus on is fitness training and surf techniques, you're missing out on the biggest part of surfing, reading waves.
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By understanding the why and the how of waves (how waves break and why they break in all different ways) you will be able to understand the where, where waves break and where to position yourself or where to take off from.
Feeling in control doesn't have to only belong to advanced surfers.
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Advanced surfers feel in control because we know we are able to read the environment, and even though the ocean always gives us an attitude adjustment, we know we can count on our ability to understand and predict how waves break, as much as humanly possible.
READING WAVES
THE WAVE LANGUAGE METHOD™
"Learn to read the ocean better. A big part of my success has been wave knowledge" Kelly Slater
A program to become a better surfer by reading the waves
Imagine this
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You arrive at the beach and within minutes you are able to see if it's worth it to paddle out, or not. You can tell the quality of the waves, immediately. You can spot if there are currents, if the tide is right, if this is a good time to go surf.
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You decide to paddle out, and you find your way to the line up much more easily than you used to.
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You know where to sit, and the waves just seem to come to you now, rather than you chasing them.
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You choose a wave, and you know you're in the right position. Your paddling is confident, efficient, and you are not wasting energy anymore.
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You intuitively know the right timing of when to paddle into the wave.
You have officially flipped the switch, and you are now in control.
This is what is possible, after going through the program and after putting in time to practice in the water.
Let me guess..
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you often have exhausting surf sessions, where all you seem to do is paddling around without catching waves
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you get caught in the impact zone
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you lack confidence in bigger waves
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you catch few / bad waves
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you struggle when looking at the conditions or choosing the time to go surfing
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you nosedive
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you don't know when to pop up
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you're not sure where to sit in order to catch a wave
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sometimes you feel “stuck” , unable to progress
If this resonates with you, then this program is for you
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You surf already but want more confidence in the water, especially in bigger waves
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You're tired of trying everything else to improve your wave count, it's not working
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You feel confused by the amount of conflicting and scattered information on the web on ocean knowledge
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You are starting to understand there is more to surf progress than fitness and quality of equipment
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You’re new to surfing and want to feel confident and in control, to avoid getting discouraged or injured
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You want to have more fun and less frustrating sessions
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You want to catch more and better waves, that don’t close out on you
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You want to understand timing and positioning on a wave, so you can be in that *perfect* spot to catch a wave
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you are tired of getting exhausted when paddling through the impact zone, you're ready to save your energy
THE LANGUAGE METHOD™ IS DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING YOU'VE TRIED BEFORE
Learning how to read waves is the best skill any surfer can have
A surfer spends 95% of their time in the water laying on their board paddling around waves, looking for the best position to be in.
Before learning new techniques, before improving the pop up, before everything really... a surfer needs to learn about the ocean and the waves.
Learning how to surf without learning about the ocean is like learning how to drive a car, without knowing anything about the streets. It's like flying a plane without understanding the weather.
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What happens when you learn how to read the ocean?
You paddle out with a lot more confidence, you are able to put yourself in a better position and you land up catching more waves.
Your experience in the water is calmer, you are in control, and you don't feel you're constantly fighting the waves.
You are saving energy, and you are focused.
You are able to choose waves that don't close out on you.
You know what conditions are best for surfing, you know how, when and where to enter the water, you know how to choose a wave and what a good wave for surfing looks like, you know when is the right time to start paddling for a wave, you know where to position yourself in order to catch a wave.
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Wether you are a new surfer or a more experienced one
Learning about the ocean is going to be your turning point from frustrating surf sessions, to fun and exciting surf sessions.
Here's the thing- you're not the first (or last) person to find yourself stuck into not making progress and not catching waves
The problem is that most people think that in order to fix everything, they need to either improve their fitness, become stronger, or get a different board.
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And if you have wondered that too...it's not your fault!
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Everyone teaches surf techniques and surf fitness, but no one talks about the importance of learning how to read waves, as it’s from understanding the ocean that you can position yourself well in the line up, in that perfect spot to catch waves consistently, or that you learn how to time your paddle out so that you don’t get wave after wave on your head.
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Have you noticed there are no other courses around that teach you how to read waves?
It's because it’s an incredibly complicated subject to teach.
If this was easy there would be hundreds of courses like this one, like there are on techniques and surf fitness.
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No one ever talks about understanding the elements because it’s easier to convert and deliver physical activities tips - it’s hard to teach Ocean Knowledge because it’s like teaching about an understanding, not a physical movement... we are talking about an understanding of the relationship between the different elements.
But I’ve chosen to dive deep into this topic because I believe this is the most important part of surfing, and it's what makes a massive difference.​
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READING WAVES WAS CREATED TO HELP SURFERS CATCH MORE WAVES
By using my
Wave Language Method™
Because if you don't add ocean knowledge to your improvement strategy, your progress won't take off
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Most beginner and intermediate surfers don’t know how to read the ocean. And many don’t even know they don’t know.
Because most believe that if they only become fitter or stronger, or they buy a better board they’ll improve.
And that’s 100% wrong.
WHAT IS THE
WAVE LANGUAGE METHOD™?
The Wave Language Method™ is a unique surf coaching methodology I developed to help people make progress in surfing.
There is a massive gap in the surf coaching industry, everyone talks about fitness and flexibility and paddle strength... but no one speaks about the most fundamental asset a surfer needs to have : wave understanding.
This method will help you catch more waves and become a better surfer, without fitness trainings, without paddle strength exercises, but by learning how to read waves better.
INSIDE READING WAVES - THE WAVE LANGUAGE METHOD you will learn
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how to paddle out with confidence, without getting stuck in the impact zone
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how to catch waves
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how to position yourself in the lineup
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how to choose the best conditions to go surfing
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how to use channels, how to spot currents
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how to choose the right waves that don't close out on you
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how to find your timing and positioning so you catch waves more consistently
HOW CAN I JOIN READING WAVES ?
Reading Waves is currently not open for enrolment.
We just closed the first round of the program on May 2nd.
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I'm now focusing on providing live support to the people who joined.
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Doors will open again in the future, sign up to the waitlist and you'll be notified when enrolment is open again.
INSIDE READING WAVES YOU WILL FIND
119 recorded video lessons, divided into 20 steps. Scroll further down to read what's inside each step.
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Each video lesson is between 1 to 8 minute long, and at the end of each Step you'll find a Challenge, which is a quick, 15 minute action to implement what you learned.
For the first part of the program these Challenges can be implemented at home, and from Step 10 onwards we move into practicing in the water.
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You can go through the program at your own pace, and you don't need access to the water to start with.
You get to keep the program, so you can start it now and go through the action part of the program (practice in the water) when you are ready and have access to a surf spot.
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You also have access to a private Facebook Community where I will be providing support and answering questions.
I know that you may be worried about getting stuck. But you have the opportunity to ask me questions, I'll be with you along the way!
Happy surf sessions are like a cake, and everyone wants a piece.
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But if you're like me, you want the recipe.
I started surfing 41 years ago and I quickly realised how in order to become a better surfer, I had to understand the environment I was in.
I had to master my intuition on how to choose waves, where to position myself, how to choose there right conditions to go surfing.
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A big eye opener for me was the movie North Shore, when the famous surfer takes his student to sit on the beach, to watch waves.
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What are we doing ? asked the student
We're surfing - replied the surfer
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At that point, I understood that that's exactly what I needed to do.
I needed to study the waves.
But, not only I had no teachers, I also didn't have access to any information that could have helped me decoding this new language I was learning, the language of the ocean.
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And so, I practiced and practiced.
And practiced.
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Today, I feel waves.
I can predict how they break, and it takes me seconds to understand what's going on in the water, just by watching patterns that are now so evident to me.
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I'm not flexible, and I don't do any specific intensive surf trainings.
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But I can catch waves, consistently.
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Even after weeks of not surfing.
Because I know how waves break, I can identify patterns.
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The ocean will always give you an attitude adjustment, and I do wipeout too.
But when I am in the water, I feel in control as much as a human being can be.
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SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU?
IT MEANS THAT YOU'VE GOT 2 OPTIONS
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1 . figure out how to read waves yourself, with years ( not days, not weeks, not months ) in the water.
Just like me, just like all advanced surfers.
2 . Speed up the process by investing in education and cut that time in less than half.
I can't teach you intuition, and you will have to put time in to practice in the water. Nothing can replace time in the water.
It just doesn't have to take that long - if you have a roadmap you'll be able to develop your intuition much quicker.
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But what I can teach you is how to see patterns, and what to do with them.
I can give you a ton of references and different ways to interpret this new language you’re learning (and you have to learn, if you want to surf better and catch more waves) .
What I can teach you is how to develop your intuition, by paying attention to certain patterns in the water.
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Every single time you'll go surfing after going through this program, you will be able to understand better what is going on and what influences your sessions (which is not just your board or your fitness level), and you'll be able to choose better waves.
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Once you start understanding the different elements and the different patterns I teach in the program, and how they work and relate with each other , that information will turn into intuition.
Here is what you are learning each Step
The program is divided into 20 quick Steps, organised in the right order to bring you from where you are to better surf sessions.
Each Step has 3 to 9 lessons.
You can go through the program at your own pace, but we encourage you to first take the challenge at the end of each step, then progress to the next step.
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Challenges are quick 15 minutes actions we prompt you to take at the end of each step, to put into practice what you’ve just learned. You don’t need access to water for this. You will need access to water for the second stage of success which is you developing intuition (have a look at the FAQ section)
Step 1 - Start building your knowledge
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Where do waves come from
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3 types of waves
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Spilling waves
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Plunging waves
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Surging waves
Step 2 - Identify the different types of waves
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The best way to identify waves
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Recognising surging waves
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Recognising plunging waves
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Recognising spilling waves
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More tips on how to identify waves
Step 3 - Choose the right wave for your level or style of surfing
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Waves for beginners
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Waves for longboard
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Waves for shortboarders
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Step 4 - Notice the impact of tides on waves
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What are tides ?
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How tides influence how waves break
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How boards behave differently on different tides
Step 5 - Identify the best time to go surfing
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How to choose the right time to go surfing
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Another tip on how to choose the right conditions
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The best conditions for different levels
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Step 6 - Learn how wind impacts surfing
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The three types of winds
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How wind influences the ocean
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The best wind to go surfing
Step 7 - Choose the right stage of wave to surf
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Stages of a wave : Green and white water waves
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Different waves for different levels
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Step 8 - Spot the different parts of a wave
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The different parts of a wave
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A Visual look at the different parts of a wave
Step 9 - Learn how waves break
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Sets, period and impact zone
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The period: time between waves
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Why and how waves break - A visual look
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What is a set of waves
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The impact zone and how to avoid it
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A frame waves
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Closeout waves
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Long waves
Step 10 - Identify swell direction and swell strength
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What is swell direction
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What is swell strength
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What is Swell height
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Wave period
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How to identify swell direction
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How do these two elements relate to each other and what does it mean for us surfers
Step 11 - Spot currents in the water
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What are currents
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How to spot currents
Step 12 - Learn to identify rip currents
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What is a rip current
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How advanced surfers use rip currents
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What to do if you find yourself stuck in a rip current
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How to identify rip currents from the beach
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An aerial view of rip currents
Step 13 - Learn to identify and use channels
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What is a channel
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How to identify a channel
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A deeper look on how to identify channels
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How to use channels as surfers
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A visual look of a channel at a point break
Step 14 - Identify the different types of breaks
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The different types of breaks
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The best break to learn and practice on
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Beach breaks
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Reef breaks
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Point breaks
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When are you ready to surf a reef or a point break?
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Right point break vs left point break
Step 15 - Enter the water the right way - for beginners in white water waves
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Beginners entering the water
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How to get trough the whitewater waves
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How not to walk out in white water waves
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Step 16 - Learn to time your paddle out - surfing unbroken waves
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How to count waves in a set
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Finding the lull
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Spotting the lull in a set
Step 17 - Learn how to paddle out at a point break
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Paddling through the impact zone
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How to paddle out at point break
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Identifying the foam line
Step 18 - Learn how to catch white water waves: timing and positioning
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Positioning to catch white water waves
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Timing to catch white water waves
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Do this exercise: ride without getting to your feet to practice timing and positioning
Step 19 - Learn how to catch unbroken waves: timing and positioning
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What are timing and positioning
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Timing + Positioning to catch a green wave
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Timing + Positioning to catch a green wave on a short board
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Analysing a wave before taking off
Step 20 - Nail down your timing and positioning
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Timing and positioning + nosediving
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Consideration on surfing green waves vs whitewater waves
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Positioning as someone who’s just transitioned from white water waves to green waves
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The breakdown of timing and positioning
Hey
I'm Andrew Goodman
Who am I to teach you how to read waves?
I started teaching surfing 15 years ago in California.
I’ve coached over 7000 people and I realised a HUGE gap in the industry.
Everyone teaches surf techniques, but no one talks about the importance of learning how to read waves, as it’s from understanding the ocean that you can position yourself well in the line up, in that perfect spot to catch waves consistently, or that you learn how to time your paddle out so that you don’t get wave after wave on your head.
Most beginner and intermediate surfers don’t know how to read the ocean. And many don’t even know they don’t know.
Because most believe that if they only become fitter or stronger, they’ll improve.
And that’s 100% wrong.
Fitness is not enough, and it only comes into play later on, in a surfer’s journey.
I have mastered wave knowledge by spending 41 years in the water.
And I have taken the crazy challenge to teach surfers how to develop their intuition in reading waves.
In less than a month, your understanding of the key components of wave knowledge ( the different elements, the patterns that they generate and how they relate to each other) can get to a really good level, by going through this program.
Will this mean that you all of a sudden will develop your intuition in reading waves, without even going in the water?
Not at all, you will HAVE to put time in, to practice in the water.
But you'll be able to practice with knowledge and understanding on to what to look out for.
You'll be able to practice knowing which patterns you should pay attention to.
And all that knowledge will turn into intuition, something that takes YEARS to develop, without any knowledge.
I've got Answers
What if I haven't even started surfing, is this something I should learn now ?
Absolutely.
Just like before you get your car driving licence, you learn about street rules.
Just like airplane pilots learn about the weather, before they learn how to fly an actual plane.
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I've never really heard of this "Ocean Knowledge" concept - why would a surfer want to take this course?
Surfing is a sport with many elements in it. Technique and skillset are the most popular and the most talked about. Something you will need to learn for sure, if you want to learn to surf. But the element you rarely see being talked about, is Ocean Knowledge.
Firstly because it’s hard - surf schools would love to be able to dedicate hours in teaching students about the ocean and the waves, but it’s difficult to fit inside an hourly lesson, time in the water and time for ocean knowledge. When you book a surf lesson you expect to be in the water and learn surf techniques, right?
Secondly, because it’s an intricate topic, and because of that is simply less popular. But any pro surfer knows how fundamental is to learn about the ocean.
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I am landlocked and have no easy access to water. Will this help me?
It's the best thing you can do for your surfing! You can learn about the ocean remotely with this course, and you'll be then able to apply your knowledge in your next session in the water.
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How is the course delivered?
The course is delivered as videos. There are 20 steps, each step has 3-7 short video lessons, and at the end of each step there's a challenge for you to implement.
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How long does it take for the program to show results in my surfing ?
There are 2 different “stages” of success / results that come from this course.
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Stage 1 : when you are able, by yourself, to identify in the water (by watching waves at a beach or in a surf cam ) a pattern that we highlight in the course (patterns are the result of the elements relating to each other - elements are tides, swell, wind, etc). This can happen immediately and it’s already a massive success. Do you need access to water for this? No.
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Stage 2 : when all the information you learn inside the course turns into intuition. This is when you master wave language.
Once you start understanding these different elements and how they work and relate to each other, once you see everything playing in real time, the information you have learned will turn into intuition.
How long does it take for this stage 2 success to happen? It totally depends on how much time you’re able to put in to practice in the water. Can you get there without accessing the water? No.
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Can someone learn how to read the waves by themselves?
Yes. Eventually you'll get there, it will just take a lot of time because without references it's hard to interpret what you're looking at. It'd be like learning a new language without having a dictionary.
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I surf at a wave pool, but booked a surf trip in summer. will this course help me?
Yes. In a wave pool there are very few elements that you need to consider (elements are: swell size, swell direction, swell strength, tides, currents, swell period, wind strength, wind direction, topography of the land).
A wave pool is a “controlled” environment where you have a perfectly shaped wave that tends to start and break always in the same spot.
So in a wave pool the impact of the elements is minimal.
But the ocean is not like that, it’s in fact the opposite - the ocean is a dynamic environment, where all the elements above come into play and relate to each other, and these “relationships” between the elements have a big impact on waves.
And so when you go from surfing in a wave pool to surfing in the ocean it’s a whole other game all together.
If you want to catch waves in the ocean you’re going to need to know *how* to catch waves, how to choose the right waves, where to position yourself, etc.
And this comes from reading the elements, which is what we teach inside the program.
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How long does the program last ?
The program is made of 20 Steps, each of them has from 3 to 7 lessons.
You can go through the program at your own pace, but we encourage you to first take the challenge at the end of each step, then progress to the next step.
Challenges are quick 15 minutes actions we prompt you to take at the end of each step, to put into practice what you’ve just learned. You don’t need access to water for this. You will need access to water for the second stage of success which is you developing intuition (look at the next slide).
Ocean knowledge it’s an intricate matter and the only way to teach it is by breaking it down in a “scientific” way and adding challenges / actions for you to take in order to really receive what you’re learning.
This is also why no one teaches this… it’s a freakkin mission to teach such an intricate concept and it took us a year to finish this program.
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I am a beginner level 2 from your pdf, is this for me?
The program is for:
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complete beginners
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beginners (level 1-2-3)
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intermediate (levels 4-7) surfers who struggle with catching waves (timing and positioning), getting caught in the lineup, poor wave count, wave selection, confidence in bigger waves
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Landlocked surfers who surf at wave pools and/or surf rarely in the ocean, and want to build better understanding of how to surf in the ocean (very different than surfing in a wave pool).
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coaches / surf schools who want to learn/better understand the scientific principles behind wave knowledge so they can offer ocean knowledge sessions to their students with more ease and in a structured way ( if you own a school and want to offer our program to your students, get in touch for group access).
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I thought all I had to do was watching the ocean. How do you deliver that in a course?
By highlighting what you need to look at, by showing the patterns you need to pay attention to, instead of you looking at the ocean blindly not knowing what to do.
Think about it in this way: reading waves is an “intuition”. Something that you develop over time. And you do that by observing the waves and the elements that impact the waves.
BUT there are 2 ways to observe the waves and the elements:
1 - by looking at the ocean blindly, without really knowing what to look at, trying to guess and connect dots by yourself.
2 - by knowing what to look for, what elements to consider, which patterns to identify, and knowing what it means when a pattern combines with another pattern. And this is what the program teaches you. It accelerates the process of learning how to read waves by first highlighting every single thing to look out for and then by teaching you what it means when the different elements interact with each other. It’s like learning on steroids. It’s like protein supplements for your work out :)
Once you start understanding these different elements and how they work and relate to each other, and how all of these patterns affect the waves, the information you learn will turn into intuition.
It's not an overnight process, but it's also something you can't skip, as a surfer.
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How much time should I set aside every day for learning , and for how long?
You can go through the program at your own pace but I do suggest that you complete the challenge at the end of each step before moving onto the next one. Don't rush this.
In terms of "video" time, each step is made of a few lessons, each lesson lasting a few minutes.
For the challenges you'll need about 15 minutes each, but once we dive into the "action" part of the program, and in order for you to develop your intuition in reading waves, you'll have to put time in to practice in the water. This can be done at a later time, on your next opportunity to go surfing.
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Do I need access to a beach ?
You will need access to water for achieving your second stage of success ( see question above " how long does it take for the program to show results in my surfing ?")
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Will there be support?
Yes! For one month after we close enrolment, you will have the opportunity to ask me questions inside our private Facebook group.
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Question about return policy - what are your guarantees?
I’ve helped countless people find success in surfing through my coaching (over 7k students). If you follow the program and put in the work, you will see results! I don’t offer refunds.
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You could figure out yourself how to read waves, but how long would it take you ?
You have 2 options :
1 . figure it out yourself, with years (not days, not weeks, not months) in the water.
2 . Speed up the process by investing in education.
Our course won’t substitute practice in the water, and mastering ocean knowledge takes patience and an open mind.
But it will eliminate you having to figure out everything by yourself - first what to look for, and then what to do with what you see.
