Everything You Need to Know About Nipper Boards
Nipper boards resemble small racing mals with four straps. They're designed for young Surf Live Saving participants and are built to SLSA standard specifications.
Children up to 10 years old generally use a foam Nipper board (called a foamie), and children over 10 use a fibreglass board. What To Look For In A Nipper Board - Size, Construction and DesignRegardless of the manufacturer, most nipper boards are similar in appearance, since they're built to a standard design that complies with SLSA competition regulations.
Where they mainly differ is in construction material and artwork. Racing mals may be made from foam, fibreglass, or carbon fibre. Foam boards are soft, relatively inexpensive, and good for beginners, but they lack the performance of a rigid fibreglass or carbon fibre board. Fibreglass is the most commonly used construction material, while the more rigid carbon fibre is the most expensive option. As a compromise between strength and cost, many board builders offer fibreglass boards with optional carbon fibre rails (or other sections) for additional strength. Where To Buy A Nipper Board - New and Second Hand
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JM Dolphin Bennett Bravo Infront Hayden Gardner How Much Does a Nipper Board Cost(This page is still under active development. Check back later for more content.)
Nipper Board Training - Paddling, Surfing, Popping and RollingSurf conditions and the ability of your nippers should dictate whether to train on flat water or in the ocean.
For younger nippers, anything over a 2ft swell may be too risky, so you should either head to a pool or lake for a swimming or flat water session, or enter the surf without a board (between the flags) to practice dolphin diving and body surfing, helping to build surf awareness and wave judgement. Playing ‘under or over’ in small waves zone (with no board) helps kids to judge which waves are for popping over and which are for rolling under on the board. Body surfing shows kids how keeping flat in the water assists with speed when returning to shore (this is why we trim the board by shifting weight between the back and front depending on position on the wave). Also practice running relays in and out of the surf, to build confidence and strong wading technique which helps when entering and exiting while carrying a board. One parent or other responsible adult per child in the water is a good policy for the youngest nippers who might not be strong and confident swimmers. Techniques to practice in the surf...
Techniques to practice on flat water Race start with glide paddling technique Fast turns around buoys Popping and rolling practice Nipper board games
Competition - Racing Events and Training
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Caring For Your Nipper Board - Maintenance, Transport, and Storage
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