depends on your experience...chest high is nice to start with, but as you get better head high is pretty fun too. that's just my experience though, I'm sure other people have different opinions...
Me too, but when hurricanes roll through im out surfing . But to me, the best bodyboarding day is an over head clean day( if im not surfing) bodyboardings also sometimes fun in slop and chop.
yea man... id even wait until TOH to paddle out if I were you... but that's only if you're new at it. Leave the small waves to the experts.
vagina high with a period...but on the serious side, in my opinion the shape of the wave has a lot to do w/ it too. Bodyboarders are often found on shore breaks because for one they don't have to worry about snapping there board on the beach and two; shore breaks usually get a hallower, much thicker top to bottom wave. Because the boards so soft you can handle crazier waves like this without getting hurt. Also Bboards aren't as fast typically as a surfboard so these steeper, hallower waves help w/ speed. Indian River Inlet is a perfect example. The North Side is a mushier wave, thus slower on the drop, so you need a bigger board to catch, hence longboarder haven. Whereas South Side is the total opposite breaking right on the beach in ankle high water, causing the wave to be super steep and super thick and hallow; boogieboard base. Also i think Bboarders can get away with not so clean conditions because again if it closes out on your head during a huge overhead barrel, its just a soft short sponge smacking you in the face if it happens to head towards your head...
My ideal is chest high and clean, but as others have said, I'd rather have it smaller but clean rather than bigger and sloppy.
Thanks all, I probably should have stated it ideal or practical wave conditions for bodyboarding lol.
Oops, sorry I didn't see the "for bodyboarding" part of the title. I was speaking with regards to surfing. My bad
