Rock skipping is an enjoyable and addictive pastime, not to mention one of the few benefits of a rocky beach.
However, it can be a rough start for those just learning the art of skipping rocks, so here are a few tips:
1. The rock is key. You want to scour the beach to find a specimen that is both flat and round.
2.To throw the rock you want to hold it flat, with your thumb on the top, your index finger curled around the edge of the rock, with the rest of your fingers holding it underneath. If you can’t easily hold the rock this way, your rock is probably too big.
3. Get a good rock-throwing stance. Stand sideways with your feet wide and almost parallel to the water. Stand at the water’s edge or even take a couple steps in so your rock doesn’t have to travel as far to hit the water. Also, skipping rocks when the water is choppy makes a difficult task even more so.
4. When you throw, bend your knees to almost a crouch and keep the rock flat; don’t curve the throw too much. Keep it low, flat and straight.
5. As always, practice makes perfect. The more you try the better you get. Once you get started you can compete with other skippers for distance or number of skips.
