Bodysurfing is the art and sport of riding a wave without the assistance of any buoyant device such as a surfboard or bodyboard. Bodysurfers usually equip themselves with a pair of specialized swimfins that optimize propulsion and help the bodysurfer catch, ride and kick out of waves.

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Bodysurfing is a serious sport in its own right, with a world champion and some heavy competition, to boot.

"Bodysurfing is as pure as you can get of a sport," says Tim Casinelli, director of the World Bodysurfing Championships competition. Casinelli, himself a two-time WBC Grand Champion, points to the interaction between body and wave, and simultaneous lack of very much equipment, to explain its authentic appeal.

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That's right, you don't need anything to be able to do it; just a good technique. And all you'll need to get really competitive is a set of fins (though some bodysurfers also opt for swim caps and handplanes to assist with speed). By bodysurfing, you'll come to understand waves on a whole new level. In no time, you can be rocketing back to shore like a natural.