Understanding the different parts of a wave will help you develop skills and learn tricks, because you'll know what to look out for. Here are the parts of a wave that you should know:   The lip. The breaking part of a wave that moves from top to bottom. The steepness of the wave determines the shape of the lip.  Whitewater. This is the part of the wave that has already broken.  The face. The unbroken, walling part of the wave.  The shoulder. The part of the wave that is just outside the breaking section of the wave's face.  Flats. The flat water you see in front of the breaking wave.  Tube. The hollow hole between the throwing lip and the wall of the wave. You'll need to know what the different parts of the board are so you can follow along and learn a number of skills and tricks. Here's what you'll need to know:   The deck. The part of the board where you lie down.  Slick bottom. The bottom of the board that has a smooth or slick surface.  The nose. The front of the board that you hold.  The nose bulbs. These are the small bumps on each corner of the board that you will hold with your hands.  The bumpers. The extra foam layer that runs through the nose and tail, helping to keep the slick bottom from peeling.  The rail. The side of the bodyboard.  The tail. The back end of the board.  The channels. The areas on the bottom of the board that reduce drag and speed you up.  The stringer. The rod that keeps the board stiff.  The template. The shape of the board.  The rocker. The level of flatness of the bodyboard. Stalling is an important skill for any bodyboarder to have. You can use stalling to brake in a number situations, such as when you need to slow down the tubing section of a wave. Here are the two ways to do it:  Drag your legs in the water to slow you down, or move your hips more to the inside rail of the board. Pull up on the nose of the board while applying downward pressure on the tail with your hips. Hold the board at a downward angle of about 30-45° until you reach the speed you want. When you finish stalling, slide up on the board to pick up speed and then set your rail and continue moving forward.
Learn the wave terminology. Learn the parts of the board. Learn to stall.