lining up

A fixed place in the takeoff area, usually maintained by visual cues on the shore. A good lineup means the surfer can return to a near-exact spot where the best waves are breaking, and allows him to hold position against currents or drift. A lineup can be determined by paddling to the desired spot, turning toward shore, and picking out two aligned landmarks—a beachfront house, for example, set in front of a notch on a distant hillside. Similar to triangulating in sailing. By checking and rech...