If you are new to surfing and are serious about improving your skills and excelling in the sport, then listen up.
Let’s start with the board. You need something that is going to float you well. Don’t get caught up on the different lingo about tails, fins, shapes, etc…… Focus on getting a board that is going to help you instead of hinder you.
I recommend getting around an 8ft. foam surfboard in the beginning. It doesn’t have to be foam, but the foam won’t hurt as bad if you get whacked in the head, which is more of a possibility when starting out. If you live near the beach you can rent one from a local surf shop. If you live near a Costco Store, they sell an 8ft foam surfboard called “Wavestorm” which will work out fine for starting out. I believe they sell for about $100-$150.
Next thing you need to do is find an ideal wave. I would ask around your local community on where a good place for beginner surfers is. If you can’t find one then try the web site www.wannasurf.com. This site can help identify the surfing spots in your area and give you information on the level of expertise required and any potential hazards that may exist.
Now that you have your board and your surf spot, you are ready to hit the water. There are many opinions and great resources on the Internet on how to best improve your surfing. Knowledge is power, right? But don’t get side tracked and waste your time learning from the sidelines. You need to be in the water. The more time you spend in the water, the more your going to improve. That’s the real secret!
In other words, don’t spend 5 hours a week reading about ways to improve your surfing if you are only spending 1 hour a week in the water. You are better off reversing it and spending 5 hours in the water and 1 hour focusing on ways to improve it.
The more time you spend in the water, the more second nature it will become to you. Surfing is a fluid action. It is continually moving. Learn to react and move with the situation and go with it. You want it to become second nature.
The only way it is going to become second nature is to spend a lot of time doing it. For everyone out there looking for the shortcut on improving your surfing, the best advice I can give you is to change your thinking and mindset. I don’t want to get out all metaphysical on you, but this is the quickest way to make leaps and bounds. Let’s talk more about this later.
Other than spending lots of time in the water and honing in on your surfing skills so that they become second nature, you need to improve your physical stamina and strength. Lots of upper body strength is a must for the serious surfer. When starting out, most people get fatigued really quick and shortly into their session their arms start feeling like Jello.
This is normal. The more time you spend paddling, the stronger your arms and shoulder muscles will become. You can also improve your strength by swimming. You are using the same muscles so it is an excellent cross training platform. Swim in either a pool or the ocean. The great thing about swimming in the ocean is that you also improve on your open water confidence.
Swimming in the open ocean will also help your second nature senses and help you feel more confident when being out there. Swimming is just something you can do in addition to surfing if you have the time. If you don’t have this extra time, then don’t worry about it. Spend as much time surfing as you can. The best training for surfing is surfing itself.
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If you have any questions about learning to surf or improving your surfing then drop us a line. We are here to help.