Getting Started
As a beginner surfer, it’s important to equip yourself with the right knowledge and skills.
Key Tips
- Choose the right board for your skill level. The smaller the board, the harder it will be to learn the basics.
- Take lessons to build confidence.
- Build up your paddle endurance. General cardio can help to an extent but swimming is more effective and best of all is time paddling your board
- Work on core strength, it will help with your pop-up
- Wearing gloves helps with paddle power by slightly increasing the surface area of your hands
- Focus on pulling with your back muscles rather than just using shoulders and triceps while paddling
- Look back over your shoulder to see where you are relative to the wave you are trying to catch
- When popping up, look down the line where you want to go, not at your board
- Practice popping up on land 5 or more times every day, don’t just wait to practice when you are out in the water trying to catch a wave
- Do not be picky about wave conditions. Just get out and surf. The more you surf in junky chop, the easier it will be to surf when conditions are good. If you can surf slop, you will excel when the rare glassy rollers show up.
- Wear a hat. Yes I said it. At my age, hair is thinner on top and your scalp will get sunburnt. Do this repeatedly and you will learn to regret it. I wear a “bucket” hat with a string under my chin designed for surfing. You’re there for fun, not a fashion show.
- If you are going out into the water and other surfers are already there, say hello or something else to interact a little with them. You don’t need to be their best friend, just be courteous. Do not then grab the first wave that comes, wait your turn.
- Dont be embarrassed to grab smaller reforms closer to shore. There will likely be more of these than well formed outer waves so your wave count for the day will go way up.
- Enjoy some time just sitting on your board, out back. Just bobbing in the swell is amazingly relaxing. You don’t have to be chasing waves all of the time.
- If all of a sudden a lot of small fish start jumping out of the water near you, or even a seal, think why do all of these fish/seal not want to be in the water right now? Lay down on your board, get your legs out of the water, and gently paddle in. (This has happened to me a couple of times. Once with fish, once with an actual seal that breached about 10 feet from me, right in front of another guys board. Just paranoia I guess but when I get that sharky feeling, I personally listen to it and take a water break on the beach.)
- Bring water/something to drink.
- Listen to your gut about conditions. If you don’t feel you can handle the waves on a given day, don’t go out. At 59, I am not trying to impress anyone.