To start surfing, choose a beginner-friendly beach with small, gentle waves and accessible facilities, and always prioritize safety.
Choosing the Right Location
To start your surfing journey, you should choose the appropriate location. The location might truly determine your surfing experience, particularly when you start. You aim to find such beaches where waves are gentle and the local surf community is welcoming.
Firstly, search online for the most popular beginner surf spots in your area. Web pages like Surfline offer surf science, forecasts and reports, including wave heights, wind direction, and tide table. This information is critical as it helps you to determine a beach where you can confidently learn.
Then, go to the beach at various times of the day and during the years to check the waves yourself. Consider how the waves are breaking; beginner waves are small and break slowly. Consequently, you will get a longer ride and a less intense wipeout, promoting confidence over time.
Ask surfers at the spot for more information. They could offer you information that is not available online, like when it is better to surf, which spots have rocks or strong currents to avoid, and general advice on the local surf etiquette.
Check whether the beach has facilities and is accessible. As a beginner, you will be going in and out of the water repeatedly, so it’s advantageous to have showers, restrooms, and parking lots nearby.
Lastly, think about safety first. Ensure the beach has a lifeguard, and find the meaning of any hazard signs and flags. Be aware; this can stop accidents from occurring and ensure support is available if necessary.
Scouting the Waves
Scouting the waves is not just looking at the surf before paddling out; it is about learning the ocean’s behavior. You might want to create a routine before heading out. Understanding the conditions before you might have a major impact on your performance and level of satisfaction.
Surf forecast using a website like the Surfline or Magicseaweed, a web-based resource providing real-time data on wave height, wind, and the tides. For beginners, look for 1-3 foot waves, which offer manageable laziness and a manageable break.
Get to the beach early to watch the waves first-hand. Spend at least 30 minutes watching how the waves break and if they break left, right, or are beach breaks. See where both experienced surfers and beginners set up.
Watching the experienced is not just about seeing where the crowd goes; pay attention to the commonalities between which breaks they select. If everyone is catching waves in the center, then try that for a while. See how the lulls and sets are timed; waves travel in groups.
Pay attention to the timing between each wave to ascertain when you can paddle into the water. Make note of the location of these lulls and sets for an easy in and out of the ocean.
Always be aware of your capabilities. If the waves seem too strong or the conditions are not up to par, do not surf. There is nothing wrong with sitting out a session. Watching from the beach can still be educational.
Selecting Your Board
Choosing the right surfboard is the most important decision for anyone who has just stepped into the world of surfing, as it can directly impact your learning and progression. A good board can help you with your balance on board, paddling, and catching waves activities.
Pick a longboard as your first surfboard. A longboard is typically 8-9 feet in length, making it extremely buoyant and stable. This makes it easier to catch that first wave and stand up in that short critical window that presents itself before the wave passes you by.
Look into the volume of the surfboard. Keep in mind: the volume. Volume refers to how much flotation a board has. It is generally recommended that the board’s volume be between 60 and 70 liters when you are starting out. This will ensure that the board will easily support your weight and be nice and stable.
Invest in a soft-top surfboard. Soft-top surfboards are the most forgiving when it comes to slips and falls – which you’ll be doing a lot of as a beginner. They’re also generally cheaper than fiberglass surfboards, which can help save you money while you’re less steady on your feet.
Study the design of the tail. Personal advice again – pick a rounded tail; it will better provide the extra stability and turning support you’ll need to motor through your early attempts at shredding waves.
Visit a local shop or shaper. Finally, consider visiting a local surf shop or shaper. These professional surfers have expertise and experience with the craft and can provide their guidance tailored to your size, weight, and objective. Some have demos to rent to try different boards on the water before making a purchase decision.
Learning to Pop Up
Once you get the pop up right, you’re ready to move on to actually surfing a wave. Practicing the pop up on land is the best way to master it. Place your board on the sand and lie down on it as if on water.
Your hand should be flat next to your chest, not too wide to your shoulder nor down your waist. This allows you to place your push phase of the prat proper push ups action. Then, push your chest off the board, and at the same time, swing your body around so your legs get under you.
The goal is to go from lying down on your board to squatting position on the board in one motion. It is essential to do this quickly and elegantly so that you can give it balance when moving under the power of the wave around you.
Bend your knees, but keep your back straight as you stand up. Your feet should be shoulder width apart, with your front foot at about a 45-degree angle to the board’s length and your back foot perpendicular to it. The more you practice, the more muscle memory you develop, making it more likely to become second nature out of the water.
It’s important to know that the pop up is something that newbies especially struggle with at the start. Still, after a couple of surfing sessions, you’ll find that it greatly improves.
Mastering the Timing
Timing in surfing is the ability or the art of knowing when to paddle, when to pop up, and when to ride the wave. It is a game-changer in the field of one’s surfing progression.
The following tips should be incorporated into surfing; observe how wave sets come in sets followed by lulls. Choose the appropriate time to enter the water, which at times should be during a lull. In this line, it is much easier to reach the lineup without getting tired combating the small incoming waves.
Positioning in the lineup at the right place, that is where the waves are barely starting to form and rise not where they are breaking. At times, this is a few meters back behind where the rest of the waves are breaking; otherwise being too far forward or behind will miss the whole set.
Paddling early involves matching the speed of the wave to catch it. In most cases, one should begin to paddle as the wave is still approaching; consequently, one has built up enough speed to be able to help the wave pick you up.
Always turn your head back and watch the waves as you paddle to get a glimpse of the wave’s progress. The wave makes a sound as it is about to break surf. You can paddle harder if the wave appears to be moving faster than you think. Similarly, you can slow down if you find yourself pedaling too fast to ensure that you are not nudged over across the wave.
Listening to the wave is also an essential indicator of when to pop-up. A wave gives a specific sound as it breaks. Thus, listen for that sound.