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Learn how to surf successfully
This lesson if for beginner and intermediate and will help you get going the first time and if you have been at it for a while it can move you to the next level.
Surfing is hard to learn but that is part of what makes it the world’s most personally rewarding sport. Our mission is to make learning as easy and rewarding as possible. Everything you do when you start will affect you surfing future from picking the type and size of your surfboard to getting past the wall (we all hit it but you have to recognize it and beat it).
First choice is do you want to learn to short board, long board or standup paddle? Our answer always is to choose the long board first then move later. Making it easy is why we choose the long board. After you learn to long board, it will be much easier to learn to short board.
If you are 6 foot 4 inches then you need a 10 foot 6 inch board. If you go smaller, it becomes more difficult to learn. Shape is important, fin numbers, stringer, glass thickness on the deck and shape of rails. These things will be discussed in more detail later. A local store can help you pick this thing now but always get the right size for your first board. Your wet suit if required, wax type and leash length should be based on local conditions. Check with your local surf shop.
So let’s start. When you get to the beach, you must first determine which leg to which your leash is attached. First, you find the center of the board and which often has a wooden stringer down the center for more strength. When you ride the board, you will have both feet on the center line. One will be closer to the nose and the other closer to the tail. The foot near the tail is the foot that is used to guide and turn your board. The leash is attached to the back foot preventing you from stepping on the leash while you are moving and adjusting your weight during your ride.
Practice standing on the board while you are still on the sand. Do not stand on the board when it is placed on a hard surface. You can damage the glass and or break the fin off. Put the board on sand with a small hole dug out for the fin. Place you feet on the board and see how it feels. Most of the time the foot that goes near the rear of the surfboard will be the right foot. If you are left handed, you may want to try the left foot in the back but most people use the right and the left is called goofy footed. Don’t worry if you choose wrong you can change and start again. You may not know for a few trips to the beach. Lay on the board with your feet near the back and your hands unable to touch the nose. Lift you arms until your hands are at your side where you elbow would be if your arms were flat along you side. This is the position you will have just before you rotate into the standing position. When you paddle to catch the wave you will reach a point where the wave is falling behind and the board is racing down the face. Suddenly your arms can not keep up with the speed of the water. This moment you push yourself up with your hand and move your feet between your hands with you leash foot behind the other on the center line of the board. When you timing is right this is easy. It will take a while. If you don’t rotate soon enough you will be in front of the wave and it is very hard to push yourself up. If you have rotated at the right moment, you are almost weightless and it happens very quickly. If you rotate too early, you will immediately begin to fall out of the wave and it will go on without you. Like riding a bicycle this will take a while to become accomplished.
Your feet should be about 2 – 3 feet apart when first standing on the board. The distance between your feet can add stability to your stand and ride but it decreases your ability to turn.
Now when you paddle it will help to be in the correct position on the board. When you lay down you should not be able to touch the nose with your hands or the tail with your feet. When paddling the nose should be just about an inch out of the water. The tail will be under the water. In this configuration, you will move the fastest with the least amount of effort. Don’t paddle to the only spot you see that is empty of surfers. There is a reason if no surfers are in one spot and they are all bunched up in another. The reason is that you have to go where the wave are. People will know you are a beginner. They can avoid you and not the other way around. Care must be taken to follow some of the rules of right of way. If someone is on a wave, it is bad form to start in front of him or her as they are coming at you fast. If you get up on a wave, turn right, and accelerate down the face of the wave people should give you the right of way. This behavior is not how it is but what we strive for when surfing with others.
Before the paddle out check for and watch the location and consistency of breaks, currents and rips. You can use a rip like an escalator to the outside. Likewise, if you paddle out in front of the main break you may end in disaster. Watch what other surfers do and remember it is much like jump rope as in you need to know when to paddle out and when to wait. Wait for a set to end. Watch a few before going for it. If it is your first time out ride the white water waves on the inside until you understand paddle, balance and standing up. If possible, surf at a beach without much of a crowd to prevent accidents. You really do want to have a class. When you are in a class of people you will also feel more comfortable and safe.
As you paddle out always, keep the nose pointed directly at the incoming wave. If you are off center just a little a small wave can through you off the board or just whip you around forcing you to turn and start again with a resulting waste of time and energy. Energy and time are important when you are first going out. It takes time to develop the strength and energy to fight through the waves. Larger waves of four feet can be very difficult to get outside of meaning past the point where the waves break. When you are outside of the break you can rest and get back you breath before you catch your first wave. If you fall on your way out get back fast and keep paddling because you will be loosing energy fast and might not make it out before you become weakened and demoralized.
If you have too much trouble getting to the outside, consider riding the small foam wave that result when a wave breaks. Do not ride these waves too far as you may drag you fin or damage your board when you hit the beach.
Once you are on the outside keep your board with the nose pointing directly out toward the incoming wave or pointing directly toward the beach. Waves come in all sizes and you may think you are on the outside just before a larger wave come and sweeps you back into the no-man’s zone between the beach and outside. Waves come in sets. The first wave is often smaller and each was is successively larger until the peak wave then on or two smaller waves are likely to end the set. Spend some time watching the waves and the other riders.
Generally, you want to be about two board lengths on two to three foot waves from the point that you will begin your rotation. Watch the waves for where the point that they break and pitch over. Start about two board length behind the point that process starts. If you are paddling as you enter that area, you will begin to speed up. The moment your hands can not keep up rotate.
The right of way question is difficult for a beginner. You must not take off in front of another surfer who is up and running toward you. It is dangerous for you and the oncoming surfer. Be a little careful and select the right wave. There is no point in riding a short distance and then fighting your way out again with some chance of success. It is good to take your time, watch and be careful. Take lessons, take lessons, take lessons and if you don’t or can’t ask your local surf shop for the best beginner location in your area.
Waves break over sand bars, reefs or undulation in shallow water. Be careful as the water may be shallow in water that has a small break. Generally, you can stand in water with one to two foot waves. Don’t fall head first if you can avoid it. Find landmarks to track your location in the water. Drift is common and most surf spots have some amount of current. If you are in the “good surf spot” and you drift you will have to paddle back so you can catch waves.
The first thing is to practice catching the wave and then rotate into a standing position. After you feel good with your take off you can start to turn. A turn has two parts. The first is after the rotation you then must lean back putting pressure on your back (controlling foot). As you lean back, you also begin to lean in the direction of the turn. For example if you are turning right lean back, as the board starts to slow and climb the wave lean into the turn to the right with your body weight and you will begin to turn. It is akin to an airplane turn. If you think of the stick for control in an airplane to turn, you have to pull the stick to the right at the same time you pull it back. If you lean to the right without leaning back, you will fall. If you only lean on the back foot, you will slow and fall out of the back of the wave.
Falling must be covered here. If you fall you should try to fall to the side and back somewhat parallel to the board. This will help you enter shallow water without contact with the bottom. A common fall by a newbie is to have the front of the board go under water prior to, during or after rotation. This is known as pearling. If this occurs and with all falls, stay under water for a few seconds and keep your head covered with your arms for protection. When a pearl occurs the board is likely to enter the water, plunge to some depth then shoot back up into the air, and you want to be under water and protected when this happens.
Waves have three directions. They can peel to the left, right or pitch over all at once without a right or left. You cannot ride a closeout. Or put another way you won’t enjoy it and you could get hurt. If you go over a closeout wave in the normal position it is likely you will be pounded head first into the bottom. If you move to the back of the board to try to keep the nose up as you go down it can result in the board hitting bottom with you jammed on the tail with a potential to cause injury.
Ridding in a tube
A tube is formed when a larger wave passes from deeper water to very shallow becoming vertical and pitches over rather than rolling form the top. This action forms a hollow tube that you can ride in. This is not for a beginner. Do not surf near tubes. For those that can the secret is to enter the tube down with your knees bent. As the wave closes or collapses behind you it will cause air to rush out of the tube in the direction you are riding. Detecting the first hint of closeout is important. It will hint for you with a little puffing or chugging of the air around you. When you get your timing right you will be able to lean back against the on rush of air and be blown out of the tube and not onto you face on your board. When the chug happens start leaning back but only slightly more than you would feel like you could come back from and the rush of air will take care of it. Size and scale of this activity will change some of the rules. Be very careful of losing it in the tube because your board can go over your head and down on the beach side of the tube on it side and plant in the sand bottom then skewer you. Trust me when it happens you will remember.
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