Beginners Guide on How to Surf

Have you ever thought about how fun surfing may be to try?

It's not as easy as it looks so here's a step to step guide on describing how to catch a wave and pop up on you board. Enjoy!

wax

leash

surf board

To surf you need a board. There are many different sizes in surf boards, and it is important you choose the proper one for you height/ weight. In addition to that, long boards tend to be the ideal board for beginners. I have a hybrid (6feet and 6 inches long) which is shorter than a longboard. Long boards are the longest, hybrids are in the middle, and short boards are the shortest of all the board sizes.

Extra materials such as having a leash and board wax assist you as well. Leashes go around you ankle and connect to the board so that you don't loose your board. Rash guards or wetsuits are also something you might want to invest in depending on how serious you are in surfing and the weather conditions.

As previously mentioned, surfboard wax is one of those materials that make surfing easier. By applying wax, the surfboard develops grip on its surface which prevents you from slipping off, maintaining balance and being able to pop up.

I like to start of by making a checker board pattern with my wax and then filling in the unwaxed parts in a circular motion. As you do this, tiny bumps should start to be seen. The more bumps, the better. The purpose of wax is to prevent you from slipping off when you pop up or are paddling through the rough waves.

There are many online surf reports and live cams online to see if the swells are high. High swells mean bigger waves. Low swells could mean flat conditions meaning little or no rideable waves. Knowing these conditions not only prepare for and prevent dangerous situations but also prevent from preparing your board and not being able to surf.

Keep in mind your level in surfing. If you are a beginner, start of in calmer and lower swell to avoid injury and to actually be able to learn.

Lay your board on the water in about waist deep water and get on your board. Depending on what type of board you have, there might a different body placement. However, your body should tend to be in the middle and positioned so that your weight is equally distributed across the board so that there is little unbalance, and you don’t fall right off.

Because I have a hybrid board, I need to place myself in the center end of my board, just enough so my feet are slightly off the board. I can't be too forward because I'll cause the board to flip due to unequal weight distribution. And being too far back and having my legs dangle would create a similar effect and cause imbalance.

On short boards, your body had to be more back, with your feet dangling off the board and on long boards you should be directly in the middle of your board having no part on your body dangle out.

Your chest should be slightly elevated and higher than your torso. Like swimming a freestyle, move your arms and paddle to move yourself far out. You want to extend your arms and reach when you pull though the water. This can get very tiring after a while so be prepared.

In order to avoid and get past the whitewash (back wash after a wave crashes) you need to duck dive or eskimo roll. Depending on how buoyant your board is and the type of board you have, you have to do a different dive. Short boards require duck dives and long boards require eskimo rolls. Hybrids can go either way depending on your preference and the intensity of the wave. My board leans more towards the buoyant side so I do eskimo rolls.

Duck dives- push your board in to the water in front of you and dive like normal under the wave

Eskimo roll- flip your board so that your underwater and the bottom of your board is facing the sky. Wait for the wave to pass over and flip back over and keep paddling.

After you pass the whitewash the water is calm. Waves come in sets so the water might be slow before you get an opportunity. Now is when you can sit on your board and wait. Observe the intensity off the waves, watch other surfers techniques and actions or just enjoy the water. But keep your eyes peeled for a wave. Look out for small wave formations.

When observing for a wave and the wave starts forming, lay back down on your board and start paddling towards the shore. Paddle hard and fast to catch it, you want to create momentum to catch it. Once the wave catches up to you, you can feel if your caught it or not. Give it a few extra paddles to ensure you caught the wave. If and when you catch it, you should feel gliding and your board moving with the wave even after you stop paddling.

Once you’re sure you have caught the wave, you have to pop up. Pop ups have to be quick and swift. Put your hands flat on the top/middle section of your board in front of your chest as if you are about to do a push up. DON’T grab the sides of your board as you can cause you and your board to flip and wipeout. Place your hands flat in front of you. Once your hands are in place, push up from your board in a plank position and bring your legs to the center/back of the board. Your feet should jump/pop out in unison. When you get up, bend your knees a little and stay crouched for better balance.

Your board should be parallel or almost parallel to the to the shore. As you pop up, try to find balance so that you don’t fall. It is not likely you will get this on your first try, but with practice it will get better. If you were to say catch the wave, pop up, and balance enough to ride the wave, enjoy the thrill of it. Congratulations, you caught a wave!