Surfing is one of life’s greatest joys. It is a pure embodiment of fun on this planet, and you get one hell of a stoke from it.
But surfing can be intimidating, so here are 3 Super Helpful Tips To Know Before Learning to Surf.
Learning to surf.
I never thought I’d be a surfer.
I grew up in San Diego, which meant I was like every other San Diegan…I loved the beach but rarely went to the beach.
Never did I imagine that I would think of myself as a surfer.
I never imagined the joy I’d feel as my hand glided through the water, never imagined the bliss I’d feel as the nose of my board cut across the face of a 3’ wave, never imagined becoming so brave, so bold, so grateful.
Imagine telling me that I would spend a big chunk of my life traveling the world in search of waves.
I never imagined flying to Hawaii, Europe, New Zealand, Bali, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua with a 9’ coffin bag stuffed with boards and wetsuits, having my husband lug it through airports and customs so I could get stoked on A-frame waves with gorgeous backdrops.
I never thought I’d be a surfer.
I was too busy being everything society told me to be… A straight-A student & varsity athlete to get a full ride to college. The entrepreneur who bought new homes and drove new cars.
I never thought I’d be a surfer because I was too busy “doing” to ever stop and think.
What is a good life? What would make me happy?
And then, one day, my husband was so sick that I had to pause and ask… Who do I want to be?
I became a surfer in 2012 and from that moment on, I completely changed everything in my life.
I went from surfer to climber to biker to full-time traveler in the span of 3 years.
Surfing changed my life.
To think it all started with me understanding who I was beyond the role of mom, wife, and coach that I’d been playing for so long. Join Be The Hero for free and start with our Self-Understanding quest to better understand yourself.
You Deserve To Surf!
I’ve been surfing for a decade now, and in this blog, I’m sharing all the helpful tips and common mistakes I wish I had known when I was a beginner learning to surf.
I’ll be the first to say that surfing is hard. It can be scary and intimidating so it’s not for everyone, you’ve got to be brave and willing to work hard to learn it.
At the same time, surfing is a sport that can be fun and accessible to almost anyone as long as you follow a few guidelines and tips.
The stoke of surfing is not instantaneous. It takes some beatings from the ocean but eventually, with enough persistence and determination, that stroke will come, and trust me, once you catch the surfing bug, you’ll be hooked. When it takes hold of you, there’s no other option than to give your soul over to it all and enjoy the ride.
Learning to surf was the best thing I’ve done for my body and mind. Even though I am in love with mountains—the taller and steeper, the better, and everything mountains represent— strength, endurance, challenge, persistence– they can’t fully keep me away from the ocean.
Seriously, I’m such a whiner when it comes to crowds, traffic, and overpriced restaurants, but then the universe delivers a week of epic waves while I’m resting between mountain trips in San Diego and I quickly snap out of my I-hate-being-in-big-cities-funk.
While I could never have all my playfulness wrapped up in this sport, I am so grateful that five years ago I bought a really good wetsuit, dug up some courage, grabbed a very-cute-but-not-good-to-learn-on surfboard, and taught myself how to surf.
Best Surf Bikinis that Look Cute and Stay on in the Ocean
The learning process is hard, that part is not avoidable but there are some beginner surfing tips that I wish I had known back then.
My top 3 beginner surfing tips…
In addition to these 3 tips, keep in mind that it sucks to be cold while trying to learn. Most of the year when I surf in San Diego, the water temperature is in the high fifties to low sixties. That’s really cold to me! Make sure to get a good wetsuit before you paddle out.
Click here to see our guide to buying women’s wetsuits.
1 | Find the Right Type of Beach
The most important thing to remember if you want to learn to surf is to paddle out in the right conditions.
If you are just starting, find a beach that is sheltered with a sandy bottom. A sheltered beach typically has less wind and less swell coming through. If you are just learning, you are going to fall and you don’t want to be falling on rocks or reefs.
2 | Find the Right Size Wave
The second rule is to paddle out on a very small day.
I know a lot of women who start surfing and then get one scare on too big of a day and they are done with the sport. That’s one of the great parts of rock climbing is that almost all routes are rated so you know the level of each climb. Surfing is a little more dynamic and unpredictable.
Use Surfline to check conditions but keep in mind, it’s still the ocean and you never know what surprises Poseidon will stir up.
3 | Be a Strong Swimmer
One of the most important things in learning to surf is developing your paddling skills so that you are a strong swimmer and feel more comfortable in the water.
My Fit To Surf Workout Program will help you develop the strength and mobility you need to be a strong swimmer. It includes a strength training workout, H.I.I.T workout, vinyasa yoga, prehab workout, and myofascial release to help prevent injuries. It’s an awesome mini-course that you’ll love!
The stroke will eventually come with enough persistence and determination. For now, if you are ready to be brave and adventurous, get a foam board, find a safe beach, and start paddling.
I must warn you, if you catch the surfing bug, it’s addicting. in the famous words of the GOAT,
Surfing is like the mafia. Once you’re in, you’re in. There’s no getting out.
Kelly Slater
As you experience the ups and downs of this beautiful, yet cruel, sport keep these things in mind…
10 Things You Should Know When Learning to Surf
1 | Humility
Learning to surf is hard. I don’t care how athletic you are, you are not going to be catching 6-foot waves and pulling off maneuvers on your first day. The ocean is constantly changing and just when your ego starts getting too big, the ocean knows and will put you back in your place.
I’m not trying to deter you from learning to surf because we all need a dose of humility now and then. I’d be the first one to encourage it, but do it on the right size days with the right frame of mind: persistence, non-attachment to the results, and a great sense of humor.
2 | Patience
You can have the best work ethic, but the fact is: that nature is in charge here.
Once you do get strong enough to paddle through the breakers and sit on the outside, that is exactly what you will be doing for most of the time…sitting.
You have to be patient and wait for the set and most of the time you have to share the waves, which requires even more patience.
3 | Persistence
Some days you will swear that you are going to drown out there. You can’t let a big set or a big swell deter you. Surfing is a sport that can constantly be improved upon, which requires a lot more failure than success to advance.
4 | Awareness
Sure, you may zone out a bit while you are sitting on the outside or strike up a small conversation with a fellow surfer while scanning the horizon waiting, anticipating, and hoping, that the next set wave is headed right to where you are sitting, but most of your attention has to stay in the present moment.
Just because that wave is coming right towards you and you know it’s going to be a perfect peeling left, don’t jump to conclusions because the second you let your mind race ahead to how awesome the incoming ride is going to be, you’ll lose it.
Stay connected to the paddle strokes. Acknowledge the engagement of the wave. Execute the pop-up correctly. Then use every cell in your body to feel the joy while riding the wave.
5 | Acceptance
There is always a clean-out set. The clean-out set is where you’ve figured out how deep to sit in the water to catch most of the bigger waves that are coming through on the sets when all of a sudden a larger set rolls in and breaks right on your head.
Onlookers can see it coming from the shore, but by the time the surfers see it it’s usually too late. They will paddle as fast as they can to get deeper in hopes of paddling over it, but most of the time the waves crash right on them and you see boards flying all over the place.
Don’t overreact, take a deep breath, stay calm, get back on your board, and start paddling back to where you were before the clean-out set.
Don’t let fear cause you to sit too deep and miss out on the fun because 90% of the time your best waves are right there in the sweet spot.
6 | Act Like A Kid More
Why would anyone choose a sport that is so stressful, painful, and at times ruthless? Because when you do catch that wave, for those few seconds nothing else exists.
The adrenaline of those 5 seconds can create a high that makes your entire day perfect. Kids love to play and never need to justify why they want to go have fun.
When you do finally learn how to surf, it is pure fun.
7 | Confidence
“Hell Ya!” That’s what I think when I nail a great ride. I earned it.
No one gave it to me. No one did it for me. It was all my effort and my persistence to get that stoke and when you work hard for something and get rewarded for it you have no choice but to feel confident.
Who doesn’t love success? It feels good to accomplish something and the best way to succeed is through failure and learning. So go for it!
8 | Be Grateful
Appreciate the moment. The wave ends fast, you need all your senses working.
There’s always someone out there catching more waves than me and I have to work on remembering not to compare myself. Be grateful for the waves you do catch and if you want to catch more then it’s up to you to work harder.
9 | Detachment
You can’t have too much wrapped up in this sport. The ocean can be cruel. Every day is different.
As surfers we say, “Any day you can get in the ocean is a good day.” but that’s not always true.
Sure if you have no job, no kids, no responsibilities, then go ahead and sit in the ocean when it’s flat or when it’s blown out. I prefer to tell myself that surfing is there for me when I need it.
Having multiple passions helps. I’d like to have everything wrapped up in this one, but then I’d be setting myself up for disappointment and less fun. When my expectations are lowest I tend to have the best outcomes.
Don’t confuse this with not trying. There’s a difference between intention and expectation. It’s a matter of putting your heart into your best effort and that being enough. The results are irrelevant.
10 | Love The Ocean Unconditionally
There’s one thing you can count on with surfing, the ocean is always changing. There’s no controlling it. Accept it for the joys and sorrows it brings as well as the success and failure it teaches you.
You are the only person you can control. Be happy for who you are and what you can do and accept the forces that are greater than you. You, just like the ocean, are full of potential and only you can tap into that vortex of invincibility.
If you are ready to brave the ocean, watch the video playing on this page. In it I go over a few pointers and remember to go out on a very small day. And remember, don’t worry too much about catching waves one your first. As you develop strong arms, paddle power, and comfort with the ocean, the stoke will come.
Now, if you are ready to #BraveForAdventure, buy a foam board, find a safe beach, and start paddling
Related:
- Best Women Surf Bikinis
- Vinyasa Yoga Flow to Improve Your Surfing
- Surf Trip Workout: Get in Shape for Surfing
- Guide to Surfing the California Coast
- Best Surf Spots Costa Rica
- Best Surf Spots in Europe
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