So You Want to Learn to Surf

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So You Want to Learn to Surf?

• Five Steps for the Beginning Surfer

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Step 1 Choosing the Right Board

• Resist the temptation to go out and buy the
  newest, best, pro board available, they are
  nearly impossible to learn on, plus you are going
  to give this board a pretty good beating.
• The best beginner boards are known as the Morey
  Doyle or BZ Board, which are soft boards made of
  the same material as a boogie board.
• In general, for beginners big and thick boards
  are the easiest due to their buoyancy, which also
  allows easier paddling.
• For now, dont worry about the number of fins it
  wont make a difference for at least a couple
  months.

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Step 2 Choosing the Right Spot to Surf

• Get Away and Get Some Space!
• Dont head out to the local hot surf spot.
• Look for small rolling waves with deeper waters.
• There is nothing wrong with learning on small,
  unpopular waves, in fact, others will be
  thankful.
• Find yourself a mentor who will ride along with
  you and be able to give little pointers here and
  there as well as teaching by example.
• Check the beach conditions by way of flags
  located on the beach, green flag, safe
  conditions, yellow flag, possible hazards, yellow
  flag with a black dot (blackball flag), no
  surfing allowed, and red flags which mean the
  beach is closed due to hazardous conditions

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Step 3 Learn to Paddle

• Start small, go out when there are little to no
  waves coming in.
• Walk your board out into about waist deep water,
  then lay your body on the board.
• Keep your weight centered in the middle of the
  board, not too far forward, back, or to the side.
  Try and keep the nose and tail about level in
  the water.
• Now alternately paddle your arms with cupped
  hands (about elbow deep in the water). The more
  resistance you feel, the faster you will go.
• Make sure to keep your head up so that you have
  total awareness of everything that is going on
  all around you.
• A double armed paddle may be necessary when you
  are pulling that last bit trying to get over the
  hump of a wave since both arms create more power
  than alternating.

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Step 4 Getting Through the Waves

• There are three methods for getting through the
  waves.
• Push-up This should be used for smaller waves.
  As the wave reaches you, push yourself up and the
  board down so that the water rolls over your
  board and under your chest.
• Duck Dive This is used for more powerful waves.
  As the wave comes towards you, get as much speed
  as possible, then about two feet from contact,
  grab both sides of the board and push all you
  weight down so that you feel the board go down.
  Put your head down and let the rest of your body
  follow. Once you are under the wave, use your
  dominant knee to push down and bring the tail of
  the board under. Your momentum should push
  through to the other side of the wave.

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Step 4 Continued

• Turtle Roll If your board is too big and
  buoyant to push under the waves, turtle roll is
  the better option for you. Right before contact
  with the wave, grab both sides of the board well
  in front of your shoulders and roll the board
  over so that it sits on the surface fins up with
  you underneath it. Frog kick will help push you
  past the wave. The turtle roll is also an
  excellent tool to protect yourself from a loose
  surfboard or out of control surfer. If you see
  either coming your way, just turtle roll and get
  out of the way.

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Step 5 Catching the Wave

• Start out by surfing in the close to shore
  whitewater, then you can eventually move farther
  out as you become more comfortable.
• Sit up and straddle your board with your butt
  just below the center-point of your board. This
  will allow you to swing your board around and get
  you facing the right way quickly and easily.
• As a wave is approaching, scoot back on the board
  a little since it will push you up a little, and
  make sure you and the board are facing straight
  towards shore.
• As the wave takes you, arch your back and push up
  as your feet come up beneath you in one motion.
• Avoid looking down as this will leave you hunched
  over, try and look straight ahead.

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Step 5 Continued

• Your stance should be just a little wider than
  your shoulders. Your knees should be bent without
  letting your midsection stick out.
• Your front foot should be sideways, turned out a
  little bit, with the arch of your foot centered
  over the midline of the board.
• Your back foot should also be sideways, but not
  quite as turned out. It doesn't matter what foot
  you put forward, but you should pick one and
  stick with it if you want to learn faster.
• Figure out what feels most natural and go with
  it. If you stick your left foot forward, you're a
  regularfoot -- the stance of six-time world
  champion Kelly Slater. If you stick your right
  foot forward, you're known as a goofyfoot.

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For Additional Help

• http//surfing.about.com/cs/surfinstruction/
• Surfline.com