If you’ve always wanted to take up surfing, we’re here to tell you that it’s never too late! Surfing is a sport that attracts young and old alike because it’s a fun activity that also helps to keep you in shape. However, we also know surfing isn’t as easy as it looks.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of our best tips on how to get your surf on.
- Buy a Soft-Top Surfboard
Soft-tops are the most popular surfboards in the world and the best-selling of all time. That’s because they’re relatively easy to use and perfect for beginners. It’s a well-known fact that most beginners will hit themselves with their surfboard while learning the sport. That’s why a soft-top surfboard is ideal in this case.
- Shuffle Your Feet
Be sure to shuffle your feet as you enter and exit the water as that will help to reduce your chances of being pierced by a stingray barb. The last thing you need is to cut your surfing season short because you got pierced by a stingray. It’s not fun at all.
- Surf in Places with Very Few People
You don’t want to be that person who’s taking up space on the waves while not actually getting any. We know you want to show off your surf watches and gear but it’s best to let the pro surfers do their thing in the crowded parts of the beach and get your sea legs (mind the pun) somewhere else that isn’t crowded. I guarantee you’ll learn faster and even get more waves than you would if you were surfing in a crowded area.
- Stay at an Angle of 90 Degrees
If you’re being taught by a seasoned, O.G. surfer then this is one of the valuable tricks they’ll teach you. The thing is that if both you and your board are positioned horizontally then it’s easy to get bashed by the water when a big wave hits. The best way to approach a whitewash is to knife through it and keep paddling onwards while making sure that both your body and your board stay low the entire time.
- Find the Sweet Spot When Paddling
A lot of newbie surfers tend to paddle all the way back, doing wheelies and then slowing down after all is said and done. However, there are also beginners who paddle much too far up the surfing board, causing the board nose to dunk underwater. For the best results, try to find a good middle ground between the two, mark it with some wax so that you know which position you need to take when paddling.
- Take the Extra Paddle
This tip is another valuable piece of advice that’ll help both seasoned and beginner surfers. Basically, it means you should take an extra paddle whenever you feel yourself being lifted by a strong wave that you were padding towards. You’ll give yourself extra velocity so that you can experience a smoother drop instead of getting stuck on top of the wave.
