Learning How to Surf

There's nothing quite like standing on the beach and looking out over the water, watching the waves come pouring in. Of course, this experience is made better when there is a surfboard at your side.

Surfing can be traced back to 1769 and hails from the Polynesian culture. Over the years, the sport has adapted to be one of the most popular pastimes in the world. Today, people of all shapes and sizes love to ride the waves and do so on a variety of different styles and sizes of boards.

Learning how to surf is an exciting experience, but it is challenging. But, diving into this breathless experience is well worth the time and effort that you put into it. Below are some of the things that you should do when preparing to learn how to surf.

Position is Everything

When preparing to surf, it is vital to position yourself in the best location on the board. To do so, the middle line of the board should run directly down the middle of your body. Your toes should be touching the very back of the board. Your weight should also be centered in the middle of the board. Experts say that it is best to walk your board out a way before you begin paddling. Typically, you should be in waist-deep water before lying down on the deck of the surfboard.

For longboards, the nose should be about an inch out of the water when you are positioned on it. The reason that position is so important is that it helps to cut down on resistance when you are paddling. The board should slide through the water with ease, which will indicate that you have found the ideal trim.

Paddling

After positioned correctly on the board, you will need to know how to paddle correctly. This is one area that will take a lot of practice, so make sure that you are patient with yourself. When you are first starting out, it is best to practice paddling in small waves. This will help you to learn the best methods and techniques that will help you paddle with ease.

Keep in mind that waves should push you forward when it picks you up. This is something that you will understand the moment that you feel it. If this is not the case, your board will nosedive or pearl, which will mean that you are too far forward on your board. Another option is that the wave will simply pass underneath you. This means that you are too far back on the board. This is the reason that finding the best position is so important. After you have mastered this skill, it is time to paddle out into the bigger waves.

Riding a Wave

When you are ready to actually ride a wave, you will need to turn the nose of your board around, facing the beach as a wave approaches. Begin paddling towards the beach and wait for the wave to lift you. At this point, you should begin paddling as hard as you can and lean forward so that the nose of the board will be closer to the water. This will help you to keep up the momentum that you have. However, as you are leaning forward, you should also raise your chest off the board, which will keep your weight just above the board.

Ideally, it is best to begin standing up the moment that you start feeling the pull of the wave. Standing up can look very simple, but this is not necessarily the case. In fact, most people learn the proper way of standing up while on the beach rather than waiting until they are in the water. Here are the steps to standing up:

The speed of the board should be faster than your paddling speed.

Firmly grasp the sides of the board and quickly push up.

Keeping your weight centered, extend your arms and pull your knees up quickly to your chest.

Feet should be placed firmly on the board, with one foot close to the tail and the other just past the halfway point of the board.

Remember, don't stand up all the way. Instead, keep your center of gravity low by crouching and putting your weight towards the middle of the board. Arms should remain extended and eyes forward to help with balancing.

Find the Best Angle

After you have learned the proper methods of paddling and standing, it's time to actually surf! The idea is to angle your board on the open face of a wave. This means that you will be angled parallel with the beach. This is important because it allows you to get the longest ride possible. You can ride to the left or the right but make this decision when you are paddling towards a wave. Depending on the wave, you may even want to begin angling to the left or right when you are paddling.

When you are riding a wave, make sure that you keep a low center of gravity and slightly lean towards the direction that you have chosen. Always lean towards the face of the wave. This will create a keel effect, which occurs when your rail is pushed into the water. Doing so will direct the board in the right direction.

Remember, practice makes perfect, and you will need plenty of it to master surfing. Not only will this give you the skills required to be a fantastic surfer, but you will have the benefit of enjoying many hours in the water.