In this short guide I'm going to walk you through your first steps to surfing. We'll get you out there and cruising the waves like a pro in no time.
The first and foremost decision you have to make is picking up a board. There are many ways to go about this: you can rent, buy a used board, or buy a new board. Each has it's ups and downs, and you'll still have to be aware of what you are getting and what the purpose of the board is.
If it's your first time you'll want to find a rental shop near the beach you'll be surfing on. The reason I recommend renting when you start out is that you'll tire extremely quickly when you first begin. Surfing is very physically demanding and a great exercise, by renting you'll save yourself the initial investment and see if you actually enjoy surfing.
The other benefit of renting is that you can try a bunch of different boards without being stuck to one. Each board length, size and style is made for a different purpose. If you get the wrong board it will make your surfing experience miserable and no fun, because you won't be able to get up and ride a wave.
When you rent your board I'd start out with a Foamy Longboard, the rental shop will definitely have these in stock because they are easy to learn on, and cheap to replace. The long board will probably be between nine to ten feet in length, with a plastic bottom and a foam top - hence the foamy longboard. These boards are very buoyant and will get you up and riding fast.
The next step in beginning your surfing journey is to pick a beach. A lot of times this will be picked for you by your location, or where you're going on vacation. You'll want to find a beach with waves big enough that you can get up on, but small enough and shallow enough that you won't be scared to get out there and try surfing. Again the beach you pick depends on the board you have. A shorter board will require much higher waves or more arm strength vs. a long board that can get up on much shorter waves and relatively light paddling.
You'll want to ask the guys at the rental shop where the best local beach is to learn surfing. They also should be able to give you some great tips on getting up your first time. When you finally get to the beach watch the other surfers to figure out how it's done. Observe how they begin paddling before the wave reaches them, and then stop paddling once the board gains momentum. Watch how they push themselves up at just the right time to ride the wave in successfully.
So in conclusion starting to surf is 80% setup and head knowledge, and 20% athletics, if you follow the steps in this guide you've already got a huge advantage over 90% of the other beginning surfers. Surfs up dude!
John Vance is a surfing enthusiast who has a passion to teach new people how to get started surfing fast Visit his site for more great information on surfing and having fun in the waves.
