Learn to Surf:the Basics Part 1
March 27th, 2010
Like most sports, the best way to learn to surf is to do it. Learning to surf is a fantastic way to have a lot of fun, learn something new and get in some great exercise. Undoubtedly one of the best places in the world to learn to surf is Australia. The surf culture is so deeply rooted in Australia that coupled with the extensive coastline means that practically anywhere you go in Australia you will be able to find a good cheap surf school to get you through the basics and to the fun part within a few hours.
Now is the time you have been waiting for, jumping up and riding on the surf board. Buying a Surf board: Your first board can really be the breaking point when it comes to whether you will pick up the sport or quit in frustration, many of us see the pros riding on their slick 6ft short boards slamming the lip and making it look like not only a hell of a lot of fun but also a real easy thing to do. It isn’t, Taj Burrows the current world number 2 surfer claimed that surfing was without a doubt the most difficult sport to progress in period. Unless you choose the right equipment to match your level you are just adding to the difficulty. Your first surfboard should be a big buoyant soft-top fun board. Reasons, well first they are very stable so standing up will be possible within one or two attempts, they are soft so you won’t slash open your flesh with the fin, or crack open your skull on the first wipeout, they are cheap and lastly they are very easy to paddle and generate speed on, which is one of the most fundamentally important part to surfing!
This is when the real work begins – paddling. Paddling will get you out to the good waves, and paddling will help you catch one. Beginners quickly learn that surfing is mostly about paddling. Paddling well takes some time to learn but you need to do it. Without the ability to paddle you will not only never catch a wave, but more than likely never even get to the line up! So many times I have seen a beginner surfer spend a stack of coin on all the latest cool hi-tech gear and then spend an hour getting thrown around in the white water, wondering how everyone else made it out the back, it is 90% in your paddling ability.
The Inevitable Wipe Out: Once you learn to paddle the first type of wipeout you are likely to experience is the cleanup, this is when a wave that has already broken slams into you and throws you around like a ragdoll, at first far from fun. The second type of a wipeout and without a doubt the most horrific is going over the falls, this is from not having enough paddling speed to catch the wave early enough, getting sucked up the face and pitched over with the lip. This kind of wipeout is very common with new surfers as they have yet to learn to read the waves properly and don’t have the technique to rectify the problem! YOU WILL GO OVER THE FALLS get used to the idea, it is no fun at first, but it will make you a better surfer the more you do it.
The best way to learn to surf is to go surfing. But remember to be safe, take a lesson or two and be respectful out there, surfing can kill, but it is without question the most amazing feeling on earth!
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