Pipeline Surf Point

OK, so I have another court date. This time it was for driving naked in a state park. The other day I took a little trip to the beach and stretched out on the warm sand and fell sound asleep. I woke up about an hour later to discover that the dang sea gulls had been into my potato chips I had brought along and there was gull poop all over my backside and hair–yuk! I ran into the surf and stripped off my clothes and tried to rinse them out but they still smelled like old fish guts. I stayed in the water for awhile and was wondering where everybody had gotten off to when I hear this huge BOOM! Dang if there wasn’t a huge storm coming off the water right for me and I was the last dumba** left on the beach. I figured since no one was around I would just trot over to my truck and drive home. Well I made it to the truck and even drove about three miles before a cop pulled me over (cause I don’t have a windsheild) and gave me a ticket to see the judge. Oh, Lord — what do I do now??

Let’s try to keep it real. You are getting way ahead of yourself with some of these questions. Surfing is an ocean sport, that should only be practiced by persons who are already competent ocean swimmers. Swimming in a pool is neat, but it’s not ocean swimming, with undertows, rip tides and sometimes BIG waves. I have seen lots of great pool swimmers get rescued. So, my first tip on how to surf is to be at home in the ocean. It doesn’t matter how fast you can swim in a pool or run on a track, it matters how well can you swim in a rip current in overhead waves.There are way too many dangerous people in the water now. They are a danger to themselves and other surfers, don’t join their ranks.
Lessons are the best way to start. Lessons can come from a professional instructor, or surfing family members. You have to learn surf etiquette (so the experienced surfers in the line up don’t want to drown you), how to paddle and take off on a wave, and how to ride a wave. The last thing experienced surfers want is for inexperienced people to just grab a board, rush into the surf and get in our way.
Lessons shorten the learning curve significantly. And they help keep ignorant, un-prepared kooks out of the water and out of the way of more experienced surfers. Lessons can come from friends or family members who surf. I taught my kids and grandkids and a bunch of nieces and nephews.
Beginners should take advantage of renting boards and wetsuits while taking lessons. If it turns out you don’t like surfing, you haven’t wasted a whole lot of money on gear that you are not going to use. When you are ready to buy, don’t waste your time on line, go to a good local surf shop to discuss your size (weight is import, height isn’t), skill level and local wave conditions. And if possible, avoid popouts, and boards made in sweat shops in China (like NSP), unless that’s just all you can afford. And don’t forget, there are always used boards for sale in every surf shop. After almost 43 years of surfing, I still get my surfboard buying advice at good local shops in the places where I surf.
NOBODY on line can tell you the exact size/style board you should ride. Anybody who tries to tell you so is a fool. Anybody who listens to hat advice is a bigger fool. get lessosn, then let the folks in a shop where you surf get you set up.