All I ever really needed to know [as a surfer], I learned in kindergarten. It’s true! I just was not aware of it until I read a book of that title by Robert Fulghum. Apparently, surf wisdom is not at the top of the ‘pro circuit’ heap after all, it was there in the sand pile [...]
It’s a wonder that this sport we all love so much is called surfing at all, since we are actually paddling about 90 percent of the time when we are out in the water! Although the glory is in ripping wicked-bad bottom turns and busting out massive air, much of the work in getting into [...]
Yeah! Why not try surfing? How hard could it be? It will be fun! This is how the surfing bug gets started … first, you are sitting there minding your own business, merrily going about your routines and schedule, and out of the blue, the surfing bug bites you right smack in your busy behind.
It is [...]
It has been six months since I last paddled out into the water, and my quickly aching muscles remind me of how much work it takes to paddle out into the lineup. But the ocean feels so familiar, so much like home, that the aches and pain are easily set aside in lieu of the [...]
Every surfer that has begun to move away from the world of surf instructors and beginner breaks, and onto the singular form of learning and fabled “home breaks” knows how critical it is to get the “pop-up” just right. Over anticipate the pop-up and you can ensure that you’ll be watching the back of the [...]
One of the most common things you’ll hear a surfer say when asked about how much time they spend in the water is “Of course I surf every day that I can, it keeps you from going nuts.” True, There is an entirely spiritual and zen side to the sport of surfing that gives us [...]
Beginning surfers often quietly share with me that they feel like giving up on the sport altogether, often due to the perception that they “just can’t seem to get it right“. Although I know plenty of surfers that would revel in the reduction of numbers in the lineup as a result of “learning-fallout”, it needs [...]
Surfing is easy IF you can only get to the point of sitting out in the line up, and then catching a wave to drop into. Of all the things that lead up to the physical moment of surfing on a wave, paddling is the one that will make the most difference in improving your [...]
What is it about surfers? Relaxed, easy-going, they seem to be the epitome of “chill”. Although movies have streotyped surfers as lazy and as hapless potheads, the surfers of today are all but stereotypical. Look at today’s line-up and you will see doctors, lawyers, professionals, teachers … all kinds! The thing that makes them surfers [...]
The long term newbie must understand that he or she falls under a different light for other surfers than short term of vacationing surfers. Whereas short term surfers come and go, and by that nature is easier to ignore as potential dangers … long term newbies will more than likely show up at the same [...]
If you fall, it’s just water. If you aren’t falling, you aren’t learning.
These simple rules dance in my head as a code for life. They remind me to be light-hearted during every surf session- on the beach before paddling out, as I’m gliding carelessly down the wave, and when I ride the last one in. [...]
Surfers are a fun-loving group of people, often times hooting and laughing as the waves roll into their specific break. But don’t let this outer layer fool you … it is not secret that surfers are territorial. Let’s face the fact that as a rule, the goal is to protect the beaches, the breaks, and [...]
One of the questions we receive most frequently from beginning surfers is this one: “Do I paddle with my back arched“? In the end my dear surfer friends, although there are various answers and discussions about paddling methods and techniques, it is all about the physics of paddling.
Arching your back will make sure that your weight [...]
I haven’t been surfing regularly, more like sporadically, but I remember a few things to share – a surf-condensed version of the past month or so …
People don’t like to surf when it is choppy because it is tiring as hell. It’s just not the same … having to paddle more to stay in one [...]
It’s been a while since I’ve posted any beginner tips and I thought I’d throw one out there based on my experiences over the past 2 or 3 years. So here goes:
After a certain amount of time, you’re going to find yourself comfortably being able to stand up on your board with a measurable amount [...]
