The days of Endless Summer’s idealized surf trip pre-requisites of “surfboard, wax, sun screen and passport” are long gone … having given way to multiple airport security screenings, expensive airline fees for oversized luggage, and the sudden boom of surf-related anything all over the world thanks in large part to the multi-billion dollar push from the surf industry moguls.

But have no fear, minor inconveniences will not deter determined surfers from their goal of finding surf nirvana around the globe, it just requires better planning and preparation for what may lie ahead. (There are considerable differences when surfing in warm water and cold climate locations, ranging from the type of wax you will need all the way to the rash guard or wet suit you will wear … so we’ll try to keep that factor in check as we go through the list.)

Outside of doing your usual Google research on visa requirements and entry fees for the countries you are visiting, and making sure your credit cards, passport and driver’s license are up-to-date there are some essential tips to know before embarking on a surf trip. And so, dear kindred spirit of the waves, with a few million miles under our collective surf-travel belts, we have assembled the quintessential surf trip primer for all you travelling surfers:

Surf Camp or Going on your own? This is the mother of all the check list pre-requisites; the one that determines how you will be preparing for the trip from here on in! Your goal will be to get there the easiest, the fastest, and in the most efficient method available to maximize your water time … so an all-inclusive surf camp may be the most beneficial to your budget and timeline. That being said, a surf adventure where you discover your own way and seek out your own waves provides a more rewarding experience for the globe-trotting surfer. Choose wisely so that your ultimate goal of maximum surf time is addressed properly!

Although a slightly more expensive method for surf travel, the surf camp experience traditionally will provide you with almost everything you may need. You can relax knowing things are covered – ranging from accommodations, meals, a local surf guide, transportation to and from various surf breaks (either by land or by boat), surfboards to choose from, wax, leash, repairs … and even facilities to chill or exercise, whatever you may need.

Surf camps generally cater to surfers who want to land at the airport and know that their gear is available and ready to go, just point to the break and they’re off surfing. Set in a setting where you are with other surfers and seasoned staff and surf experts to assist you, this type of surf travel relieves you from some stress. You do not have to pack much of your usual surf gear (especially your surfboards!), and the camp quiver allows you the luxury of avoiding oversized luggage fees and the paranoid fear of someone dinging your board (or worse!) during transport.

Surf Bag or Case. If you choose to bring your own board or a selection from your quiver, be sure to protect your surfboards! In the past, we have gone with surf bags padded with rash guards and towels on the inside, surfboard coffins that held 2 or more boards, and even professionally packed and shipped boards. In that same order, we (meaning us and our boards) suffered from dings and broken surfboard noses, expensive airline luggage fees, and stolen – even oddly replaced with another older - surfboard. But over the years, although the number of airlines have reduced (even removed) routes that allow surfboard travel … some seriously decent board protection has evolved (see Soma), allowing peace of mind for the insistent quiver snob!

Surf Wear. Although most surf camps provide you with all-around-use rash guards or wet suits, they do tend to be used. During our surf travels, we have found it extremely beneficial to have our own surf wear in tow. With the added benefit of wearing your favorite brand or style, SPF protection, and the security of properly fitting wet suits (one’s that are not loosely hanging off our bodies while surfing in cold water!), the packing space is minimal for two or three rash guards or wetties!

Hats and sunglasses are also a must! Whether you are sitting in the line up, at the beach, or in the jacuzzi, proper sun protection allows you to extend your surf time. There can be nothing more frustrating than travelling halfway around the globe and being sidelined from surfing by a bad sunburn!

Surf Gear & Accessories. Yes, you need to bring your first aid kit and a slew of spare or preferred surf goodies like fins and key, leashes (they are either righteously expensive or well worn!), ding repair kit (in water repair kit is better!), surf wax (remember to bring temperature relevant and eco-friendly wax!), and duct tape. We cannot stress the duct tape enough to travelling surfers … it can act as ding repair, leash repair, packing tape, laundry line, well you name it! Another surprise travel item that we found extremely useful is a lock box that we stashed room keys, cash, and credit cards in while surfing. Locked to the car, van, or boat it allowed us to surf freely and return to safely stowed dry cash and cards for the lunch stop or a quick round of drinks at the bar before heading out again.

Dry Bag. Whether it be boat trips or the unexpected downpour, your change of clothes or towel and snacks will thank you for bringing this essential piece of travel gear! Not just for surf travel anymore, a sturdy, waterproof dry bag can protect all of your electronics, surf accessories, and identification cards from the very playground you are floating around in!

Waterproof Camera and memory cards / flash drives. Much like the mythical Wendigo or Bigfoot, no one will blink twice when you wax poetic about “that double overhead left that stayed open after a late drop” if you can’t produce a decent photo. A blurry snapshot of what could be you or Bigfoot on either a knee-high or double overhead wave just cannot cut in on Facebook these days! With a plethora of inexpensive digital cameras with waterproof housings or cases in today’s market – like the Hero Pro or Olympus’ Underwater line – your surf trip will shine brightly with photos to document your journey – since most of us cannot afford to have filmmakers following us around to surf breaks!

Gift Items and Goodies. Here is the key to merry travelling and extremely useful tool for establishing good will: a gift or token of appreciation. More than a cash tip, you can extend friendship and goodwill while surf travelling with some surf-related gift items from your home land. Things like surfboard-shaped keychains or surf t-shirts for your surf guide and surf hosts may ensure that you get the better transport or boat at an earlier time to that secret local spot.

The most important thing to bring above it all is your sense of adventure and wonder! All the preparation and packing will be better complemented by a happy-go-lucky spirit … there are a of of things that will go right, and even a few that may go awry, but through it all make sure you extend that surfer spirit and smile with aloha in your heart!

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I get that some of us like a slow and steady day, but this isn’t about type a and type b personalities … it’s about surfing and creating a more enjoyable session as inspired by Ali Hale’s article.

Get Up Earlier : This particular one is a personal favorite since I surf dawn patrol most of the time … where the line ups are less crowded, more friendly, and enjoyable. Just when the crowds (especially over the weekends) are pulling in at the parking stalls, I have already logged two to three hours of water time. As a bonus, I get to watch the sun rise as I am stretching on the beach. Even better, if you’re out early enough, you have a 30 minute window where you’re the only one in the water and the line up … empty waves!

Create a Plan : I get the most grief over this one, often being accused of being ‘type a’ … but it’s about prepping everything the night before so that I don’t have to rush around early in the morning when I am getting up early to surf. I already checked the board for dings and damage, rewaxed the board if it needed wax (so I don’t have to beg for wax at the lineup), packed my gear and towel – fin key, leash, sun block, plus snacks and water – AND placed everything near the front door so I don’t have to go looking for it in the morning. This is especially helpful if you have to go to school or work directly after surfing!

Batch Tasks Together : Constantly jumping from one task to another often causes confusion and chaos at work, and although you may feel ‘buzzed’ by all the activity, you often don’t get much done. What can you batch together while surfing? The ‘planning’ part helps here … I can get up early, go for a 30 minute run or a quick yoga session, stretch, surf like a king, and stop by the supermarket for milk and eggs … you get the gist!

Block Out Chunks of Time :  This is where most weekend surfers fail … and newbie surfer succeed. You MUST take the time to go and surf. Yes, we all have chores, homework, to-do lists, and jobs … but you have to block out a chunk of time of your day to go and enjoy the surf. Your body will thank you for it, your family and friends will love you more for not being so grouchy or tense!

Don’t Multitask : You know this one! You sacrifice one task at the cost of another … and although you may think you are doing 2 things at once, you are actually doing two things at 50% efficiency and concentration. With that in mind, once you paddle out into the water (hopefully even as you wake up and get into the routine of going to surf) LEAVE everything behind. The shoreline becomes an invisible barrier for all things not surf-related. Surfing is all about surf … it needs your full focus and attention at the present moment … once you lose focus, you ruin your session and end up not getting either your surfing or whatever was occupying your mind completed with any satisfaction.

Stay Focused : I don’t even have to say much on this … just BE IN THE MOMENT!

Finish Work On Time : That’s right … if you say surf for an hour, you are done in an hour … so don’t cheat yourself by not doing any of the items that came before this one. All the tasks and advice above are the things that contribute to being able to enjoy a session fully, without having to feel rushed or cheated!

“How does a dedicated surfer balance love, responsibility, and relationships with a surf lifestyle?”

It’s the great risk which comes with any great passion: that one day, your passion will ask too much of you, will be placed into conflict with the soul. (The real actual human soul, that is, not its lame surf-market version.)

Love is a beautiful thing, for instance, but as a guide to how to live, it’s somewhat unreliable. Incredibly cruel, selfish [things] are done every day in its name. The same goes for surfing. You’ll chase your tail all your life and in the end the next wave is all that’ll matter.

But what happens when you catch your last wave? And who will you have abandoned in order to do it? How will you answer when it asks too much?

We doubt very much that any formula exists for dealing with this crisis. We’re all complex human beings; the paths we choose will never be quite the same as anyone else’s, nor will they look the same from the outside as from within.

But we would suggest that the process of learning to surf — or perhaps more importantly, learning to be a surfer — may hold some great metaphorical lessons.

Look at the idea of “balance“. What a primal surfing skill that is. The good surfer does little else, in fact. Riding a wave in balance is a constant process of anticipating the changes ahead and adjusting to them. A good surfer does this well because he or she has learned, usually after some painful trial and error, to understand the nature of waves and love them for their aspects both good and bad, and ride each section as it comes. Perhaps human relationships are not entirely dissimilar.

Surfing selfishness has a bad track record, by the way. It invariably disappoints, and you’ll see that disappointment etched on the faces of more than a few grumpy old-guy locals on the coastlines of our little world.

Few of us are suited to a life spent in pursuit of personal pleasure at the expense of all else. In fact, it’s possible that the psychological arc of the surfing life is only completed if and when the surfer chooses to share his or her learning with others.

We suspect this is part of the motive force behind so many of the surf schools around the world at the moment. Isn’t it fascinating how many of these schools are led by well-known former professional surfers? We have often noticed in conversations with these surfers that they have a calmness, a completeness about them that was rarely apparent back in their professional days. Very few of them are getting rich through their schools, but they’re happy in a way surf contests were never able to manage for them. In essence, they’ve resolved the conflict through acting in the service of others — through sharing.

What’s good for you? You’re the only one who can answer that. In any case, we suggest keep asking the question! Just by doing that — and by enlisting those closest to you in the effort to find out — you’re on the right track to your own calm place.

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[by Nick Carrol via Surfline]

If you decide to start your child on surfing younger, four years old is a good age, then you should be the one teaching them, and only after many years of experience. It is important to start on a soft-top board and that you enter the water with your child.

• Body surfing is also a great pre-surfing activity for young children to help them become comfortable with the surfboard.
• Make sure you start them on a day when the waves are small and take care with wipeouts to ensure that they do not become fearful.
• Encourage them to surf with friends of similar age and start in the summer when they have plenty of time to practice.
• Don’t go to beaches where the tide is too strong, and always go surfing where there are lifeguards.
• Most importantly remember always that this should be fun for your child!!!

Most SUP’ers have a preferred side to paddle on and it doesn’t always correlate to whether they are a regular or goofie foot surfer. My preferred paddle side is my left side and I am a regular foot surfer. In other words, when I take off on a wave, whether I plan to go right or left on the wave, I want to continuously be paddling on my left side. This is an important point, if you need to switch paddle sides while catching a wave; you lose a stroke, and may miss the wave.

To help explain my technique, I will use points on a clock, with 12:00 pointing out to the horizon where the waves come from, and 6:00 pointing to the beach and down the face of the wave. Since I want to take the wave while paddling on my left, and because paddling on my left will cause me to turn right, I will set up with my board pointing at 12:00 and looking for the waves that will be peaking on my right and in front of me. If they peak on my left, I let them go because I’m in the wrong position.

As a set approaches, I determine which wave I want and estimate where it will peak. I will then paddle towards that spot so that I will be in front of that spot before it breaks and heading between 2:00 to 4:00. As the wave peaks, I can decide to not take the wave, switch paddle sides and paddling hard on my right, go over the back of the wave. If I plan on taking the wave, I will keep paddling on my left and turn my board towards the direction I want to take the wave with either sweeping paddles to turn the board more or straight paddles to turn the board less. The paddling stroke and speed is determined by how the wave develops and whether I want to drop in on the wave heading either at 5, 6 or 7 o’clock.

Every wave breaks differently and hopefully this will set you up to be able to adapt to the differences. This is where wave judgment and paddle skills come into play. If the wave jumps up quick, I make a tight quick turn. If the wave is slow and the wave will break farther inside, I paddle heading at 4 or 5 o’clock to get to where it will break, and then take the wave at 6 o’clock. Also, how fast the wave breaks will determine my stance as I take off on the wave. With a slow wave, I stay in a parallel stance while catching the wave; with a steep wave, I go into an early surf stance while it’s jumping up. If I’m late on a slow wave, I may run to the nose while paddling frantically. With practice and paying attention to where and how the waves break, you should be able to catch all the waves you want. Just be courteous and give more than you take.

Note: This description is for those who would prefer to take a wave while paddling on their left. If you would prefer to paddle on your right, reverse left with right and 3:00 with 9:00.

• Share everything , Play fair
• Put things back where you found them, Clean up your own mess.
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
• Don’t hit people, and Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Be aware of wonder.

Fulghum makes the statement that if any one of us takes these concepts and extrapolate it into “sophisticated” adult terms … and apply it to family, life, work, or the world … that it will always hold true and clear and firm as a solid base for good moral living. I believe him, and it’s quite possible that this author and Unitarian clergyman has single-handedly provided surfers all over the world the true key to zen-like surfing! If you take the ideas he has written about, and apply it to the manner by which you surf, and the attitudes that we carry as we surf … well, wisdom also lies in the surf amidst the flowing waves of the ocean.

Share everything: We all know the image of the lone surfer ripping down Banzai Pipeline by him or herself. The isolated surfer carving long sweeping turns at a point break at sunset is also a common dream for the log riders. However, if you talk to almost every surfer, their most treasured surf sessions are peppered with a common element – good surf AND good friends. Surfing as a rule is all about sharing the good times with other people. Hooting and hollering, cheering each other on when waves are good and wipe outs are gnarly. Irrespective, it’s all about sharing the good times … you get some good waves, and you revel in the experience. And sometimes, even if you had it all the way, you let your friend HAVE the wave. It’s part of having fun … sharing, that is, and it’s only fair! Oh, just so we are all clear about this … ‘dropping in’ on another surfer falls under the “Don’t take things that aren’t yours” category!

Clean up your own mess: This particular gem would solve almost all of our environmental and ecological issues as a planet! Put things back where you found them AND clean up your own mess. A simple solution would be the 20 foot rule. Simply ensure that you take care of the area around you within 20 feet! You don’t have to go out of your way to clean up after everyone and everything … but as you walk around, to and from surfing, make sure you pick up the trash and garbage you see along the way! Take care of you, the environment, and the planet around you 20 feet at a time!

Don’t hit people: When you have a six foot spear being propelled by tons of water, hurtling down a spray of ocean water … it sometimes is an unfortunate reality that we surfers may occasionally collide with other ocean dwellers. It’s inevitable, it’s painful and it is something that we all have been a part of (as hurtler or hurtlee, either way, it hurts!) in the water. However, by not observing proper ocean rules and good etiquette, we could endanger other people and creatures in the water more than we need to! An inattentive surfer and a careless surfer can be equally dangerous out in the water, so don’t hit people inadvertently by not being aware of the rules and proper water manners! AND WHEN YOU DO get to the point where you hit someone or ALMOST hit someone, do the right thing and ensure that you say “sorry” no matter who was at fault. At the end, we all have to learn to take care of each other out there!

Live a balanced life: As participants on a lovely dance between board and water, balance is always weighted heavily in our minds. Balance. But there’s more to it, since surfing alone cannot fulfill us. We need play, work, love, life, and learning to round us off … always. Even when the waves are good, we need to know the balance as to when good is something we need or something we are blessed with. I know surfers in the Great Lakes area who WAIT months and months at a time for ONE wave to come, and they revel in it with such joy and pleasure when it comes. I also know of surfers who curse surf sessions in Hawaii when they do not catch all the waves they can at a surf break or if they don’t get perfect chest to head high waves all the time. Balance. (It also needs to be placed with ‘perspective’ eh?)

Be aware of wonder: Touch the water … feel the ocean. Be amazed at the beauty around you! After one particularly uneventful surf session, where I caught half a wave that debatably actually caught me, I was murmuring to myself how the session had been barely worth my time. At that point, a giant green turtle popped it’s head out of the water – as if on cue – and made me laugh in a startled surprise. He was reminding me to never take myself too seriously, and that beauty, especially in the ocean was not just in the waves. Sometimes, we all need a reminder … So Fulghum the wise clergy was right all along.

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Sure, you often see beginner surfers out in the break being pushed into waves by surf school instructors, and they do catch waves with giant smiles on their faces … BUT the real work comes when you don’t have anyone pushing you into a breaking wave anymore and you have to work for each hard-earned wave. Once on your own, you have to earn each aching muscle with every paddle into a wave; building up stamina as you go. And if you are lucky enough, you may overhear the energizing cheer of “Paddle! Paddle! Paddle!” from somewhere nearby, a hopeful sound from some regulars at the line up, providing you with spiritual support and some tough love. It’s a call for more effort, more drive, and a whole lot of muscle!

To help you build those crucial paddle-centric muscles, iJustSurf.com has put together a quick set of 3 important exercises that will get you pumped and ready for hours of paddling readiness!

1. Push Ups: The grand-daddy of obvious exercises, this simple but effective workout builds chest muscles and shoulder strength that give you a great boost in paddling into waves. Since a majority of work when paddling happens in and around your shoulders, push ups are crucial for building a strong support system for your paddling guns! Push-up exercise, if performed correctly, increases upper body strength and brings about more abdominal and hip stability, a definite plus in surfing!
2. Chair Dips: This is an excellent overall exercise to do for building core surfing muscles. Simple and easy, dips force you to lift your own body-weight, which in turn stresses your upper-body, which builds muscle. Much of the “power” that drives you into a wave is from the balanced and strong strokes supported by your triceps. By strengthening these muscles as well as your core, dips ensure a longer and more steady stroke rhythm for those surf sessions!
3. Vinyasa Flow: That’s right, it’s a yoga sequence of moves that focuses on strengthening your core surf muscles, taking the form of smooth and flowing breath-synchronized movements! Starting with plank pose (similar to the static push up pose and then lowering your body), then cobra pose, you work your way into downward dog, and then repeat the sequence from plank pose.  You will see your paddling as well as surf “pop-up” become smoother and faster, and become more graceful in no time!

Remember to take your time with these exercises, ensuring that you are easing yourself into the routine; working your way into a steadily increasing set of repetitions! Surfing muscles are quite different from other muscles, often requiring you to use sets of muscle groups you have never used in conjunction before!

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It is a fun sport … which accounts for all those people lugging their waxed-up sticks to the ocean on a regular basis. There is no doubt that it is fun! The booming water sport attracts hundreds upon hundreds of new people to the ocean on a daily basis, luring them with the promise of the next greatest sport to try. And people come in droves, happily donning surf gear and paddling out into the clear blue … after all, like you said, “how hard could it be?”.

This is Step 1 in Learning to Surf: thorough research! How hard surfing will be for any beginner depends on how thorough your research is about surfing, and how much research you do regarding equipment suited for you and your surf breaks. Before you even get in the water … before you even wax your first board … it is important that you understand some of the surfing basics.

Surfing basics are easier to discover for beginner surfers with the help of knowledgeable surfers, namely from a reputable surf school or a non-retail oriented surf shop. After you have exhausted resources from the internet and on-line articles about surfing, and especially after you have frustrated friends who surf with a million-and-one questions … the surf school instructor or surf shop expert is the next line of information. Their information will be especially useful since they have the inside track on local breaks and local surfers … something internet research may not provide for you!

By being open to what surf instructors and surf shop experts have to reveal to you, what type of gear you may eventually get, and the types of breaks you begin to surf may vary. In any event, being an open person and listening to the people who know the surf community will lead you to a rich research experience and get you on your way to the next step in learning to surf!

As a final word to starting your research, do not buy into surf fads and jump on the surf industry’s commercial assault of the surf community. You do not need the biggest, baddest, newest, or greatest. You just need an open mind, a caring heart, and a sense of adventure and fun!

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I once read that the movements involved in the surfing pop-up is similar to that of an explosive push up. I also read somewhere that the pop-up should be broken down into simple steps in order to build muscle memory. I have read a great number of things about surfing’s elusive pop-up, and although all of them analyze one aspect or another of this critical maneuver, they do agree on one thing: The popup should be a single fluid motion!

And so, on this day of my return to surfing I am focusing on making my pop-ups one single fluid motion. A slight push up and an arched back (which always reminds me of yoga’s cobra pose), a quick look in either direction for good measure, and in one motion I swing my legs forward and a bit sideways as my arms create a slight pendulum for my body. The mechanics are always there in my head, but six months of land locked living needs a bit of a refresher to get back into the sing of things.

I tire way too quickly, an obvious lack of conditioning in my paddling … a far cry from surfing two to three hour sessions 5 days a week. And as I sat on the beach exhausted and elated, I began to list the surfing pop-up tips I have amassed over the years:

• Try not to end up on your knees. This is a tough habit to break!
• Grabbing the rails makes it easier to slip off and give yourself a fat lip!
• The popup should be a single fluid motion
• When you first start off on a longboard, you use your toes to prop yourself up and hop to a standing position … short board pop-ups are exactly the same except your knees take the place of your toes
• Hold the arched-back push-up position for a second or two to be sure you have caught the wave before completing the pop-up
• Practicing your pop-ups on dry land is one of the best things you can do to improve your surfing
• Think paddle, paddle, paddle, bang – you’re up!
• Be fast, be smooth, be explosive!
• When you push up on your board, you are also twisting your torso and jumping into a standing position

None of these are a good substitute for getting out on a moving wave and practicing your pop-ups, but they do have merit. In the end, it is all about your on personal style and preference that dictates what works for you.