Story was written by MaKenna Manti
As warm temperatures start rising on the west coast, more people flood California beaches. Half of the beach goers are families and friends looking to relax, but the other half are in the water with the dolphins surfing. If you are looking to be the half of the beach population that surfs, like myself, but don’t know how I’ve got some easy tricks and tips for beginners.
Get a board that suits your needs.
There are a variety of different boards to buy but choosing the correct one for your body can be stressful. In my opinion I’ve found that learning how to surf on a long foam board is the easiest and most efficient way. Longboards make it very easy to paddle into waves so you don’t have to waste your energy paddling and can focus on popping up on the board.
Don’t be afraid to fall off the board a couple times.
Practice makes perfect! Being fearful in the water will not help your confidence in surfing. Instead embrace the falling as it will help you appreciate the process of getting better every day.
As soon as you paddle into a wave, pop up on the surfboard.
This is arguably the hardest part in surfing. This may take a couple tries but it’s worth it in the end. The pop up can be thought of as a burpee rep to your feet and this takes us into our fourth piece of advice. After popping up, zone in on your board and solely focus on riding the wave out until it loses its strength. After you get the hang of going in one direction for a couple of sessions, you can then try to start adding variations to your ride path with turns and whips!
Hopefully these quick and easy tips can help you get started surfing! No matter how well you do during your past attempt, just remember there’s always room for improvement tomorrow! Good Luck!