No matter who you are or where you come from, just about every body can learn how to surf if they put their mind to it and take the time to learn the basics before heading out for the waves. While surfing can provide the thrills of a lifetime and completely change the way that you think about the ocean, it is also a potentially dangerous activity if you make the mistake of taking on difficult surf before you are are ready. So long as you have someone who is willing to show you the ropes and you do not mind getting knocked around a bit in the water until you learn how ride a wave, you will probably find that learning how to surf is far easier than you had ever imagined.
One of the major misconceptions about surfing is that is necessary to learn how to surf when you are fairly young if you expect to get very good. The truth of the matter is that there are plenty of great surfers out there who did not pick up board until fairly late in life. In fact, a growing number of baby boomers are learning how to surf during their retirement years these days, proving that you really can never be too old to learn how to ride a wave.
As you might expect, the key to learning how to surf is balance. The way that most professional surfing instructors teach new surfers how to get used to being on a board is by setting down the board on the beach and just taking some time standing on the board and moving around. This way, you can get an idea of the relationship of your body movements with the balance of the board, which will be a key factor to learning how to get on your feet for to catch your first wave. With a little bit of practice, you’ll be ready to head out to water and take on the breakers.
Know your risks
It is very impressive how some of the surfers deal with the highest waves and it always looks so easy to do. If you are a surfer you know that being in perfect physical condition is a necessity in order to beat the waves. The challenge in surfing is to ride the highest wave without falling off the board.
Before surfing alone a beginner should always surf with a professional. In case a surfer falls off the board he should emerge with stretched arms. That way the surfer doesn’t collide with the board. Surfboards are made of hard materials and represents a high injury risk.
Two surfers should nevers surf behind each other because the one first could lose control over his board and a following wave could injure the surfer behind with it.
Another necessity is knowing the terrain in which you want to surf in. Some beaches are dangerous because of drifts which can’t be seen or rocks underneath the water surface. Make sure there are no sharks or lions mane jellyfish.
It is important to know the risks and to counteract against them.