Surfing Safely: Essential Tips for Ocean Safety
04/01/2024
New for 2024: Grom Squad!
09/04/2024
Julian’s Top 5 Tips for Beginner Surfers
There’s no denying that surfing is tricky stuff. Actually, it is really hard work, it’s a sport where you are always progressing, you never hit a point where you are like “OK that’s me done, I’m the best I can be” which is awesome but can be quite frustrating and even more so when you are just starting out. So here are my top 5 tips for beginner surfers including (very important) the top 5 mistakes beginner surfers make:
Top 5 Mistakes Beginner Surfers Make
1. The Stance
This is always a huge mistake made and it’s usually that you don’t have your feet wide enough apart. Just think logically, if you have your feet a solid distance apart you will be more balanced on the board.
2. Looking Down
Get your head up guys! Imagine riding a bike down a mountain, you’re not going to look at the handlebars, are you? You’re going to lift your head up and enjoy the view. It’s the same with surfing, so enjoy it! You will also have a lot more stability.
3. Taking Your Hands Off The Board
You see this a lot and it looks as if you are ‘flying aeroplanes" whilst trying to keep balance. If you keep your hands down by your side until the very last minute you will have more balance.
4. Prone Position
The prone position is the lying down position on the board, a fundamental basic that needs to be mastered. If you are too far forward, your weight will be off balance and you will ‘nose dive’ or if you are too far back, your weight will be too heavy on the back off the board making it very hard to catch the wave, which is what it’s all about.
5. Paddle Timing
This is a biggy, if you paddle too soon, your too far out in front and the wave itself can fizzle out. Or if you paddle too late, you may flip over with the wave and eat sand for breakfast…
Top 5 Tips for Beginner surfers
1. Don't do any of the above, ha ha!
If you don't do any of the above mistakes, you'll be fine!
2. Get Fit
It’s simple, the fitter you are the more you can achieve in the water.
3. Man Up / Woman Up!
You've gotta believe you can make that take-off / drop/ section/ barrel or whatever. Otherwise, you will never know.
4. Try Different Breaks, Mix It Up and Don't Get Lazy
Get in at unfamiliar spots. It keeps you sharp and gives you a better understanding of and respect for the ocean.
5. Have a "Time Out"
As crazy as it sounds have a time out, appreciate what’s around you! What I mean is sometimes we can be so focused on getting the next wave that we don’t stop to notice all the amazing things around us.
I’ve had it where the best thing about a surf isn’t the waves but something else like the amazing sunset that lights up the sky, or maybe it’s the feeling of being out in a thunderstorm and feeling the rain on the soles of your feet, maybe if you’re lucky its seeing a pod of dolphins at first light, or maybe just the feeling of catching a moving wall of the ocean all the way to the sand, it’s all pretty incredible. This may sound a bit "hippy-ish" but these kinds of things happen and when they do you gotta appreciate them.
That’s what surfing’s all about; loving what you do and not just loving the waves. Sure catching waves is ‘the icing on the cake’ but it’s only one part of the whole thing.
Above all have fun and enjoy the ride!
