Beginner Surfer
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The Right Spot
The first thing to do when you are wanting to learn to surf is to find the right place to start. Surf breaks vary enormously and if you try to learn at the wrong one it can slow down the learning process no end, possibly get you hurt and lable you as a nuisance to other surfers.
The answer is to forget reef breaks (surf breaking over, rock, coral etc) and heavy, hollow beach breaks and pick a beach with an easy, spilling, mushy break wave in the 2-4ft range. It may not be glamorous but it will be the best place to learn to surf. Also try and find a spot with no crowds- battling with hundreds of other beginners and more experienced surfers is not the way to go. If you have a little space it will be easier to learn to surf.
Paddling
Paddling is an essential surfing skill so lots of practice at this will bring its rewards. Start in small waves and if possible paddle out when there is a lull in the waves. Its best to walk your board out until you are in waist deep water, then lay your body on the deck of your surfboard.
Duck Diving
To duck-dive a shortboard, try to have as much paddling speed as possible when approaching the wave. At about two feet before making contact with the white water, grab both rails (edges of the surfboard) halfway between the nose and midpoint of your board. Push all your upper body weight onto your hands and arms until you feel the nose begin to go under. Point your head down and let your body follow. Once your body is just below the surface, bend your front leg and use that knee to push the tail under the wave.
Catching a Wave
As a wave approaches, turn the nose of your board toward the beach, lay down and begin paddling. As you feel the wave lift you and your board, paddle as hard as you can and lean your weight forward. The natural tendency is to lean back to keep the nose from going under water, but that will only slow your momentum which in not conducive to wave-catching.
Lean forward but raise your chest so that your weight is just above the center of the board.
You should now be sliding down into the the trough of the wave. The first phase of surfing will entail that you wait until you are in the flat water in front of the wave before you stand up. However, the ideal is to begin standing just as you feel the pull of the wave. Now you are ready to work on standing.
Standing Up
The place to learn to stand is on the beach. Firstly you will need to know which foot will feel most natural to you in the forward position. The right foot forward is called "goofy foot" and the left foot forward is a "regular" stance. The way to find out which way you swing (!) is to stand up straight, close your eyes and ask a friend to gently nudge you forward, the foot that goes out first to steady yourself is your leading foot!
The motion from prone to standing is called the pop-up, which is basically a quick push up to your feet. Lie the board on the sand (with fins removed) and do a push-up, once your arms are at full extension, pull both knees toward your stomach and hop to your feet. If you practice this regularly it will help when you learn to surf in the water.
The next step is to get out there and do it. It will be best to learn to surf in the whitewater:
- Paddle for a wave and just as you feel the momentum of the surfboard flow faster than your paddling speed, you are ready to hop up.
- With your hands firmly grasping each rail push up quickly.
- Simultaneously, extend your arms completely and pull your knees quickly up to your chest. Be sure to keep your weight centered with just a little slant forward.
- Place your feet firmly on your board, one foot near the tail and one foot just above the midpoint of the board.
- Don't stand up completely erect. Keep a low center of gravity by crouching down and focusing your weight on the midpoint of the board.
Keep your arms out, your eyes looking forward and balance.
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