Surfing Time! How to Ride a Wave

You’ve been dying to visit the beach and try surfing for the very first time. You’ve browsed through so many photos and videos online, fantasizing about yourself on the board. You dream of surfing big waves but again you want to manage your expectations and don’t pressure yourself in case you don’t do well the first time. You have friends who have tried surfing for the first time and described it as an amazing experience. You have friends who are experts and have been surfing even before they were teenagers. And then you’ve heard horror stories. You’ve heard of people suffering from horrible surfing accidents that sometimes, in moments of fear and doubt, you are taken aback. But still, you get so hang up with the idea of yourself on the surfboard that you can’t wait for that trip to Hawaii. There are surfing basics to follow so that you do it safely, and most importantly, you have fun during the process. The trained surfing instructors will teach you how to catch waves, stand up on your board and ride the said wave. Sounds exciting? Hold your horses and continue reading. You can actually already practice even at home or when you’re at the shore before you paddle out on the water. First, press your hands into the ground or the board (if you have it with you already) just under your chest, and then at the count of three, jump to your feet. When the left foot is placed in your front, that’s what is called a regular stance. If your right foot is in front, it’s what is referred to as “goofy-footed.” You paddle out into the water on your way to the lineup. Watch the water and pick a wave that you will catch. Turn around and have yourself face your board’s nose which is directed towards the shore. Lie down the board and begin to paddle. The board’s nose must not be submerged in water or up in the air. The proper way is that it’s just touching the surface of the water lightly. Don’t rush and get momentum from going towards the same direction of the wave. Conserve your energy to be able to use it at the right moment. Position yourself and line up in accordance with the wave by paddling with around 30 to 50 percent of your power. You will feel the wave starting to draw the tail of your board and lift it up. This is your signal to kick yourself up with 80 percent of your power. Then you, go all out, 100 percent of your energy, in the last few strokes. Look at your back and estimate where exactly is the wave behind you. Paddle forward but do not be too distant from the wave’s front and do not be too far outside of it. The more you surf, the more you will understand waves. Make sure that your board’s tail is in a perpendicular position in line with the wave as both you and the wave move towards the shore. Take note that the swell is not parallel to the beach at all times so you have to always look back and line yourself up with the wave. Use the peripheral views and you’ll get a sense of the wave location. It’s time for you to stand up when you speed up and get a rush of momentum. It will feel like a slope on a small rollercoaster which will be your signal to stop paddling and prepare your stance to stand up. Do not hesitate when you’re already standing. Be calm and look ahead when you jump up in one movement. The moment you hesitate will cause your board to be unstable so relax, look forward and keep your head up. When you’re already standing, do not look at your back, under your feet, or your board’s nose. Bend your knees and shift more weight to your back foot. You could balance by having both of your arms out. While surfing is absolutely fun, it is still an extreme sport that you have to tread safely. Do not drop straight down on your board because you will have a higher chance of colliding with something under you. While in water, you should never hold the board in between yourself and the waves you’ll be riding. There will be instances that you might get separated from the board so when this happens, do not forget to cover your head. Do not rely on holding your leash string to hold onto your board. Before a surfing session, you must drink lots of water, at least have a quick warmup and then make sure to stretch. If for instance, your neck and back hurt extremely, do not have second thoughts and stop surfing that day.

More preparations for surfing

You will definitely feel sore after surfing. You might also notice that you’ve been tired lately, more than usual. When you paddle, you work on muscles that you don’t really use or exercise regularly. You need to be able to control your core, improve the endurance of your back and arm muscles, and have strong legs especially when you’re standing on a surface that’s unstable and moving. Surf more so that you’ll have a stronger body built for the sport. But if you don’t live near the beach, you can always do interval training and yoga which helps in balance, strength, and flexibility. To train for surfing, you have to work on your whole body. You should also not devalue rest in between workout days. You may try dumbbell front-lateral raises that will level up your paddling game. Barbell Romanian deadlifts will give you stronger hamstrings, back, and glutes that will make turning with power easier for you. Then, you could strengthen your core by making rotations using a Swiss ball.

Storage Solutions

You may keep your surfboard and other gear in the garage of your home. You may check out FlexiMounts’ overhead storage racks and wall shelves. You could also make use of hooks, many of them since surfboards can be quite heavy. As for the training equipment, you may also store them in the garage where space is freed up by letting go of things you don’t use anymore. The space is also free when you are able to organize using the smart storage solutions mentioned above.