Useful tips to start surfing

The surf it is considered a strenuous sport, especially in the beginning. It takes time, perseverance, training, but all your efforts will be repaid by the first wave you'll be able to ride and after experiencing that sensation, you'll hardly be able to do without it.

You are a beginner surfer Looking for tips and tricks to learn to surf fast? Then follow our precious advice so you can soon ride the waves!

Useful guide to learn to surf

Surfing is a sport that is practiced in the sea, swimming lying on a board towards the beach and when a wave arrives, you stand up and slide on it. It's a very fun sport but first of all you have to learn to swim on the board .

We see how to face the world of surfing as a beginner.

• To get started, you need to go to waters suitable for beginners .
• Before heading off, spend at least 30 minutes ad observe who is already surfing . Look carefully at the waves and the skill level of the people in the water. Are they all experts or are there some beginners as well? Make sure the waves are a size you can handle. Once you're in the water, sit sideways and look around.
• Be respectful and polite , don't yell and try not to get in anyone's way.
• Learn the rules . Generally, a surfer would like to catch every wave. The person who is closest to where the wave breaks has the right of way . Imagine that a wave is coming and you and another surfer turn towards the shore to catch it: if it breaks on your left side and breaks off towards your right, the person on your left has the right of way, so you have to give way and wait for the next wave .
• Stay out of the way of others . Never paddle through the waves to get out to sea, not only for your safety and that of others, but also to save energy. If there is no other way out but through the waves, it is your duty stay out of the way of a surfer riding a wave . If someone is coming towards you, paddle quickly out of their way. Also always stick to your board.

Where is the right place for beginner surfing?

By respecting the above rules you can start thinking about the right place for a beginner. The place where find the right waves in the right places. The ideal would be a place where the waves are slowly breaking on a semi or shallow sandy bottom, with the water reaching from waist to chest.

When you are starting out in this sport, you don't need high waves nor that they break perfectly. Look for long lines of knee-high waves that roll towards the shore. Keep your ego at bay and don't be afraid to go where the beginners are, best is find a spot that isn't too crowded , where you can catch a lot of waves and surf the surface.

Better stay away from the renowned surf spots : they are crowded and especially not suitable for beginners.

The right equipment for surfing

When you start surfing, start with one funboard , which is stable and easy to swim on. This way you'll get a lot of practice learning to read the waves and ride them with more stability. When you are more proficient, you can take another board.

The main shapes of boards currently include: longboard, funboard, gun, hybrid, fish and shortboard. There are also other types that are less commonly used, such as the bonzer, mini simmons, alaia and tow in board.

Each of the above categories excels in specific conditions such as the "tow in board" , built to ride very large waves, in which the surfer is towed by a jet ski to be able to catch gigantic waves that sometimes reach up to 30 meters .

The different types of tables

As we have seen previously, the boards are not all the same but each specific shape corresponds to certain characteristics.

• Longboards . This is the oldest surfboard design. They usually start at 8 to 12 feet (about 2.4 meters to 3.65 meters) in length, at least 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) thick, and about 20 inches (50 cm) wide. The large volume makes it very easy to paddle and just as easy to catch waves. Table suitable for learning the correct wave selection , paddling and the basic way to turn the board.

• Funboards . It is a fairly large board, ranging in length from 6 to 8 feet (1.82 to 2.43 m) and with a width similar to that of longboards. It is ideal for people who want start using smaller and faster boards , while maintaining the stability and ease of paddling of a longboard. This is the most beginner-friendly board.

• Gun, surfboard that it is used when the waves are huge . The length (from 2 to 3 meters) allows the surfer to reach considerable rowing speed in such a way as to being able to catch huge waves that move very fast.

• Fish, whose design became very popular in the 70s. It takes its origins from the table called knee board (or board that is used while kneeling). It usually is shorter and wider than a shortboard and is used in surf conditions with small waves and low power. The fish are generally quite straight ventrally, thus giving the possibility to paddle very well and pick up speed on the wall of the wave.

• Shortboards . Shortboard design reinvented professional surfing in the 1970s and continues to push the limits of the sport to this day. Shortboards are generally under 7 feet (2.13 m). Normally this type of surfboard has a very high ventral curvature ("rocker"), so as to being able to surf even very steep waves . 

Surfwear

In addition to right board for surfing you need the right clothing i.e.:

• swimming suit
• wetsuit against the cold, when needed
• safety leash , perhaps the same length as the board
• wax , which will prevent you from slipping and will cover the area where you will be standing.