Introduction:

 

Do you want to be a surfer?  Do you want to learn how to surf?  Before you buy a board, get on the beach, and take that plunge into the water, you need to understand surfing basics.  Surfing basics are essential to understand the sport and safety.  The following document will give you an overview of surfing for beginners, those who want to learn about the sport, and experienced surfers who need a review. 

 

This document covers the following topics:

 

I. Surf Equipment

II. Weather:  How does the weather relate to surfing?
III. Surf Etiquette
IV. Safety
V. How to surf

 

I. Surf Equipment

 

Proper surf equipment is vital to your fun and survival at sea. 

 

Equipment includes the following items:

           

            1. Surfboard

            2. Wax

            3. Wetsuits

            4. Leash

 

Your knowledge of this equipment is important to make you a successful and safe surfer.  As your surfing experience progresses, you will learn to work with your equipment to accommodate each situation you encounter at sea.  The following section provides you with an overview of your standard surf equipment.

 

            A. Surf Board – The surfboard is the most important piece of equipment for a surfer.   This is the tool that is used to ride on the water.  The boards vary in shape, color, size, material, and cost. They are hand designed by a shaper and are normally custom crafted for each surfer’s needs.  There are also surfboards that are not hand designed.  These are less popular and are created by machine but they are not customized for you and are not less expensive.  Most surfboards cost around $400-$600 but can cost as much as $1000 or more depending on the material used in the design.  Most boards are made of fiberglass or epoxy, which means they are very delicate, break very easily, and do not last long.  Most surfers break one board per year.  Most boards generally weigh between 4-10 pounds depending on the material and size.

 

            There are several types of surfboards and each has various names depending where you are in the world and who you ask.  Below is a description of the 5 most common types of boards that you will find in your local surf shop:

 

            Type of Surfboards:

 

 - Longboard  - Gun   - Mini Mal    - Shortboard    - Fish  

 

Longboard – A longboard is a surfboard that is generally 9 feet high or 3 feet taller than the rider.  The longboard was the first popular type of surfboard used in the 1950’s after being used in the hit TV show Gidget.  This board is used to ride smaller waves and is wider and thicker than all other surfboards.  This makes it very fast but hard to turn.  The longboard is considered fun to ride because riders can walk on the board and ride the waves farther and faster.  The board is more stable in the water due to its buoyancy and can catch waves very easily.  It is generally more expensive because it requires more materials to build and is more popular with older surfers.

 

Gun – A gun is very narrow and thin like a shortboard but is long like a longboard.  It is designed to be ridden in large waves that are over 10ft.  This board is used for larger waves because it is fast, thin, narrow, and it can be turned easily.  This board is not ideal for beginners and is usually only ridden by surfers who ride giant waves.

                       

Mini-mal – A mini-mal is a hybrid design of the longboard and shortboard.  The board is 7-9 feet in length.  This board is associated with inexperienced surfers who need the stability of a longer, thicker, board but want to progress to a shorter board.  This is a great board for a beginner because it is easier to maneuver in the water than a longboard and is more forgiving than a shortboard.

                       

Shortboard – This is the most popular surfboard.  It is designed for more experienced surfers, usually with a few years of surfing experience.  The shortboard is generally no more or less than a few inches from your height.  These boards are designed to be ridden in waves that are 2-10 feet.  These boards are used in surf competitions.  Most beginners try these boards because they want to look like professionals.  They soon realize that they cannot catch waves because they lack experience and they need to get a mini mal or longboard.

 

Fish – A fish is a smaller version of the shortboard that is meant for performing maneuvers in small waves.  This board is generally wide like a longboard and several inches shorter than the rider.  This is an advanced board that beginners should avoid.  This design was created in the 1970’s and is very popular today.

 

Check out our section on "Buying your first Surfboard"

 

            B. Wax – Surf wax is designed to give the surfer traction on their board.  Without surf wax, surfers would slide right off of the board because water makes the boards very slippery.  Surfers need to wax their board every time they take it into the water.  There are several types of wax that are used for different water temperatures.  There is cold water wax (below 60 degrees fahrenheit), cool water wax (From 60-70 degrees fahrenheit), and warm/tropical water wax (Above 70 degrees fahrenheit).  Each type of wax hardens and melts at different temperatures, which is why you need to make sure you have the right kind.  If the wax is too hard you will not get traction and if it is too soft, it will melt off of your board.

 

            C. Wetsuits – Wetsuits are designed to keep the surfer warm in cold water.  Wetsuits are made of neoprene material and last around 2 years with intense use.  There are several different types of wetsuits, each designed for different water temperatures.  Wetsuits are classified by their thickness in millimeters.  For example, a wetsuit that is labeled 5/3 mm would be 5 millimeters thick in the torso and 3 millimeters thick in the arms and legs.  Below are descriptions of several types of wetsuits and a table that shows which type of suit you would wear based on the water temperature.

 

Full Suit - A full wetsuit covers your whole body but not your head, hands, or feet.  When you need to be more protected a hood, boots, and gloves are added.  These suits range in the following thicknesses: 3/2 mm, 4/3 mm, 5/3 mm, and 6/4 mm.

 

Spring Suit – A spring suit is generally 3/2 mm and covers the top half of your arms and legs similar to the way a t-shirt and shorts do.

 

Rash Guard – A rashguard is a tight shirt surfers wear when the water is too warm for a wetsuit.  These are worn to protect the surfer’s body.  The wax on the surfboard is very sticky and will tear the skin if a rashguard is not worn.  The rashguard also protects against the sun.

 

Type of Suit	Temperature
6/4 or 5/3 with Boots, Gloves, and Hood	Below 50 degrees Fahrenheit
3/2 full suit	50-63 degrees Fahrenheit
Spring Suit	60-70 degrees Fahrenheit
Rashguard	70+ degrees fahrenheit

 

D. Leash – The leash attaches to the tail of your surfboard and your ankle, which keeps your surfboard with you at all times.  Leashes should always be worn by beginner surfers to protect yourself and others.  More experienced surfers will not always wear leashes when they surf at certain beaches because they can get caught on coral, rocks, and jetties, which can cause them to drown.  Safety note:  Leashes do break, so do not rely on your leash.  Leashes come in different sizes, ranging from 6ft to 10ft.  Your leash is generally the size of your surfboard.

 

II. Weather –Weather is an important factor to a surfer.  The weather determines if there will be waves, what they will be like, and how dangerous the ocean will be.  Surfers need to watch their local weather and also check the ocean weather to monitor storms, hurricanes, or other factors that may affect the conditions.

           

            Wind – The wind can make waves large or small.  In general, ideal surfing conditions can be described as a calm ocean, with 4ft waves, and light offshore wind that is usually less than 7 mph.  Strong offshore winds (10mph and above), are usually created by strong low pressure systems or storms and tend to make the ocean flat like a lake.  Onshore winds make the ocean very rough and dangerous. Even 10mph winds will make the ocean choppy with a moderate amount of rip currents.  Most surfers will not surf when there are very strong onshore winds (25mph+) due to the choppy conditions and dangerous currents.  North and South winds can make a surf spot good or bad but it depends on the geography of your beach.

 

            Waves – Waves are affected by the weather on land and at sea.  Hurricanes and earthquakes can create large waves on shore.  Storms, such as high and low pressure systems, can generate waves as well.  In the east coast, low pressure systems create offshore winds and high pressure systems create onshore winds.  Waves can vary in speed and shape.  This is why it’s very important to know your local surf spot before entering the water.

 

III. Etiquette – Surfing etiquette is very important for beginner surfers.  Below is a list of surfing rules that all surfers follow:

 

1.      The person on the inside of the wave, nearest the peak, who stands up first, is entitled to the wave.  You should avoid them. Do not try to ride the wave at all costs.  If you steal their wave, you have “dropped in” on them.

2.      When paddling into the line up it is your responsibility to avoid people riding towards shore.  The line up is where the surfers sit on their boards, just outside where the waves are breaking.

3.      Do not surf areas that are unfamiliar to you.

4.      Do not surf waves that are beyond your ability.

5.      Everyone, including you is a life guard.  If you see someone in trouble you must do everything you can to help them.

6.      Respect the locals or they will not let you surf on their beach.

7.      Don’t let your surfboard go, even if a wave hits you. It can hit other surfers and cause serious injury.

8.      Keep the beach clean.

 

IV. Safety – Surfing safely is important.  As a beginner, safety rules will help you prevent serious injuries to yourself and others.  Below is a list of safety tips:

 

1.      Always ask lifeguards what the water conditions are like before you go into the water.  It is important for you to do this until you are experienced enough to spot rip currents and learn how the weather affects your beach.  A rip current is a small, stream or current that pulls one out to the lineup.

2.      Always surf with a buddy.

3.      Make sure that you are a good swimmer.  The ocean is very dangerous and much different than a swimming pool.

4.      If you are caught in a rip current make sure you relax.  These will only take you out to the line up (just beyond where the waves break).  If you need to swim out of it and you are not on your surfboard, try to swim parallel towards breaking waves and try to ride a wave in to shore.  If you are in trouble, call for help and wave your hand but remember to stay relaxed.  Experienced surfers use rip currents to their advantage to get out to the line up quicker.  Avoid swimming right next to a jetty or pier in rougher surf as you can get seriously injured if the current drags you into a rock or other object.

5.      Only surf in areas that match your ability. Do not try to surf in 4 foot waves if cannot surf them.  Waves appear bigger in the water than they look from the shore. Wave height is measured by the buoy reading or back of the waves, not the face.  A one foot wave may have a 2 foot face.

a.       Remember, in the east coast four foot waves are usually only produced by storms or hurricanes and indicate that dangerous rip currents are around.  Lifeguards warn swimmers not to go into the ocean when waves are greater than 2-3 feet high due to the power of the waves, the rip currents, and their inexperience.  Most ocean drownings occur due to swimmers ignorance.  The ocean is a dangerous environment and should only be entered after proper instruction and experience.

b.      Wave height is often compared to the human body. Below is a chart identifying the correlation between wave height and the human body:

 

 

V. Surfing

 

            Location –Choose a location that is suited for your experience level.  You should ask your local surf shop, the lifeguards, or other surfers to find a location appropriate for your level.  Beginners should try to surf away from others until you learn how to control your board.  Avoid surfing near a pier or jetty to avoid rocks and rip currents.

 

            Type of waves – All waves are different and all beaches produce different types of waves.  It takes surfers years to learn the types of waves at their local break.  When you first arrive at the beach you should always take a few minutes to look at the water to observe where the waves are breaking and ocean conditions.  You should always make sure that you look out for rip currents.

           

            Paddling –To get out to the waves and catch them, you need to learn how to paddle.  Paddling is not as easy as it looks.  You need to do an overhead stroke, one arm at a time, while balancing your body on your surfboard.  Paddling is similar to running and tires your body out very quickly.  It requires a lot of practice and conditioning.  As a beginner, you will spend 98% of your time paddling, 1% surfing, and 1% falling. 

 

            Catching a wave – Once you have learned how to paddle, you can catch a wave.  To catch a wave, you need to look out into the horizon to see a wave that you want to catch.  When you spot your wave, start to paddle diagonal towards the shore.  You paddle diagonal because you want the front of your board to go right or left along the wave, otherwise the nose of your board will go under the water and you will fall, this is called pearling.  In order to catch a wave you must paddle very fast because you have to be going fast enough for the wave coming in to pick you up.  Once you have gained enough speed you will feel the wave pick you up.  Timing is important and takes a lot of practice to get correct.  You must be able to paddle, time the wave, and catch it at the right spot to surf it.  This process takes a lot of experience.  Surfing is a sport that requires a lot of time and patience.

 

            Standing – After catching the wave you need to stand on the surfboard.  To begin, you need to get into a pushup position and quickly pop up onto the surfboard with your body facing either right or left, depending on which is most comfortable to you.  Standing facing the right of the board is called a regular foot stance and facing left is called a goofy foot stance.  Once you have stood up, you need to keep balance to make sure that you are not going to crash into other surfers.

 

            Falling – When you fall off of the surfboard, which you will do many times, you need to fall safely to avoid injury.  Most surfing injuries are caused from your own surfboard and fins.  To fall properly, fall away/behind your surfboard on your backside.  If you go under the water, be sure to protect your head on the way up by covering it with your arms.

 

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