February 2019 - Page 2 of 5 - Surf Lessons in Oceanside

Surf Lessons for Adults

Adults Learn to Surf

Surf Lessons for adults are extremely popular as young adults and seniors want to cross it off their bucket list.

When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA, most of my students in the summer are kids and in the winter are adults. Adults and kids face the same issue in flexibility. It is amazing how at any age, if you are not stretching, your body gets stiff.

The important physical requirement for surfing are flexibility or being stretched and upper body strength, like in doing push ups. So if an adult wants to prepare for lessons they should do three things. They should start stretching, doing push ups, and practicing the pop ups in their living room. (I have a video in the store on how to do popups.)

Surfing is physically demanding, but the requirements for success are sport specific. To get up on the surf board, you have to do a pop up. If you land in the right spot on the board, the surf board will go straight to the beach with minimum work required. This is my goal for students on their first day.

If you want to have long sessions, recovery gained from aerobics is important. I also suggest that if adults are not exercising daily, that one hour lessons are sufficient.

For Oceanside Surf Lessons see the Home Page

This is a great tutorial on catching real waves but it is the same principal for catching foam waves. https://youtu.be/N7KopjbzxjE

How Beginners Catch Foam Waves

Beginner Surfers Learn to Catch Foam Waves

When new students begin Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA, we start with the foam waves that break near the shore. These waves are not too big, too powerful, nor are students in deep water. The advantages are for safety, to reduce intimidation, and to allow students to become comfortable in the water with a surf board.

The first process is to walk out to where the waves are breaking into foam and turn the nose of the surf board toward the beach. When the waves are 20 feet away, the student rolls on top of the surf board and starts paddling for the sand. The student watches the wave approach and when it is 5 feet away begins paddling hard.

Timing is the Most Important Part to Catch Foam Waves

The idea is to get in front of the foam wave with easy paddling before it hits the surf board. When the wave is a few feet behind the board, the surfer paddles hard. Once the wave starts pushing the board, the surfer continues to paddle hard for three or four strokes before putting his hands on the board.

When the board is in front on a smooth plain, the surfer puts his hands on the board to do a pop up. If you watch surfers on real waves, you will notice they paddle hard before the wave arrives, then allow the wave to come underneath the board, and the paddle hard for three for four strokes to catch it.

The second process is to paddle out through the breaking foam wave and then turn around to catch the next one. This prepares students to move further out toward the real waves and bigger foam waves as they progress. When paddling through a foam wave, the student runs the nose of the board under the lip of the wave and gets into a man’s push up position to allow the wave to run under his chest.

At the beginning the student gets tossed a lot before he learns how to judge and take waves correctly.

For surf lessons in Oceanside, see the Home Page

This is a great tutorial on catching real waves but it is the same principal for catching foam waves. https://youtu.be/N7KopjbzxjE

Master Surfing on Small Waves First

Start surfing small waves to build techniques, confidence, and courage to ride bigger waves.

Start Surfing Small Waves

When I teach new students of surfing in Oceanside lessons, they dream of riding big waves. They soon understand that surfing is a steady process from small to large. Not only are bigger waves moving faster but they are heavier. Getting smashed a few times creates a respect for the ocean.

Mark Kalama, a surfing friend of Laird Hamilton’s says waves increase not in size but increments of fear. Every surf knows this is true.

The small wave teaches the timing to get in front of the wave as it comes under the board. The surfer learns to perfect the pop up which must be faultless on big waves. Getting used to the speed of riding down the face is heart pumping at the beginning and every time.

Practice Does Make Perfect

When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside, my students have starry eyes for surfing like the experts they see on the outside. It takes real diligence and consistent visits to the water to progress to bigger real waves. There is so much to learn.

What happens with consistent trips to the water is you pick up the rhythm of how waves break. This is so important and waves break differently not only on different beaches, but on different days. In Oceanside, we have a sand bar bottom as opposed to a reef and the bottom is always shifting.

The small wave is very educational. You watch where it tends to break. You watch how fast it breaks. You learn to line up your board and paddling to get in front of each different type of wave. The most important part is learning to get in front of waves so they come under the board.

Start surfing small waves because they are safer in that if you miss the timing, they don’t crash as hard with as much water weight. You learn how to angle to the pocket, make bottom turns into the pocket, do your cutbacks, and ride as many sections as you can catch.

In the meantime, you are learning how to cooperate in the line up so that you give and get your share of rides. When the waves get big, the line up can be more dangerous as surfers go and can’t compensate for people in the way or not observing etiquette.

If you want surf lessons in Oceanside, See my home page

This is a great tutorial on catching real waves but it is the same principal for catching foam waves. https://youtu.be/N7KopjbzxjE

The Surfing Bottom Turn

The surfing bottom turn is the first maneuver to learn once surfers begin riding real waves. It has many uses.

The Surfing Bottom Turn

When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA we begin by riding foam waves to the beach. The next progression is riding bigger foam waves on the outside and smaller real waves.

Once you can ride a real wave, you can start practicing the bottom turn. Coming off the face, you pressure your toes and heels whichever are on the side of the direction you are going to travel. Then you rotate your upper body as one piece in that direction. The fatter the rails of the board, the less pressure you can put on carving.

The surfing bottom turn takes the board into the pocket of the wave. You should then accelerate by pushing the nose of the board up and down the wave with your front foot. You are ready to begin a rip. You do a bottom turn up the face of the wave. Most surfers like to get a low center of gravity and drag the inside hand as they turn up the face.

At the top, you rotate your upper body back toward the bottom of the wave and pressure the toes or heels to reverse the turn. Most surfers can be seen throwing the arm that is the same as the front foot back down the wave to turn. Joel Parkinson, world champ, makes all his turns by smoothly rotating his upper body.

Use the Surfing Bottom Turn to Escape Close Out Waves

One of the most useful safety aspects of the surfing bottom turn is to get out of the pocket when a wave is closing out or heading toward a surfer coming from the opposite direction. When I was first in 10′ waves, I felt my bottom turn to escape close out waves had to be improved for safety reasons.

Sometimes the wave will close out sooner than expected and the bigger the wave, the more weight crashes on your body.

Use the Surfing Bottom Turn to Rip the Lip

The most popular technique in surfing is riding up the face and throwing the tail of the surf board over the lip and then heading down the face. This trick is initiated by accelerating in the pocket for speed and then doing a surfing bottom turn at the bottom of the face and heading up the face.

At the top, the direction is reversed by doing a cut back maneuver where the upper body is rotated and the torque leads to the feet and the surfboard. Many experts will say to throw the inside hand over the top and let it initiate the rotation. Observe surfers for real or on videos and the throw becomes more evident.

To take Oceanside Surf Lessons, see the Home Page

This instructor gives a good overall video lesson on learning to surf

The Surfing Cut Back

The surfing cut back is performed to catch the power of the wave and for style.

The Surfing Cut Back on Real Waves

When I teach new Students to Surf in Oceanside Lessons USA, our first goal is going straight to the beach on foam waves. Once you start riding real waves, you want to stay in the pocket as long as possible or catch many sections.

The first goal on real waves is to get into the pocket and accelerate for speed. Accelerating is moving your front foot on the nose up and down the board; easier on a short board than long board. Accelerating increases speed for tricks and maneuvers.

But, then sometimes the wave runs out of power in the pocket and you have to return to the lip where the foam first forms on the wave to find more power. The cut back is reversing direction. You place a little pressure on your toes or heels in the direction of the reverse and rotate the upper body beginning with the eyes and head toward the reverse direction. Speed helps smoothness.

Once you are back to the lip, you can cut back again or perhaps pump toward shore to get the wave again when it reforms. While riding the pocket, professionals often want to do a short term cut back just for style. You rip the lip, then you cut back half a turn and then resume to ride the pocket. It gives style to a routine.

For Oceanside Surf Lessons see the Home Page

Who Can Learn to Surf

Who can learn to surf is a question many instructors hear. Surfing is on a lot of bucket lists. Young people and especially teen girls see it as something they can do equal to boys in their new found liberties to play sports. Over 60 adults want to test their remaining abilities and join a culture they have followed all their lives.

When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA, I get all ages from kids to seniors. Age is not chronological as much as functional. One of my best students was 77 years old and a life long heli-ski guide. Advantages are held by those who are flexible, have upper body strength and have active cardio exercise. People who are always learning new physical movements adapt quickly.

When you ask who can learn to surf begin by learning what are the physical requirements and then what are the necessary techniques. Surfing introduces techniques the body has not practiced. People who are always learning new things like yoga or dancing or aerobic classes have an easier time. Surfing takes a little courage. Many people get stopped by the requirement to move from the lying down position to the standing position. They are not sure whether they will fall. Its only water, but still we are not accustomed to falling down.

Almost everyone says its a blast regardless of how they do. Their is something thrilling about being on a board and getting pushed by a wave. Standing up makes it more fun, but surfing immerses one into the ocean where you get to play with the waves and try to conquer the sport of kings.

Discover you can learn to surf in an Oceanside Surf Lesson

Practice pop ups in your living room after seeing my YouTube video on Pop Ups

Intermediate Surfers Learn to Rip the Lip

Learn Ripping the Lip

Intermediate surfers learn to lip the rip by first learning to accelerate in the pocket and then do bottom turns into the face. One of the favorite things surfers love to practice is ripping the lip. It is a central feature of all maneuvers and competitions. It is flipping the tail of the surf board over the lip of the wave. It can be performed both going forward and reversed.

The first necessary ingredient is speed. On short boards, surfers accelerate by pushing the nose of the board up and down the wave creating an unweighting action. Coaches like surfers to accelerate just two or three times. We accelerate before and after a maneuver in the pocket.

Beginning the Technique

To begin the ride up the lip, the surfer gets in a low center of gravity position usually trailing the inside hand in the water. He performs a bottom turn by rotating his body in the direction of the turn and pressuring the inside rail with toes or heels (face side or backside). As the surfer nears the top he wants to counter rotate his upper body by first moving his head shoulders and arms toward the bottom of the wave.

Many surfers like to throw the top arm over the body to help with the motion. Joel Parkinson, champion professional, keeps both arms level in front of him and rotates smoothly from the upper torso to the feet to effect the torque. When the torque reaches the feet, it board whips toward the bottom of the wave with the fins sliding over the lip.

For surf lessons in Oceanside, see the Home Page

Intermediate surfers learn to rip the lip but have all the basic fundamentals from good surf lessons.

The First Three Surfing Maneuvers

The first surfing maneuvers can begin in foam waves, but that is practice for the real waves. When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA, we focus on riding the surf board straight to the beach. Getting the right posture on the board so that it will go straight is crucial for all advanced steps.

The next step is to ride small faces of real waves. The first maneuver is to bottom turn on the face to turn into the pocket. Place a little pressure on the toes or heels in the direction of travel and rotate the upper body slightly. The edge of the rail will dip into the wave face and the surf board will carve.

The next fun maneuver is to practice cut backs. They occur to reverse direction. They help get back to the power of the wave, stay in the power to ride to the beach, or just show style. Once again, place pressure on the toes or heels in the direction of the turn and rotate the upper body beginning with the head and eyes.

The most important maneuver for short boarders is accelerating. Run the nose of the board up and down the pocket with your front foot as the surf board unweights up and then falls back down the face to increase speed.

Oceanside Surf Lessons for beginner to intermediate surfers.

Excellent pop up video for short boards

How to Fall When Surfing

Learn How to Fall

How to fall when surfing develops with the instincts of experience. One of the things that is constantly on the mind of beginner surfers is falling. When students are in my Oceanside Surf Lessons USA, the fear often keeps them from trying to stand up on the surf board. When you start riding real waves, you fear pearling (where the surf board nose goes under water). On bigger waves, falling brings hundreds of pounds of water on top of you while it is churning.

Watching surfers is a lot of fun. It is also a lot of laughs. It is so much easier to be on the beach and watch the crazy crashes and wipe outs. If you are in the water it is not always so funny.

When you are learning in foam waves near the shore, you want to fall backward to land on your butt instead of forward where you could land on your head. As you start falling off real waves, your instincts get better and you learn to drop straight down into the water or cannon ball.

Know the Water Depth Where You Are Riding

When you ride a board to shore, you have to be careful about just falling off the back. Once I didn’t pay attention to the fact it is was low tide and when I dropped in the water was only about six inches deep. I had a major contusion on my butt for a week. It is always good to sit down on the board if you can without falling on it.

The first thing to do is protect your head and face when you go under water. I always put my arms in front of my face and my hands over my head until I have come up to the surface. I wonder where my board is and I don’t want it to hit me. When you come to the surface you might want your hands on top of your head in case the fins of your board are above you. I have been hit on the head with the fins of my board after I came up and I’ll tell you, scalp wounds make you bleed like a stuck pig.

If you are on a shallow reef you come down on your board so you don’t hit what is below.

In the beginning when you pearl and fall off your board you will do some face plants and full chest plants. These hurt. It takes a while to learn how to turn side ways to the water, cannonball in, or get to your back. When you are being somersaulted under water you do not know where your board is so you want to cover up.

You always want to know where other surfers are and watch where their board is when they fall. Learning how to fall in surfing becomes instinct with experience.

If you are interested in Learning to Surf in Oceanside, see my Home Page

See the 10 most common pop up mistakes. https://youtu.be/JN9Hm2CPzJg

Winning in the Surf Line Up

Winning in the Surfing Line up begins with mastering basic techniques. When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA, we begin in foam waves where we don’t really have to understand surfing etiquette. Once you start riding real waves where there are other surfers, etiquette is to keep everyone safe and share rides. You want both.

Winning is being assertive but also giving everyone their turn. If you are on a beach where there is usually one or two main breaks, chances are the best surfers are lined up to get the waves. It is not as much of a problem if the waves are rolling in quick succession, but more of a problem when they slow down.

The best surfers will get the best position which is the inside under the peak. They have the right of way right or left. If the wave is breaking right, you know which way they are coming. If the wave is breaking right and left, and you are not at the peak, then you have to wait and see.

If it is a long break and you are closer to the shoulder or down the line, it is difficult to see if someone is coming before you pop up. You might pop up thinking it is clear and quickly hear a “Yo”. It means they are bearing down on you.

The well liked successful surfer at the line up takes waves and gives waves. They are entitled to their turn but they back off when someone has position on them. The way to establish position is start paddling for the peak as soon as you see the ripple on the outside. You are alerting everyone that you are going for the wave. Those that don’t have a chance of getting better position than you will probably back off.

As soon as I see the ripple I start moving regardless of whether I know where it is going to break at the moment. I want to develop momentum so that I can paddle to the wave and run parallel along it looking for the best spot. Others seeing me paddle parallel to the wave know I want it and might be in the best position. If it is going to break further in that I expected, I might chase it, but those further in that waited probably have better position than me. In these cases, I will often say “You’ve got it”.

You have to catch them. If the line up sees you chase and not catch consistently or fall off the wave, they will not give you as much room. When you see someone chase, catch, and ride each time, they get the most respect.

For Surf Lessons in Oceanside, see my Home Page

See my video on how to do pop ups. https://youtu.be/8vOL5z7Y2yE