Category: Learning to Surf

Wave Timing in Catching Real Waves

When I teach students how to surf in Oceanside Surf Lessons USA, beginner surfers have trouble learning wave timing. There are three steps for which you need timing. 

You need to lay on the board way before the foam wave arrives. Beginners should not start with real waves, but the foam wave after the real wave has broken near shore. The surfer needs to be on the board and paddling before the wave arrives. Many beginners treat the surf board like a boogie board and hop on when the wave is a few feet away. This will cause the board to get swamped most of the time.

Beginners wonder when to start their pop up. They often jump on the board as soon as the wave hits the board. This is too soon. You need to paddle before the wave arrives and when it hits the board, continue paddling a few strokes until the surf board is in front of the wave.

Beginner surfers wonder when to stand up. The big problem they encounter is jumping up on the board as soon as the wave hits the board. They should paddle until the board is in front of the wave. Then when the board is going straight and riding level, put their hands on the board under their chest in a man’s push up position. At this point, which I call the transition, they should then move smoothly into the stand up position.

I give students a cadence to count out loud. Paddling until you are in front of the wave is one. Putting your hands on the board is two. Bringing the front foot up into the proper spot is three. Standing with your body facing the beach is four.

*

Learn surfing in Oceanside Surf Lessons

See a dry land and water beginner demonstration https://markap12.wistia.com/medias/802fhfkzy9

Surf Paddling is a Core Technique for Surf Progress

When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA, I get students of every physical condition. Even the extremely fit find surf paddling tiring. For one, it uses specific muscles that doesn’t quite replicate the swimming experience. Those who infrequently exercise their upper bodies, find paddling is the first thing that goes.

The thing is, students don’t realize that the paddling what is hurting their pop ups. I spot it right away. Paddling creates a fatigue that results in total body fatigue. I often know my session is over when I miss an easy pop up. I know it is paddling fatigue. Work at the gym can help. I do a lot of cable work where I pull the cables toward my body.

We need our upper body for doing pop ups as well. Push ups help and so do bench presses. Practicing pop ups is the best.

The third thing surfers need for surf paddling is stamina or recovery. Any aerobics makes you better.

It goes without saying, that in most sports we need to be stretched. The pop up requires flexibility to touch the ground with the palms of your hands without bending your knees. Stretching your upper body might prevent tweaks after falling.

*

Learn how to surf with Oceanside Surf Lessons

Dry land and water demonstration of basic techniques.

When teaching Surf Lessons in Oceanside CA, I get all ages from 8 to 70 years old. Seniors can start surfing if they are used to physical activity. So many people are filling their bucket lists. People see surf movies or have watched them all their life and say some day, I have to do that.

As Crowley and Lodge say in their book Younger Next Year, age is functional not chronological. Everyone over 30 should read it. I have adults with the same difficulties for surfing after 30 years old.

The first notable difficulty is every one is a bit stiff from not stretching. Stretching is important for everything in life. One test is putting your palms on the floor without bending your knees. You need to stretch your hamstrings, lower back and buttocks. All get stiff from sitting and from doing exercises without warm up or warm down stretching.

The next obvious one is upper body strength. People that are over weight and have not been doing push ups are going to feel the effects when trying to do pop ups on a surf board in the water. It is more difficult than practicing pop ups in your living, though, this is the way to start. I love doing push ups on the big bouncy balls you find in the gym. Those really test your wrists, arms and shoulders.

Balance is a useful talent for most any sport. In surfing, if you can land the pop properly, you don’t need as much balance as people suspect. One exercise I treasure is my early morning yoga pose where I lift one leg in front of me and hold my toes while straightening my leg. Maybe enough of this exercise and you could exercise on the balanced beam. I am amazed by people who walk the strap they tie between two trees in the park.

Your core is important in most anything you do. People get back problems from being out of balance mostly. Muscles can pull the spinal cord when your front and back muscles are not trained. (Drs. jump in here). We naturally use our backs for lifting and most motions during the day and so we should be training our stomachs for balance support.

Stamina is a key that dooms most people when they get older. I have had people quit quickly because the first few rides into the beach already have them gasping for breath. Like most sports there is exertion and then recovery. Most people are not going to be surfing stamina trained, but recovery is important. Each time we exert, our body can have the energy reserves to do it again. Any aerobic exercise is good. I bike and try to run on the beach. Swimming, treadmills, classes, basketball, running, and even yoga are all good.

Getting in shape for surfing is preparing to live longer with a higher quality of life!!

When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside CA I have the fun of introducing students not just to surfing, but to the ocean. The ocean is powerful and intimidating. On even small surf days, new students often say that the waves look big. We begin by riding foam waves that break near the beach to make learning the fundamentals easier.

One of the first things students learn is how to handle their bodies and the surf board in the waves. There is a big comfort zone that is reached when we can dissipate the intimidation by learning how to paddle into and absorb wave power. I am as thrilled by seeing students paddle and brave waves as almost anything else. Its a milestone.

Secondly students learn they need to be in better physical condition to fully enjoy and last in surfing sessions. Even marines learn that their training is not the same as surfing. Push ups, stretching, and cardio are three immediate needs. Students should also practice proper pop ups in their living room.

Thirdly, students learn surfing is a precise practice. Each ride I correct what they do wrong and they realize it is piecing a lot of techniques and practices together to complete a successful ride to the beach.

Fourthly surfing is really fun and creates a great feeling of accomplishment. Most people have had surfing on their bucket list for a long time and joining the world of surfers feels like admittance to a great club. Riding on Nature’s wind fueled waves is also more amazing than riding down a snow pack or skateboarding on a sidewalk. Surfing is combining a simple tool and physical effort to meet Nature in her own park.

*

I also have a video on doing the 4 different kinds of pop ups you can use to get up on the board in the water. Necessary if you are going to learn without a surf lesson.  See the Teaser clip of this video

Surf Paddling is a Core Technique for Surf Progress

When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA, I get students of every physical condition. Even the extremely fit find surf paddling tiring. For one, it uses specific muscles that doesn’t quite replicate the swimming experience. Those who infrequently exercise their upper bodies, find paddling is the first thing that goes.

The thing is, students don’t realize that the paddling what is hurting their pop ups. I spot it right away. Paddling creates a fatigue that results in total body fatigue. I often know my session is over when I miss an easy pop up. I know it is paddling fatigue. Work at the gym can help. I do a lot of cable work where I pull the cables toward my body.

We need our upper body for doing pop ups as well. Push ups help and so do bench presses. Practicing pop ups is the best.

The third thing surfers need for surf paddling is stamina or recovery. Any aerobics makes you better.

It goes without saying, that in most sports we need to be stretched. The pop up requires flexibility to touch the ground with the palms of your hands without bending your knees. Stretching your upper body might prevent tweaks after falling.

*

Learn how to surf with Oceanside Surf Lessons

Dry land and water demonstration of basic techniques.

The Value of Surf Lessons

I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside USA and not to toot my own horn, but most of my students are happy they took lessons before starting out on this venture. Lots of people who say they were going to try on their own say they are glad they didn’t. Many who tried and found it frustrating to learn, decided they better begin with a few instructions. 

Surfing is more technical than people realize. It looks easy the way experts pop up on a wave and carve beautiful maneuvers. Anyone who watches snowboards in the half pipes might think snowboarding looks easy. Two things have to happen with both: Your techniques lead to courage, it takes years to master both where you are performing like those you see on film.

Catching Waves for Beginners

Most beginners have no idea how to catch a wave. It seems simple. The timing in leading the wave, catching it, and then timing the pop up is the first obstacle new people can’t get on their own. In surf lessons, I don’t introduce catching waves until students can paddle after me pushing them into the wave and then do a pop up and ride to the beach. This takes a half hour for most students.

Once students have learned to pop up and catch their own waves, they have a great time in their new found freedom. Now they can catch the waves and apply the techniques to their new adventure. One hour of learning how to do it can save months of trial and error or the frustration that causes people to quit.

*

For Surf Lessons in Oceanside, see the Home Page

A good video for learning how to surf

Fear in surfing is common from the first day beginner to professionals.

What is Fear in Surfing

For beginners, the ocean is intimidating. Its one thing to go in for a swim and body surf some waves and another to use a surf board that can toss you unexpectedly.

In my Oceanside surf lessons, one boy student I had was trembling on the beach during the dry land lesson. I thought he wouldn’t last after the first wave he paddled. Pretty soon he noticed the beginner foam waves just going by him without ill effects. Then he became fearless and rode waves.

One of the most important aspects for new surfers is to be comfortable in the ocean. Most students not only get comfortable, they learn to love being in the water.

As beginners progress and want to ride real waves, it seems the only way to learn is the hard way. It takes get worked to learn what to do and not to do. Even the pros look back and say they were fearful each bigger wave level they attempted.

Surfers don’t lose fear, they learn to manage it.

What is Your Own Level of Fear Tolerance?

Everyone has a different tolerance for fear often depending on what they have tried before. When I teach Surf Lessons in Oceanside, we begin riding foam waves that are never above chest level. Any deeper and I can’t push people into the waves. 

Yet, a big obstacle is often getting people to stand up on the moving board on the count of four. Students have all sorts of hold backs because they are afraid to fall of the surf board. Sometimes they put a knee on the board first instead of popping up on both feet. They often, don’t want to pop up and let go of the security of the board.

Faith in the system I teach, courage in the face of falling off the board, and a willingness to abandon thinking in following the process are each important. The processes taught in the dry land lesson will lead to muscle memory of all steps.

Once students have learned in foam waves, they can proceed to paddle out to bigger foam waves and real waves. Fear is a constant companion in surfing. Professionals have fear. One said that the size of waves can be measured in increments of fear. We learn to manage fear in surfing which may be one of the more valuable attributes.

You can really get worked by waves as you progress, but if you have unmanageable fear, you won’t progress nor even like the sport.

*

For surf lessons in Oceanside, see the Home Page

See my Youtube Pop Up Video for beginner instructions

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

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

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