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Is surfing difficult to learn? Is surfing easier than windsurfing? Where can I do it? How much does the gear cost? Can I learn Surfing from watching a video? I have windsurfed for 20 years, will that make me a better Surfer? How long will it take me to learn? Q. Is surfing difficult to learn?A. Learning to surf is easier than ever before. We have been teaching surfing now for over 14 years, and it just gets better and better. The sport has matured and is still growing and constantly evolving. New equipment and new training techniques make the learning process fun and rewarding . It still requires some dedication to get into the sport. This combined with patience and motivation is what it takes to be a surfer. Compared to other sports surfing is relatively easy to learn. The learning curve compared to windsurfing is faster, and the surfer will be more advanced after their first year. Surfing is more involved to learn than wakeboarding. Surfing is like learning two skills, swimming and skateboarding.Q. Is surfing easier than windsurfing?A. Learning to Surf is "faster" than learning to windsurf. We like to say that the surfing learning curve is steeper than the windsurfing learning curve. This means that you will learn more in a shorter time. In surfing you can catch and ride a wave in your first session. Really mastering the sport takes many years..Q. Where can I do it?A. You can learn to surf in many places around the world, with small mushy waves and medium depth water. It is best to stay with well known surfing areas. find out where the best beaches and breaks are from your local surf shop, or surf school. You can always go with a local surfer who can show you the break for the first time. Surf conditions change daily and sometimes hourly. take time to observe the conditions before paddling out.Q. How much does the gear cost?A. Surfing equipment costs much less than windsurfing/snowboarding equipment. Surfboards range from $450.00 to 850.00 depending on their size. Wetsuits can cost from 100.00 to 250.00, board leash $30-40.00. Board bag $60.00 You may want booties 40-50.00. Used boards range from $20.00 but a decent one will be closer to $150-250.00. However now there are many great deals on new boards.Q. Do I need to take lessons?A. Absolutely, Surfing is a difficult sport to learn on your own. Like scuba diving, or flying a paraglider, you don't want to take unnecessary risks while learning. Many of the techniques are counterintuitive, and are best learned in a lesson. Because of the huge forces involved you do not want to make costly mistakes. Lessons shorten your learning time and keep you much safer in the process.Q. Is surfing Safe?A. Surfing is safer than ever! Since the development of professional surfing schools there has been a lot of attention paid to safety. The pioneers of the sport had their fair share of problems as they figured everything out. Before board leashes surfboards would go flying, and the surfers would be in for long swims. Soft top surfboards are less likely to cause injury, and we use soft edged fins too. The choice of equipment, and the choice of location add to the overall safety of the lessons. Having the right sized board is vital to your success, more rides and less wipeouts. A professional surfing lesson teaches the fundamentals of catching waves, paddling out through the waves, and how to negotiate the impact zone.Q. Can I learn Surfing from watching a video?A. Definitely not! (but they can help). There have been instructional videos available for years. Watching a few videos before your first lesson will help you to visualize the overall process. Only very few videos or DVD's will have up to date techniques that will compare to the latest techniques. That is why a lesson with a live instructor is so important.Q. How about books and DVD's?A. Books and DVD's are great homework before and after your lesson. Watching a good instructional DVD before your lesson, and having a good instructional book to refer to after your lesson is great to reinforce what you have learned. Students who watch the DVD before the lesson, learn faster, and progress earlier. Students who read the instructional books after their lessons will have much better retention of the information. This is a real advantage in surfing because people often have a long period after their training before they try their own equipment for the first time.Q. When should I take a lesson?A. Take a lesson Before, During and After you purchase your equipment. Take a lesson to see if you like the sport. Doing a single day lesson will give you a taste of what is to come. Most people will know right away if it is right for them. The investment is minimal in a single lesson. Be sure to tell the instructor that you are just trying the sport out. They usually have a "discovery" type program that is light on the technical jargon, but gives you an overview and hands on experience.If you like the sport you should sign up for a complete course usually up to 3 to 5 more days. Then you will have progressed beyond the beginner equipment and be ready to purchase you own gear. Ask your instructor what gear they recommend. After purchasing your equipment take it back to your instructor and do another lesson on your own board. Your instructor will make sure that you know how to use your new board correctly. Take as many lessons as you need to feel confident and have all the skills to be independent. Then after you have mastered surfing in your local area, you should take a lesson whenever surfing a new location for the first time. Hook up with an instructor who is local to the area, and they can show you "where the rocks are", Knowing the local conditions and hazards, and customs will help you enjoy the new location safely without creating problems for yourself and others. Once you turn Pro, don't forget the instructor who helped you get into this great sport. Send your friends to him for lessons, you will be doing them and him a favor. Q. Where should I take a lesson?A. Always take a lesson from an experienced Instructor. Not all instructors are the same. More than half of all surfing instructors have never received formal training. They put the guesswork back into surfing instruction. The best lesson will come from an experienced instructor that has been professionally trained. There are several good schools that offer the best level of professional service. It pays to do your homework and seek out the best instructors possible. Your life is literally in their hands. Do not be tempted to go for a few dollars cheaper lesson to save a few bucks. The best schools take their training seriously, are always safe, and always carry insurance. Professional surf schools are definitely worth every cent when it comes to your safety training.Q. I have windsurfed for 20 years, will that make me a better Surfer?A. Surfing is not windsurfing (snowboarding/ wakeboarding/ etc). These sports have similarities to surfing that will carry over. And the same determination that was required to master these sports will also be required to learn surfing too. Most people who ask this question don't like the idea of being a beginner and learning all over again. But the sooner they put their egos aside and hunker down to the learning process, the sooner they will be out there cruising. Of course a guy with 20 years windsurf experience will do well. It has many similarities, but the equipment is different and the environment is different. That is why in a lesson the instructor will take into consideration the previous experiences of the student and focus on the things they don't know, "the Differences". If the student has an open mind they will learn very quickly. If they are resistant to new ideas or wont let go of their ego, they will be in for a rude awakening, or at best a very frustrating experience.Q. How long will it take me to learn?A. Most people will stand and ride a wave in their first surfing lesson. But everybody is so different when it comes to surfing, a lot of skills carry over from other sports, So that if a guy is; a snowboarder/wakeboarding/skater, he will pick up the sport much faster that someone who hasn't ever done a board sport in their life. But as a rough guide, the longer surfing courses are the best place to start. They range from 3 days to 10 days. After the lesson phase is the self training phase, where the student practices what they learned in the lesson and gets water time, this is when they will go from a cruiser to a shredder. This process often takes 10-20 sessions. Don't be too fixated or worried about how long it takes, because you do not want to rush the learning phase.Q. Can I check it out first?A. Yes you can! We recommend anyone curious about Surfing to do the one-day "Discover surfing" class. You can check out the sport and get an overview of everything from the skills to the gear. You can see how the sport feels for you. After your first session you will be able to get a concept of the sport and how much training you may want to take, then if you like it you can always upgrade to a longer course.!!. Some people will just take the sport day by day, and do several single lessons until they are ready to take the next step.Q. Is surfing fun?A. Ask any Surfer!! Surfing is heaps of fun and very addictive. Most people I know spent their whole week waiting for their weekend surfing sessions. Most people secretly want to quit their day jobs so that they have more time to surf, quite a few people actually do quit their day jobs and go surfing every day. Then there are a growing number of full-time surfers who do not have any other job. And of course there are the professional Surfers who fly around the world following the wave conditions in all the best destinations. |
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Written by David Dorn first version posted 2005, copyright © 2005-2010 all rights reserved. |
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