Every time we see a surfer riding those ever-changing waves, it never fails to amaze us how exciting it might be to be a part of the ocean and feel the thrill of smoothly riding the wave. Though it looks fun and easily learnable, there’s more to surfing than what meets the eye.

From selecting the right surfboard while learning and getting wiped out constantly to honoring the surfing ethics, it’s a sport that needs consistency of practice, dedication, and gallons of respect for the ocean.

A beginner should be mindful of surfing instructors’ surfing tips and use a proper surfboard guide to meticulously select the right surfboard right from the start. Let’s look into these aspects of surfing a little more!

Importance of your surfboard

Selecting the right surfboard makes a huge difference for beginners. Unfortunately, no Triwizard cup chooses the right surfboard for us because it needs careful calculation, a surfboard size guide, and a surfing guide to help us choose.

Types of Surfboards

There are various shape and performance-based surfboards, like Egg, Tow-in, and Shortboard. In addition, surfing guides recommend a longboard, a foam board, or a soft-top board that will be helpful for beginners. All these boards have an adequate volume that facilitates easy paddling and balancing.

The surfboard, according to the beginners guide to surfing, is always taller than the surfer. Usually, the board that the surfing guides recommend depends on the wave type, the condition of the surfing spot, the level of surfing we know, and our stamina or fitness.

The Volume of the Surfboards

For beginners, the ideal surfboards are the ones with good volume, i.e., the surfboards that are long, wide, and have a large surface area to balance easily in water. Low-volume surfboards are used by pro surfers, mostly in tournaments, while high-volume surfboards are used by beginners for their safety.

For beginners, referring to a surfboard volume guide will be of great help, as choosing the right surfboard depends on and will impact the performance, speed, balance, and stability.

Fins

Choosing the surfboard with the right fin is very important. According to the surfboard fins guide, there are five standard fin setups, with the most recommended one being the ‘thruster’ fin.

So, while buying a surfboard, it’s better to choose the one that would help a great deal in stability and balance and is suitable for our performance level or experience.

Kite Surfing

Another unique experience intertwined with surfing is kite surfing. Also called ‘kiteboarding,’ it is different from surfing because the surfers use a large kite to propel themselves through the water while standing on the surfboard.

• The choice of kite surfboard is a little different as a lot of force, weight of the surfer, and pressure come into play. Therefore, the surfboard volume guide and kite surfboard size guide are vital in selecting kite surfboards.
• The kiteboards are separated into Down-the-line and Freestyle Wave kite surfboards. The former has low volume and width, while the latter has high volume and high width. Like the surfers, kitesurfers also recommend thruster fin to be the best for surfing.

Learn About Surf Ethics

Every form of sports has ideals and principles that everyone must follow. It’s the same for surfing too! Especially with the ocean being unpredictable, it’s mandatory that the surfers follow surfing ethics to prevent mayhem in the sea.

The Wave Priority

Some surfing ethics work on what we call ‘the wave priority’. The hierarchy goes like this- farthest outside to breaking wave, farthest inside to the breaking wave, first to be up and communication. So, the person closer to the peak or outside the breaking wave always has the priority.

Surfing Ethics

While surfing, there is a certain set of etiquette that you have to follow to respect the act of surfing and other surfers as well!

• The surfing guides call the ‘Drop In’ the primary mistake to avoid while surfing. ‘Drop In’ is when a surfer with priority is ignored and overtaken by another surfer even after clear action. Hence engaging a wave while another surfer is riding it is a big no.
• Another surfing ethic that surfers sometimes might forget is not to dominate and ‘gobble up’ all the waves. Instead, some surfers try to paddle back to the peak and ride all the waves continuously, which results in many surfers not getting the chance to surf.
• The third type of digression from surfing ethics is ‘interfering’. This happens when a surfer paddling back to the peak is in the way of another surfer riding the wave.

The best way to avoid these is to be conscious and alert when surfing. Also, being communicative when in doubt and apologizing when needed is a golden rule in surfing. While learning to surf, attention to the longboard surfing tips the surfing guide provides is very important.

Sustainable Surfing Brands

They often use low-carbon-footprint materials for surfboards and recycled materials for wetsuits. This helps in reducing pollution on land and in the sea. We can also include not littering as a part of surfing ethics.

Choose the right spot for your ability

The right surfing spot plays a major role in having a good surfing experience because there are a lot of factors involved, like wind and different types of waves.

Best Spot for Beginners

Many spots are suitable for beginners to learn surfing. However, different surfing spots have different environments, and one must find the best spot to have a good experience.

• The beginner’s guide to surfing suggests that the best surf spots for beginners are those which are neither too crowded nor too deserted. Longboard spots are also present for beginners where the waves are suitable enough to learn.
• There are spots for pro-surfers too, where generally it’s not advised for beginners to go as it might create disruptions or accidents. However, these surfing spots and sometimes beginners’ camps provide many longboard surfing tips.

Monitor the Forums

Many reports are being updated online where a surfer can know about the wind speed, length of the wave, and buoyancy rate.

Of course, it’s always better to check the range of waves and tides before surfing. Communicating with seasoned surfers will also help in deciding the right place based on the experience level.

Best Spots for Surfing

Australia’s Gold Coast, South Africa’s Jeffry’s Bay, and many places in the United States like Hawaii, California, and Florida are known to house some of the world’s best places to surf.

To know about the surfing spots near you, keep checking the surfing sites about the spots, as many places have dedicated forums for surfing enthusiasts.

Importance of protective gear

As we already established above, surfing is a sport that can create absolute chaos if one’s not careful. Hence good protective surfing gear is needed to ensure safety.

Basic Surfing Equipment

Surfing equipment includes a surfboard, fins, surf bag, leash tied on the leg, traction pad, wax for the surfboard, wetsuits, earplugs, and rashguard. The wetsuits are typically used when the water is colder than the normal temperature.

They are usually 3-5 millimeters thick. The best wetsuits for surfing keep out the water and trap the body heat inside.

Accessories

The gear and its usage will be explained in the beginner’s guide to surfing. However, looking at the part while we’re at it is always a satisfaction. So why not use surfing accessories!

The best accessories to pair up with the gear are waterproof surfing watches, gloves, floating sunglasses, surf hats, and surf ponchos.

As surfing progresses, the wetsuits for women are now available with flexibility, durability, thermal linings, and knee pads.

Conclusion

The feeling of water rushing underneath your toes, feeling those moments of exhilaration when riding the wave, the determination to paddle back and start again even when you get wiped out, and the immense satisfaction when you present a beautiful surfing figure in the sea is all possible gradually with consistent practice and drive.

From selecting the first longboard, respecting the etiquette, to riding an entire wave, surfing is not just a sport; it’s a life, a passion, and an experience.