Surfing Waves

I've never been athletic. I've never cared for the competition of most sports, or been particularly fond of relying on teammates.

Surfing meanwhile - man, it's the only sport I've ever tried and felt right about. It's perfect for me.

Well, at least I feel like it is - I've only surfed twice before, both times on vacation in Encinitas in the summer of 2016. Being a native Arkansan, I almost never get a chance to surf. I was self-conscious about ever even trying - I felt foolish. But I tried anyway, and I loved it. I took a lesson and managed to get up on my own a few times before our trip was over. I lament that I waited until the trip was nearly over to even try, because it was just awesome.

But this summer I get to go back. My wife and I are going to Encinitas again, and this time I've got a board rented for the whole week. We have a car with a roof rack rented, I've got a 9' foam board rented, and I'm going to get back out there. I'm so pumped.

Any tips on staying safe, ways to be a respectful learner, or good beginner surf spots in or near Encinitas would be very appreciated.

1. Get surf fit (to the extent you can). This means mostly swimming, some flexibility work. Swim fit helps safety as well

2. Learn/refresh the surfing rules of etiquette

3. If you don’t already have this knowledge, study how to read a beach, the waves, rips etc. Google ‘Dr Rip’ as a start

4. Watch some videos - the ‘surf simply’ videos are excellent. They may not make complete sense at the moment/at your skill level, but it won’t take long until they are helping you out

5. Remember it’s a long road; don’t get frustrated. My mantra is ‘optimism (you will get better), persistence (you will keep trying) and enjoyment (it’s always fun)’

Sorry, can’t help you with specific locations or local knowledge