I Finally Made It!!!

[garbarrage]

don't quit! hang11 is spot on. it will get easier. if you are not being given proper instruction, why are you paying for lessons? it's a bit unprofessional of them not to have you stretching properly before and after the session, and no wonder you are sore. there's a book called "fit to surf". should pick it up easily. fairly cheap too. has loads on stretching and muscle specific exercises.
the soreness goes away quicker the more often you go out. so just stick it out. you will get there. strongly recommend sacking your instructor tho.
reckon they can only teach you so much anyway. the rest is really practice and trial and error.
as for the lazy american thing. if they aren't teaching you properly it's more a case of lazy instructor... sounds like he's just there for a pay check.

[brummie]

well it seems like your having fun and that is the main point! aches come as part of the package, just been out on the east coast of Uk this weekend and im feeling it in my arms now. With regards to the bruises there's nothing you can do. When I was in Florida I got cut up due to being hit by the surf board, board rash and sunburn but you learn from your mistakes i guess. Have a wicked trip and keep us updated with photos!

[RJD]

It gets easier the more you do it but make sure if your paying for lessons your getting taught!

Theres a few things that go together to get you surfing.

Stoke
Skill
Fitness
Time in the water

You can generaly make up for lacking one or two with extra of the others

IMO realy try get the basics right, balance, paddling, smooth popup when you get there.

[Hang11]

One thing to never forget, learning to surf is not easy. It takes a long time, a fair bit of pain, and a lot of commitment. Good surfers make it look easy, but getting to that stage really isn't.

So don't forget that when you are getting dealt to by huey. Every single person who you see out surfing has been there at some time in their lives.

And don't ever beat yourself up about not doing well enough. Just stay stoked and have a good time.

[Island Bri]

I guess the best part of all of this is that I can stop being the land-locked Tennessean and join in the surfing conversation now!

Hang 11 - That's the only problem with beginning any skill. It's always hard and frustrating at first. I haven't started anything truly new for while (I've just been working on variations of things). But I decided to get out of my comfort zone in no-water-land-locked-southern-USA and do something completely different!

Garbarrage - Oh I have no intention to quit. If it keeps going like this, I think I just might get addicted. Well, I wasn't sure what to look for in an instructor and the friends I with have taken lessons from him multiple times. He wasn't a bad instructor by any means. He definitely knew his stuff and could surf well. Though I was surprised at the lack of stretching time and him not coming out in the water with us. Minus one occassion, he mainly just stood on the beach and would call us onto shore if he saw something wrong.

Hm, I'm going to have to look for that book. I'm working out roughly every day of the week at the gym, alternating weights and cardio. But I've got sore muscles now where I didn't even know there was a muscle!

Brummie - Definitely! Yeah, I woke this morning and could barely open the door. My chest, shoulders, and arms are killing me! As soon as I can get them uploaded, I'll be putting photos up!

RJD - True, true. Though if I was able to get up on the board on my first day of lessons, my instructor must've been doing something right, eh? Though my popups are shabby. I keep going to my knees instead of popping straight up. The few times that I remembered to pop up in one fluid motion, that's when I was actually able to make it up on the boards. The rest of the time, I was too worried about not getting pommeled by a wave that I didn't think about popping up correctly.

[Island Bri]

Sorry for the double post, but I've posted up some of my photos in the gallery! (Sorry, no photos of me surfing...yet )


Island Bri's Surf Pics
<edit to add link. SP>

[Plaz]

Just some of my input as far as back pain. I 'm "much" older than the most of you, and had chronic back pain for years. My advice is to get a fitness ball. You can do a bunch of exercises for your back, and abs, making surfing more enjoyable. Now, I have NO back pain. I do stretch practically every day, and maintain the back and ab muscles all year. Fitness balls are cheap too. You can even practice sitting on the board by sitting, with no feet on the ground , on the ball. Balls of fun!