scared to surf on and off

[surfdude101]

Awesome, thanks I'll keep that in mind. What I mean with surfing the white water only is when the surfs to big I don't go home but stand and Watch the others or surf at a place I can still stand. When there is are normal size waves/waves I feel confident at I'll pedal out. That way I also get used to the strong currents in big waves while still feeling confident, and take little steps eacht time. So when I do pedal out later on in know what to deal with, and I don't feel scared that much. Like said before it's lessential scary when your in the surf and the same always happens to me

[RinkyDink]

it's winter season here and what really gave my fear a boost is someone saying "feel the fear, AND DO IT ANYWAYS" i also remind myself that this isn't, for my height higher than my waist. I really want to surf so I'm going to crank my ocean knowledge up.

That's awful advice. The people who get into trouble in sports, in my opinion, are the ones who ignore common sense. You don't have to prove anything. There's no rush. If you're not comfortable, then you won't be able to execute the skills you need because you won't be focused. Take your time. Eventually, you'll start challenging yourself because you want the challenge not because you think you need it. The ocean punishes those who get reckless. Anyway, it really doesn't take long before you start to feel like you have a better understanding of what you're doing in the water. Be patient and have fun.

[surfdude101]

I mean, when I commit to a wave, don't chicken out because the pact of me getting in the cold water (wich will happen anyways) is a bigger chance than when I just go for it instead of the wave breaking on me

[RinkyDink]

I mean, when I commit to a wave, don't chicken out because the pact of me getting in the cold water (wich will happen anyways) is a bigger chance than when I just go for it instead of the wave breaking on me

Ah ha, well in that case I would agree. If you decide to take off on a wave and paddle into it, then I would say it's best to commit to your takeoff and go for it.

[saltydog]

I used to feel anxious and nervous driving up to surf. Once I paddled out I was fine but thinking about how bad a beating I'd take made me really feel uncomfortable. I still feel that way on occasion if the waves are a lot bigger than usual, but most of the time I'm ok now. Don't push yourself too much, and eventually as you get used to the ocean you'd feel less nervous about it.

[surfdude101]

I used to feel anxious and nervous driving up to surf. Once I paddled out I was fine but thinking about how bad a beating I'd take made me really feel uncomfortable. I still feel that way on occasion if the waves are a lot bigger than usual, but most of the time I'm ok now. Don't push yourself too much, and eventually as you get used to the ocean you'd feel less nervous about it.

Yeah I know what you mean with that feeling. Here it's Winter it doesn't snow but it can be pretty cold in the water. I surfed last year in February the cold season and in November, so basically I learned to surf in the 'cold season' so that doesn't bother me even tho im not taking high risk (only go out when there's small surf and I can manage to paddle in and out without a problem) I want to surf most of the time in winter and autumn since that are the seasons when there are good waves here. So if I want to learn more I go in winter time, autumn and Spring. I know the dangers of hypothermia so I'm always conscious on how I'm feeling if I'm getting to cold I get straight out of the water. If I'm not confident I just don't go in the water.

[kookRachelle]

1. am i hooked? is it normal that everyday i want to surf after 10 lessons?)

2. should i get a private lesson to freshen my brain up because i had lessons early this year and last one was in July (3 lessons) and with a family member that also surfed a lot.

3. how can i overcome fear of waves? i really want to surf but i feel that my fear makes my chicken out every time so i just stay home. I don't mind going alone or wiping-out but the size of the wave coming towards make or lifting me up makes me feel afraid.

cheers,
s

1. It is totally normal to want to surf everyday after 10 lessons... if you're hooked. So yes, you're hooked! Enjoy being passionate about something so beautiful. I was in the same exact boat (still am) and will paddle out into ANYTHING!

2. As soon as you are paddling into your own waves, stop it with the lessons. All they're going to do is push you into the waves and provide feedback that you probably don't need as long as you're getting out there enough on your own. You just need to put in the time and repetition. Now, I think I know what you are doing... you probably feel safer in a lesson, having someone push you into a wave and tell you when to pop up. You don't need that - you'll never get the feeling of it on your own if you rely on that.

3. How are your swimming skills? Maybe working on improving there would help? I am a pretty strong swimmer but I can sort of relate to what you seem to have going on as a beginner surfer myself.

I had surgery in late August and recently when I finally got the official clearance to surf, I went out that first time and it was super windy. Someone dropped in on me so I dove in to keep from hitting her. My feet went up and the wave pushed my board into my foot and I got slashed by one of my fins, needing 4 stitches. That was a crappy session overall, and then the following weekend I had an even crappier session (after taking the stitches out myself hehe) because I was afraid of getting hurt again. I wasn't having fun because I was timid and my stomach dropped each time I got up, so then I'd just bail.

I went out with a friend the following (last) weekend and he told me it looked like I had some bad wipe outs pearling because he could tell how timid I was by me getting scared and holding back. It was a small(ish) day and the weather and conditions were perfect for a beginner and my longboard and when he told me "nothing is going to happen to you today, you can't get hurt so just commit and have fun" I finally started getting rides in. It was seriously the best session I've had to date! I was out there almost 3 hours riding most of what I attempted and having a blast.

I think it's healthy to have respect for the ocean by taking a good long look at the currents, the timing of the sets, etc. and wait for waves that are safe. I just also know first hand that straight up fear is going to halt progression so when you are paddling out and your heart is in your throat, take a deep breath and convince yourself that you are fearless.

Just my .02

[surfdude101]

Thank you, this will really help me, yeah your right I'll never getc that feeling when I take lessons all the time, but I'm 1 taking one lesson to freshen up and when I'm stuck I'll take another one

[Big H]

Only be "fearless" if you are fully confident that you can save yourself........it really is about knowing your limits and respecting the ocean.....my first two years there were many occasions that I would go to surf and wind up staying on the beach because the conditions were too big for my ability....that means my ability to surf as well as my ability to recover in a series of worst case scenarios....as I've improved and developed, I can paddle out and do well in most conditions due to ability and skills built slowly over time. I am not afraid because I have built my confidence and ability through a long series of small challenges to my ability.....I know what to expect, how to handle the conditions, what to do if things go pear shaped and how much I need to have in my reserves to pull it out of the fire.

Big wave riders aren't fearless.....they are probably as savvy as any surfer when it comes to knowing their limits and what they need to do to prepare for the worst. However, when they are in contest situations, some have admitted in interviews following the events that they pushed the limits because they knew the safety support crew was there to assist them (pull them out if they wound up falling and getting trapped inside for instance).

"Sacking up" or foolishly telling yourself that you are fearless when you have a solid basis for being afraid is reckless and can get you hurt or dead. Take your time, actively study and learn about the ocean and the break you surf at, build your fitness, surfing and swimming ability and most importantly learn what your limits are and respect those limits by only challenging yourself in small steps. Now you may need to thump your chest a bit to motivate yourself to charge into conditions that are on the edge of your ability, but you MUST know what your limits are so that you know deep in your heart that when things are marginal they are STILL within your limits.

[oldmansurfer]

Fear is a different thing for different people. For some people they just freeze up like a deer in the headlights. For others the adrenaline makes them perform better. If you are a deer in the headlights then you need to learn to focus your mind to the task at hand in those situations. Becoming familiar with the ocean and waves is the key to that. I have always been a risk taker but there have been times when fear got the better of me (not in the water so far) but let me tell you about an incident where I was afraid.

As a kid I used to love to climb trees and I was very good at it. Me and the other kids would play a follow the leader game where one kid would do something in a tree then all the rest of us had to do the same stunt. Typically I could do anything that anyone else could do easily because I believed I was a probably much better tree climber than any of them. But one day a kid climbed a big tree that had a big branch the crossed over a big branch from a neighboring tree and he climbed from the one tree to the next on those crossing branches that were about 30 feet up where they crossed. I did it but I was so scared (I probably left a brown smear all along the branches) I knew I was impaired in my ability and I probably should have declined to do it but you know peer pressure and my own judgement that I was the best I pushed myself to do it. It really bothered me that I was so afraid so I went back to those trees every day and climbed out to where I was starting to get scared and just stayed there till I wasn't scared then climbed back down without crossing from tree to tree. Eventually I became more confident and was able to cross between the trees without this extreme fear making me freeze and not want to move on. I just went a little further and a little further as where my fear kicked in got further and further on the branch.

It's the same with surfing and the ocean. First you need to learn to recognize dangers in the ocean then you need to learn to deal with them to the point that they become familiar to you and not so scary. Just a little bit at a time but regular visits to the ocean. You need to be exposing yourself to your fears a little regularly or you may backslide

[surfdude101]

I have done other extreme sports before, so I am a risk taker but I also over think things. When I'm afraid I most of the time feel lots of adenine pumping, but I can mangel to stay very calm (meditation runs in my family) so I can control my body very good.

[Big H]

Surfing is an extreme sport?

Don’t get it twisted; staying calm in emergency situations does not “run in the family”. There is only one way to achieve clarity under pressure with high stakes and that is through practice, training and preparedness. Physical training, ability in the water, lifesaving techniques, knowledge of your break and mental rehearsals vis a vis exactly what you would do to safely extract yourself from specific scenarios (caught in the rip left of the parking lot, with and without your board....dislocated shoulder, caught in the sweep and alternative areas to paddle in if swept around the point. Staying calm in the water in an emergency is really important.....losing your cool in the water in an emergency generally results in death. Don’t declare to us; make sure you are comfortable, prepared and don’t push yourself into situations that are potential -pun intended- dead ends.

[oldmansurfer]

I have done other extreme sports before, so I am a risk taker but I also over think things. When I'm afraid I most of the time feel lots of adenine pumping, but I can mangel to stay very calm (meditation runs in my family) so I can control my body very good.

If you can control your body very good then make it go to the beach and catch some waves

[oldmansurfer]

I am probably not the right guy to tell you what to do because I surf very often in waves that scare other surfers if not fearing for their lives then dreading the pounding they may take (and I use boards that can't be duck dived). I however enjoy it. It's a challenge and I get to surf with no crowds and very often no one else in the same break as me. When I was younger and starting to really get into surfing my friends would politely tell me they didn't want to go out with me in the conditions I wanted to go out in because they didn't think they could handle it and they had been surfing longer than me. I however started body surfing when I was very young and before I ever surfed, I body surfed in waves bigger than many surfers would want to go out in. So when I started surfing there was no problem with fear because I was completely familiar with the waves and the ocean. It was like a second home to me. So my take is you need to just get down to the beach and go out maybe just bodysurf at first and get used to the waves. Having a board makes dealing with the waves a little more difficult. If you don't swim well take swimming lessons and go swim laps in a pool till you can do a mile swim in 30 minutes. If that is part of the equation then that is a part you can improve on. Maybe just go to the beach and look at the waves. Your problem however is likely that you are unfamiliar with the ocean and the only way to get familiar is to go get in it. Unfortunately you can't do it regularly so when you quit the fear will come back.

[surfdude101]

Hey guys its bin a while but im doing good, the surf is up and i surf now 5ft waves (still a bit affraid but god i love riding big waves).

two months ago in the winter i had a hold down in a 6ft wave (set wave) it felt less tereble than i imagend so i tried to catch a next set wave (got blasted) didnt catch it but that one was also not to heavy, i still dont padle for those type of waves a lot, because thats asking for a brain freeze, BUT it made me realise that a hold down is most of the time not as bad as i thought it was.

btw I realized that your never alone in the line-up when i go there the locals (and me) always give a slow nod, or just somthing to show we have aknowledged each other.

so yeah for now thats my (cool, literly) experience with learning to surf during winter time.

[Beginner77]

That's great news - thanks for the update