Later in life beginners

[jaffa1949]

You found the door
At age forty four
Just to be sure
Paddle out for more
You'll find it's no joke
Cause you're maintaining your Stoke!

Enjoy thoroughly, surfing is a thing you can do,at any age!

[dtc]

Great to hear.

[ManicDaisy]

Hey there!

I'm a late newbie, too. In my teens I skiied, and in my 20s I snowboarded. Then my thirties was spent with a baby on my hip, or standing on shore vigilantly watching my children to make sure they were safe. Once I turned 40, I decided to do all the stuff I couldn't do when I was busy with small kids. And surfing was something I'd been dreaming about.

I took a couple lessons here and there, but was never able to really work on the sport until I spent a year doing Barre workouts. Those were my first experience of doing any sort of upper body work (other than carrying children.) With my newly strong arms, I was actually able to paddle without getting exhausted. I got a Beater Board to mess around with, then a larger one. Then, this past Christmas, I rented a longboard the whole trip and managed to start standing consistently on baby waves out by Hanalei pier. Immediately, I was hooked!

Now it turns out we ended up moving to Kauai, and I go out almost every day for an hour. In fact, I need to be careful because when I push it to 2-3 hours on the weekend, I end up hurting something. My current injury is an elbow strain from paddling. Grrr. :/

My goal is to surf as well as the average 10 year old boy around here, but I have a ways to go. As it is, I hang out surfing with all my kids' 11-14 year old friends and I'm sure they're gonna get sick of "Maddy/Chloe's mom" being around all the time. LOL. That said, I'm in the best shape of my life. I just take a little while to warm up and I have to watch it about injuries. I'm 43 and a half now, and only getting better!

Go oldies

[steveylang]

Hi all, I am just like OP (but started 5 years later), I have always wanted to learn but didn't get around to it until I took a lesson with my daughter in Malibu this summer. She had fun but I'm the one who has kept going. I've done some bodyboarding over the years, so have gotten off to a pretty good start.

I wonder if OP kept it up the last few years.

[Tudeo]

Well, I see OP's last post is from 6 jan 2012, in december 2011 he's posting about problems with the shoulder. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18139&p=150103#p150103

It looks like he has quit.

[tigazp]

I started surfing like 2 or 3 years ago. At this point I was 25 years old. Am I already a "later in life beginner" ?
Most of my surf buddies started when they were teenagers and either have a lot more experience than me or they are about 5 years younger haha
I had to learn a lot about wetsuits, surfboards and much basic stuff. 3 months ago I started a project trying to find useful informations about surfing and wetsuit - http://neoprenkleidung.de/.put them all together in one website. it's in german, so I doubt you guys would have any use for it.

[thesupguide]

I started surfing like 2 or 3 years ago. At this point I was 25 years old. Am I already a "later in life beginner" ?
Most of my surf buddies started when they were teenagers and either have a lot more experience than me or they are about 5 years younger haha
I had to learn a lot about wetsuits, surfboards and much basic stuff. 3 months ago I started a project trying to find useful informations about surfing and wetsuit - http://neoprenkleidung.de/.put them all together in one website. it's in german, so I doubt you guys would have any use for it.

Funny how "25" is later in life. I started at a similar age (26). It was painful trying to catch the white wash with a foamie while kids half my age did aerials above the lip, on the regular no less!

Best reco to everyone is to keep at it. Took me almost a year to really feel a good wave.

[tradiprone]

Hi just curious how many of you have taken surfing up at an older age rather than younger, and how you've found your progression and what drew you to it then and not earlier?

Hello to all
I decided to start surfing at 50. Already having windsurfed and SUP'ed in waves for years, I continued my quest for simplicity by getting rid of sail and paddle, pursuing surfing in it's purest version.
I did this because the appropriate wind strength to windsurf started to conflict with my available time. And I got tired of having a paddle in my hand as I entered the wave, in fact, throwing it behind the wave once I caught it, and, once having surfed the wave, prone or knee paddle the behemoth sup back to find it.
My surfing progression stuck until I figured out the pop-up, which took me some time to get wired beyond landing on my knees. I have a prone paddle board background, and in those, one surfs on knees.
The feeling of liberty once surfing a wave, the reading of the flow on the wave's face and the intricacies of catching it early and setting the rail have fascinated me. Also, waiting for the sets sitting, able to socialize and impervious to wind chop won me over. 2 years in, not missing windsurfing or sup at all.
The workout has been a welcome benefit, since my surf spot is half a kilometer offshore.
That said, I admit it has taken a while to get a board that fits my style and surf spot. I learned the meaning of fractions of inches and a few liters of volume differences. Entering my third year, I'm in conversations with a local shaper for a glider, made to my specifications.
Now, I understand better the lifestyle and workingsof true surfing and I look forward to many years of stoke.
Many sup peers have criticized my move, but some have joined me. Luckily, we all know each other and respect each other space, save for the occasional newcomer that needs to be addressed in the politics of the lineup.

Thanks for reading, be well.

[oldmansurfer]

Welcome to the forum and Surfing Waves. I am glad you decided to leave the dark side and see the light Lots of older surfers here. I am a born again surfer who restarted at an old age after going through a progression of bodysurfing to body boarding to knee boarding to surfing I surfed from when I was 18 till I was about 40 and then quit and after 11.5 years restarted. By the way bodysurfing is the most pure form of surfing.

[tradiprone]

Welcome to the forum and Surfing Waves. I am glad you decided to leave the dark side and see the light Lots of older surfers here. I am a born again surfer who restarted at an old age after going through a progression of bodysurfing to body boarding to knee boarding to surfing I surfed from when I was 18 till I was about 40 and then quit and after 11.5 years restarted. By the way bodysurfing is the most pure form of surfing.

Thanks for your reply @oldmansurfer
I totally concur about bodysurfing. I still practice it if swimming in the ocean and need to come in through the surf zone.
Regarding surfing at 50+, which type of board do you favor?
I prefer 10' and longer, having a glider in agenda for next summer.
Be well

[oldmansurfer]

When I restarted I used a 9'6" longboard but I was never a longboarder. I learned on a 6'10" board originally long ago so when I could feel the weight of the longboard as I turned I looked for another board. I went to a local shaper and he made me an 8 foot fungun (looks like a shortboard but it is longer wider and thicker). I call it my oldmanoverweightoutofshape board. I have a second board that I use a lot and it is 7'6" and another oldmanoverweightoutofshape board but it has a round tail whereas the eight foot board is a rounded pintail. I should probably call it my oldmanoverweightbarelyinshape board.

[oldmansurfer]

tradiprone my eight foot board is the one I am holding in my profile. I am 6'2" and weigh 215 pounds. When I learned I was 6'2" and 160 pounds and in much better physical condition and had much more time to surf.

[tradiprone]

tradiprone my eight foot board is the one I am holding in my profile. I am 6'2" and weigh 215 pounds. When I learned I was 6'2" and 160 pounds and in much better physical condition and had much more time to surf.

You got yourself a quiver! I see the passion for surfing in the way you speak about your boards.
Luckily for us "mature" surfers, we can customize our boards for our increasing dimensions. LOL!
My wife rolls her eyes every time I talk boards with someone. She knows something new is coming. Well, life is dynamic.
Thanks for sharing your quiver!
Be well

[Tudeo]

I decided to start surfing at 50.

Welcome in the waves, and the forum.

I'm 53 and started to commit myself to surfing at about 50. I surfed many years before that but maybe for max a week a year, no real progress in that. Now I moved to Bali and can surf every day. Well the waves are there every day, but I'm starting to feel the years, surf about 2x a week.

I still use a 6'2" shortboard, fitness permitting, but use an 8'2" funboard for lazy/tired days. I'm 6ft, 165lbs.

I lost a lot of strength and energy the last 5 years, but the nice thing about surfing is you can compensate for that by getting more experienced. By smarter surfing and better reading of the waves you only need a fraction of the energy and strengt, so I hope to stil have some years ahead of me in the waves.

Good luck with your surfing!

[tradiprone]

I decided to start surfing at 50.

Welcome in the waves, and the forum.

I'm 53 and started to commit myself to surfing at about 50. I surfed many years before that but maybe for max a week a year, no real progress in that. Now I moved to Bali and can surf every day. Well the waves are there every day, but I'm starting to feel the years, surf about 2x a week.

I still use a 6'2" shortboard, fitness permitting, but use an 8'2" funboard for lazy/tired days. I'm 6ft, 165lbs.

I lost a lot of strength and energy the last 5 years, but the nice thing about surfing is you can compensate for that by getting more experienced. By smarter surfing and better reading of the waves you only need a fraction of the energy and strengt, so I hope to stil have some years ahead of me in the waves.

Good luck with your surfing!

Thanks for the warm welcome Tudeo!

I found, like many peers who are "late" starters, that the improvement was very slow in the beginning.
Also, I found that frequency but not duration of sessions is a big must.
Ohh, Bali. I feel that a month there would amount for a lifetime of experience! Great!
The only time I've been on a shortboard was on a short switch I did with a peer who wanted to try my longboard. It certainly requires fitness to paddle, and I believe that the experience has to be very rewarding once on the wave.
That said, I've been rewarded plenty just by evolving from sup/windsurf to traditional surfing.
I've found the appropriate size and type of longboard to fulfill my long-ride and break searching taste!
I concur with you in that a loss of fitness comes with age, but is balanced by experience, and regular fitness maintenance. I've found that floor exercises are as important as water ones, as long as they mimic closely the necessary movements.
Finally, having other middle-aged peers ask for pointers on traditional surfing, leaving sup for the real experience, had been fulfilling.
Be well and happy New Year!

[Tudeo]

I found that frequency but not duration of sessions is a big must.

That's it. Actually my good intention for 2017 is to not tire myself too much on good sessions. When the conditions are great I just cannot stop, until I really cannot paddle out again. The recovery time and risk of injury is just too big after that, it kills the frequency.

Btw. my good intention for 2016 was the same...

Selamat tahun baru!

[tradiprone]

I found that frequency but not duration of sessions is a big must.

That's it. Actually my good intention for 2017 is to not tire myself too much on good sessions. When the conditions are great I just cannot stop, until I really cannot paddle out again. The recovery time and risk of injury is just too big after that, it kills the frequency.

Btw. my good intention for 2016 was the same...

Selamat tahun baru!

Tudeo

I share the same mission.

Feliz Año Nuevo to you and all fellow peers!

[oldmansurfer]

WELLL THENNNNN....I guess I am lucky that I am too busy to do long sessions LOL It makes for a slow learning curve but it is one I can live with Hau'oli Makahiki Hou

[STANLEY]

I am totally stoked to have 2 weeks in San Clemente. Surf every morning possible....Tudeo, you said it, smarter surfing and wave selection is a must at our age. It has definitely been my Achilles heal in surfing.

[Tudeo]

Only paddle for the waves you can catch