How long did it take you to get good?

[Zeth]

As the title says, or at least to get better - be cutting back etc - having more fun.

I only just started surfing and I have a 6'6 board, the first proper time I went out was on Tuesday, and it was amazing surf. I think it was about 3-5 feet reaaaaaallly clean waves. I could stand up fine when I caught the waves, but wasn't riding across the waves (I know I should be), just straight to the beach.

Anyway the main problems I have so far is stamina - when paddling out I can feel my shoulder muscles working really hard, and kinda sit on my board for a little break when im beyond the waves but I guess that'll improve over a few more surfs. Also duck diving - when I went out on Thursday a few times I was getting sucked under waves that had already crashed and got me pretty pissed a few times. However I looked at some of the lessons here, haha, I'll put some of that stuff into practice next time I go out.

So anyway how long did it take before you were ripping up the waves? Some advice for a beginner?

[O_Danny_Boy]

it all comes with time in the water, the more you surf the more little things will click. its all part of the fun

ive been surfing nearly 3 years and still have mad shitty days where you feel like snapping your board but without those shitty days the good ones dont seem as sweet

with duck-diving its all about timing and technique, some great threads on it in here

as for yor your take off, angle your board ~10 degrees in the direction of the wave-itll make you bottom turn so much easier. look where you want to go, open your body and your shoulders, keep your centre of gravity low

[Johno]

Dany boy prity much sumed it up, the more time you spend in the water the more natural it becomes,

Thats my problem I dont get enougth time in the sea

[Dr Rev]

Im not in the water as often as i would like !!!

[essex sucks]

Im not in the water as often as i would like !!!

well get off your butt and come with me more

[Dr Rev]

OOOOOOOOOh get you Essex !! I do plan to go a lot more this year !!

[essex sucks]

haha

[CHarvey]

I got pretty good through my first year of surfing. I would go surfing everyday there were waves sometimes 2-3 times a day if I didn't just stay in the water the whole day. The more time you spend in the water the quicker you'll get better and everything will start to flow.

[Stone Fox]

I've been surfing for years, and I still suck.

[isaluteyou]

after a year and half of surfing practical everyday in just about every condition i still think i suck. At best my surfing skills are highly eratic. Some days i surf so much better than others. I suppose the more skilled you become the mmore uniformed your abilities are.

I already know and have accepted the fact that i will never rip like a grom. But hey thats not why i surf i do it for the love of it and thats what counts

[pkbum]

I've been surfing for years, and I still suck.

Even though i still suck, it's still the funnest activity in my life.

[Stone Fox]

I've been surfing for years, and I still suck.

Even though i still suck, it's still the funnest activity in my life.

Hell yeah!

[crepuscular]

I only just started surfing and I have a 6'6 board, the first proper time I went out was on Tuesday, and it was amazing surf. I think it was about 3-5 feet reaaaaaallly clean waves. I could stand up fine when I caught the waves, but wasn't riding across the waves (I know I should be), just straight to the beach.

you gotta take off in and angle with the wave just about to break

[Aloha]

Years!

and that's surfing a lot, like 3-4 times a week at the minimum, unless you are a natural.

I have a mate who surfs like 10 times a year and just complains that he's not getting better. Every time he comes for a surf he'll see what I'm surfing on, see me get more waves than him and then go out and buy a similar board the next day. He's done that twice now it's not the board, it's him.

You gotta put a lot in, to get a lot out of surfing. Pure and simple.

[flyingvee]

Surfed just after Christmas and felt I had moved along a bit - but by the time I get in again I'll be back to square 1.........

[joem]

you will never get good in your own mind cos you can always improve

[Jimi]

bah I've surfed for 1 1/2 years, and now I'm Kelly Slater.

Seriously, no matter how god you are, you can always improve. Also, how good you are depends on who you surf with.

I guess I'm around about the lower end of average (for the east coast of Aust) since I'm able to do the odd turn and carve, but certainly nothing spectacular, and I'm not game to fight it out on the reef breaks.

It's always a nice feeling to be out on a peak, better positioned, and catching more waves than the others is the same area, but I'm always brought back to earth when I get caught out by a late drop

[crepuscular]

also, surfing with a mate who's more experienced than you definitely will help, otherwise watch a lot of surf videos and observe the better surfers while taking a break on the beach or sitting on your board. If you want to observe while sitting around on your board, don't observe them from the back, you aint gonna see anything; I find the best position beside them and a bit foward, just skip the waves they are gonna catch and you get a good glimpse of the angle and when they take off.

[perusurf]

i got good after about 4 years but that's when I started surfing a lot more, still now afteer about 12 years surfing i'm still improving, but when sometimes i stop surfing for a while, beacuse i travel to and for work, it takes me a while to get my actual level back...it is a matter on how much time u spend surfing.

[parrysurf]

30+ years and still lots to learn....time in, is the answer. A good thing to do is spend a whole summer in central america. mexico, or if ur rich hawaii...if you surf a whole summer every day the rest of your life will never be the same.

If you say that is impossible....then it is. Possibilities are there, if you make it happen. U only get one life, live it.