Surfing Waves

Hi, I'm new here. I've just started out surfing at 22. I used to do little bits when I was younger and always loved it. I was wondering if anyone would be able to reassure me whether I could still become advanced at this age if I put my all into it? I get so inspired when I watch too surfers but majority of them starts as young as 5 etc. Is there any possibility of me even being half as good as them? Or am I just being too hopeful. ALSO any advice on beginners boards would be helpful. I'm looking at NSP mini mals? Thank you, Laura x

World champion? No. Pretty good? Probably. Good enough to have fun? Definitely.

Surfing is no different to other sports. Not many people take up a sport at 22 and become professionals, unless they already happen to play a sport that has a lot of carry over. Most very good surfers probably spent 30+ hours a week surfing every week from age 10 or 12 until they were 22 - can you catch up on those missed 15000 hours of surfing? Probably not.

But you can become better than most other surfers for sure.

I assume from your name you are female; in which case an NSP mini mal would be a good choice - but I would go for the 7ft6 or the 7ft10 (depending on your weight). I say 'female' in that females are usually a bit shorter and lighter than males - if you were male I would suggest something longer. NSP are a fine beginner board, tough etc.

drowningbitbybit wrote:World champion? No. Pretty good? Probably. Good enough to have fun? Definitely.

Can you beat a World Champion, if you start surfing at the age of 22 ? It is possible. Anybody at anytime can lose in a surf contest, depending on the waves and the judges.

I started surfing at age 25, but I body boarded for 10 years before that, so that helped with wave knowledge. It's up to you ( and your significant other ) how much time and effort you put into surfing to reach that "advanced" level.

My advice, don't worry about levels. Just ride the wave.

My wife is 5'0" 115 lbs. and I got her the 7'10" NSP Fun shape. The 8'2" NSP Long board, is good too.

I should have added, as wkk says, who cares how good you are. You will never get good enough at surfing to get bored, it will always provide challenges (well, maybe not on totally flat days) and its always interesting. Usually fun - can be frustrating and annoying and even scary at times - but more often fun.

Don't know about advanced, but from personal experience, you definitely have time to become addicted......

Love all your replies, thank you. I don't know what it is about me but I'm always trying to run before I can walk. Ultimately I want to have fun with it, I know I won't be a world champion but I hope that one day I'll have someone watch me and say "I wish I could do that" just like I do now, you're all awesome.

Yeah I'm female and 5'1 (short arse) and weight Urmmm more than states above but not by much, I'm also hoping surfing would get me into shape. I'm lucky I live in south Devon so will go Newquay a lot xxx

You can always have a near term goal and a longer term goal. At your age if you get to surf often like 3 times a week I'd think you can become a pretty darn good recreational surfer in 5-10 years give or take. Wish I started at your age of 22 instead of 41. Meanwhile make sure to have fun!

You can get good at surfing at that age but you need to put in more hours of surfing than a younger surfer would. Learning surfing is about learning the ocean and the waves and then how to ride them. Surfing can be good exercise but it depends on how you approach it. If you paddle out and sit around in a lineup you get decent exercise paddling out but no exercise sitting around waiting for waves so how good exercise it is depends on how much you do. Crowded lineups are not the place to get exercise. I use surfing as motivation for me to exercise out of the water. Of course I am 62 and I need to exercise to stay in shape.

So you're the one
Who has just begun,
To find her place under the sun.
Foremost clue just have fun.

The saying is Who is the best surfer?
The one having the most fun

Get plenty of surf time, ride a longer board suitable for your weight and height, go surfing as often as possible, be brave but not stupid, trading in land lubber partners if you have one, make job and living arrangements that support you wave time . Great life style great women out there surfing as sisters !

HAVE FUN .

I love watching beginners , they have so much fun just riding a wave to the beach. I try to have that same sense of accomplishment when I surf although I may not show it as much as they do Learning to surf is a long process and the most important part is to enjoy it.

For inspiration, check out Bethany Hamilton, especially at the last WCT Clodbreak event.

She is a world class surfer no doubt.

Surfing is all about having fun anyway, its the learning and the progress that keeps it interesting. Catching waves is the icing on the cake.

LaurajadeU wrote: I live in south Devon so will go Newquay a lot

Nope, scratch that plan, Newquay is for drunks and tourists

There are loads of fantastic breaks in south devon - not as consistent as the north coast or cornwall, but still worth keeping an eye on. North Devon has more options than you can throw a stick at - start with Croyde/Saunton/Putsborough and then work west along the coast (you can go east too, but the options are more limited).

Get used to watching the surf forecast - you're lucky, by having the choice of the north and the south coast you can usually find a spot with waves and friendly winds nearby.

Hi Laura,

Yes you most definitely can but you need to be prepared to put in the hours and commitment. Surfing is hard work but it is so worth it in the end!

<edit>

Happy surfing!

Yeah, you can Definitely surf pretty well starting at 22. Just take in consideration that surf is not an easy sport to master and you need lots of patience and persistence until you begin to truly guide the board through a wave. In the beginning everything will be fine. It is after you learn to stand up that the real work starts. For me this phase was the must frustrating one. Many days I went out of water without any surfed wave. But I always tried to look for the bright side of the situation thinking that at least I worked up my body and got prepared for better days. I remember that in those days one wave was enough to make my day.