scared to surf on and off

[surfdude101]

he everybody, let my introduce myself.

I'm a boy from 17 years old who really wants to surf for the past 3 years. this year I've been quite active. i wanted to buy a board an wetsuit and if surfed around 10 times (i know not allot, all lessons) but the thing is I'm feeling sort of scared for the waves which is why i stopped in august, there was my last lesson (i had 3 in total) and was making progress. i know there are other surfers around so I'm not afraid of that. but the thing is, that even 2 feet waves look scary from the beach. i really want to start surfing again, i thought i could just forget about it but it has become to such point that when i know something has to do with surfing I don't want to know or see it even the beach because i know i want to surf bad, because I'm feeling so sad i cant surf. but now i really want to start again in January when i have all the time.

so three questions

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

[Beginner77]

Hi dude101. As you can see from some of my other posts, I had a very bad fear of water (I couldn't even walk alongside the canal near our house!), especially waves, and at the age of 40 have just started to learn to surf. It took me about ten years of gradual steps to get to the point I'm at now. If I as an old dog can learn new tricks then I'm sure you can, but you need to be steady and careful so that you work in the right direction. Getting over any fear is a matter of sitting down and working out what you're scared of and why and then using that information to build a series of gradual steps between what you can manage today and what you want to do. I'm happy to chat further over e-mail etc if you'd like to, but in answer to your questions:

1) Yes. I got hooked very early on and just wanted to surf every day. I've not had that with many other sports before! (and I do a lot of different activities and sports!).

2) A private lesson could be a great idea if you can afford it. Ask around for someone patient and sympathetic. Unfortunately, most instructors have surfed from a very young age and don't really understand, but many are sympathetic.

3) Two approaches: Firstly, start in small waves and work upwards - you may even want to start on a totally flat day and just get used to paddling and board handling. Secondly, if you're happier swimming, then swim in the surf at first before bringing the board in later. It's all about small steps and building up to things gradually.

Hope that helps!

[surfdude101]

Thank you so much! This gave me so much conference, I think I just have to step beyond that fear and go in the water on a small day, after all I want to do it because its fun! Fear is healthy but not good at all times.

(Still need to be careful though)

I'm gonna take that private lessons to freshen my brain up again, and go out and surf! Because when I don't I feel so bad about not going!

[Beginner77]

If fear is keeping you out of big dangerous surf and like me you can swim pretty well, then I think the danger your mitigating against is creating more fear, rather the getting into trouble. For this reason I'd suggest not being too ambitious, because you don't want to make your fear worse, however it will be hard, for for sure. Personally I lost about 10kg in weight through anxiety in the most intense period of getting over my fears (2-3 years), and I'm quite skinny anyway so that was significant!! Maybe private lessons are a good thing, because surf instructors tend to be very competent lifeguards too and it can be very confidence inspiring to be in the water with someone like that.

Personally I just kept taking little steps week after week. I actually started in flat water with sit on top kayaking and then progressed to SUP, so I could gain confidence before going anywhere near the waves, and then I progressed to waves by firstly swimming in waves, before finally surfing for the first time.

It may help to have a girlfriend or trusted friend with you at the time - my wife for example was very supportive.

The helpful thing with getting over a fear of the water to learn to surf is that surfing's great fun, so there's a huge incentive to try hard. With a fear of spiders or heights there are fewer incentives!

[oldmansurfer]

I think small steps is the way to go. Lessons are always good and the instructor can tell you what to do when which will help you learn to deal with waves. I think at one point everyone is/was afraid of waves which is good because otherwise they are crazy.

[surfdude101]

Yeah thanks, I'm thinking of taking 1 private lessons to warm up again (already had 3 and a family member of me was pretty active in surfing last year so I also goed for some time with him) I already had lessons but I can't afford lessons every week so I think I'll just practice in small surf and when I feel ready IL take another private lessons in bigger surf. The thing is, when I'm in the surf I don't feel scared, when I'm looking at the camera or beach I feel 50% stoked and 50% fear of dealing with a big one on the head. If skated now for some years and also was afraid of falling there, and I overcame that fear so this one should to.

Fear is a defense mechanism, sometimes you just have to ignore unnecessary loops of fear in your mind. So that's what I'm going to do.

Take that private lessons, warm up again and just go for it. Others can do it, so it's not impossible. And further on I'll just practice, practice and practice. My goal is to surf 4-5ft waves. It will be lots of fun growing. Thanks you guys, you gave me that little push like in to the wave that I needed.

[surfdude101]

Ps: I don't think a friend will help since I'm pretty introvert and can't concentrate with someone talking to me all the time. (No offense to my friends, they just talk ALOT o and they don't surf either but do skateboard).

[waikikikichan]

I'm pretty introvert and can't concentrate with someone talking to me all the time.

Good thing is that surfing is pretty much an individual sport. Mostly it's You and the Wave ( the board you ride has some factor ). BUT ......... unless you surf alone, which you should never do, there will be other surfers around you.

Which leads to,........ if you are SCARED,( have fear of a 2 foot wave, wiping out, sharks, human interaction ), then DON'T SURF. Yeah, sounds mean doesn't it ? But look at it from a different topic like DRIVING. Say you love cars, but afraid to get out on the road. You hesitate at intersections, can't go the proper speed of traffic, etc. You'll probably won't be in a accident, but you will CAUSE an accident. For the sake of others, stay off the road.

[Big H]

You should enjoy it, otherwise why do It?

My advice is to develop your ocean skills (open water swimming, emergency life preservation, reading of currents, tides, etc), start small, don’t surf alone, know your limits and progressively push your outer limits it by bit. Knowing that you can easily swim in from the break with energy to spare, knowledge that you can tread water for an hour, getting rolled by the waves and surviving, being able to hold your breath for 30sec without taking a breath first are confidence builders as well. But if you haven’t been hurt by a wave, what is your fear rooted in? What scares you? Maybe you can address the fear directly (fear of drowning - get awesome at swimming) maybe you can’t (fear that you will get hurt).

[surfdude101]

I'm pretty introvert and can't concentrate with someone talking to me all the time.

Good thing is that surfing is pretty much an individual sport. Mostly it's You and the Wave ( the board you ride has some factor ). BUT ......... unless you surf alone, which you should never do, there will be other surfers around you.

Which leads to,........ if you are SCARED,( have fear of a 2 foot wave, wiping out, sharks, human interaction ), then DON'T SURF. Yeah, sounds mean doesn't it ? But look at it from a different topic like DRIVING. Say you love cars, but afraid to get out on the road. You hesitate at intersections, can't go the proper speed of traffic, etc. You'll probably won't be in a accident, but you will CAUSE an accident. For the sake of others, stay off the road.

With introvert I mean that I don't want to talk in the line-up to somebody all the time, surfing should be relaxing. So yes I do like others around me. I'm not scared of sharks nor wiping out but more kind of all the whitewashed. It looks very messy and confusing.

I don't want to be rude but your comment gives information I never said or stated.

[surfdude101]

You should enjoy it, otherwise why do It?

My advice is to develop your ocean skills (open water swimming, emergency life preservation, reading of currents, tides, etc), start small, don’t surf alone, know your limits and progressively push your outer limits it by bit. Knowing that you can easily swim in from the break with energy to spare, knowledge that you can tread water for an hour, getting rolled by the waves and surviving, being able to hold your breath for 30sec without taking a breath first are confidence builders as well. But if you haven’t been hurt by a wave, what is your fear rooted in? What scares you? Maybe you can address the fear directly (fear of drowning - get awesome at swimming) maybe you can’t (fear that you will get hurt).

What do you mean by don't surf alone? Is it OK if I surf with other people that I don't known as well? Or do you mean that I really need a surfing buddy?

I have some ocean knowledge, I know (sort of) how to spot rips and what to do (its hard to see them) like sides ways swim, go with the flow or just get attention from shore. And don't panic and control your breath.

And get as quiksilver as possible over the shorebreak

[waikikikichan]

With introvert I mean that I don't want to talk in the line-up to somebody all the time, surfing should be relaxing. So yes I do like others around me. I'm not scared of sharks nor wiping out but more kind of all the whitewashed. It looks very messy and confusing.

I don't want to be rude but your comment gives information I never said or stated.

I never said you said, but "if" those are reason for your fears. Unless you state clearly what the reason is, I just have to put out different scenarios. But you have clarified that it is fear of the Whitewater. With beach break it's almost impossible to avoid getting hit by whitewater and the lip or closeout waves at the end of a ride or on the paddle back out.

Being tumbled in the whitewater IS scary. Feels like a rag doll being tossed about in a washing machine. Same for the newbie or a veteran. Get your wave knowledge up and you skills up to control your board, so you can direct where you want to go and be able to get off a wave when you want to.

[dtc]

I agree with Big H. In fact, I suggest forgetting surfing for a month and just go in without equipment or with a body board. Play around in the waves. maybe take a mask and snorkel. Try body surfing. Get used to the surf, get comfortable in the surf. duck under white water. Absolutely catching a wave with a surfboard is different to body surfing or body boarding, but if you understand how waves work, what they do, how to deal with them etc, thats a big part of it

[Big H]

In regards to a surfing buddy/not surfing alone:

I don’t like chat in the lineup either. ESP. on dawn patrol.....how can two people have so much to talk about before 7am?!? LOL

However, as a newbie who is partially confident, “sort of” knows how to read the ocean/break, reasons for no surfing alone are crystal.....YOU CAN DIE.

Surfing with someone else will boost confidence and is a safety fallback, esp. if they are schooled in ocean knowledge and lifesaving techniques. At the least, they should be a bit better than you in the water.....in the end two are safer than one.

It never is as big as it looks from the beach once you are out and in It.

[billie_morini]

surfdude,
1. Normal to want to surf after 10 lessons. It's even normal to want to surf after only one formal or informal lesson.

2. Sure, especially if you can go with a family member that surfed a lot. Or, surf in gentle conditions alone.

3. To overcome fear of waves enter smaller waves and step up when you know it's time.
billie

[surfdude101]

Thanks everybody, 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. Swimming without a board makes my acasually feel a bit more ancues since I don't have a flotilla devidence, so I'll just go out on a boogie board (those things are fun! Did it last year) or with a sopftop just to get used to the conditions. Thanks you guys. Now I'm notrying only feeling less scared, but when I looked at the live camera and saw 3-5ft waves, even though I will not surf in those conditions for the upcoming weeks,on the or maybe even years. I didn't have that flat out fear feeling in my underbelly but more a "excited fear" and I think that that is the the hinges because when I'm actually in the surf I don't feel scared at all.

I know it sounds stupid to talk about these goalso everything but I'm going to put them here to remind me it's fun! And work towardsyour goals. If 12 year old son aren't scared on softops, then I shouldn't either.

So 1 more ocean knowledge

2 get my fitness up (pushup and row machine I have) I heard that just paddle ignore on flat day helps to

3 get comfortable in the water (swimming boogie boarding, softops padding in small waves). I also heard that it helps to catch the first few waves and just wipe-out (properly) to get that "it's not that bad" experience.

4 talk to my self not "what if" but "how am I going to catch that wave" kinda talk.

These are my goals.

[surfdude101]

It's almost winter season*

I came to the conclusion that actually my fear isn't really fear but more an excited fear, excited for the unknown. It's weird when you go deeper in your fear and see it's something totally diffirent.

[surfdude101]

Ps it's 12 year old surfer not son

[surfdude101]

With introvert I mean that I don't want to talk in the line-up to somebody all the time, surfing should be relaxing. So yes I do like others around me. I'm not scared of sharks nor wiping out but more kind of all the whitewashed. It looks very messy and confusing.

I don't want to be rude but your comment gives information I never said or stated.

I never said you said, but "if" those are reason for your fears. Unless you state clearly what the reason is, I just have to put out different scenarios. But you have clarified that it is fear of the Whitewater. With beach break it's almost impossible to avoid getting hit by whitewater and the lip or closeout waves at the end of a ride or on the paddle back out.

Being tumbled in the whitewater IS scary. Feels like a rag doll being tossed about in a washing machine. Same for the newbie or a veteran. Get your wave knowledge up and you skills up to control your board, so you can direct where you want to go and be able to get off a wave when you want to.

I don't mind hitting the lip or paddling out ( it actually gives me energy) but I rad that you can't swim in white water and that's what's frightens my about, because how do you paddle through it then? If there foam everywher?

Ps: if found a method to get over my fear



When it's small IL paddle out

When it's big I'll catch white water and look at other surfers what they do. When I feel ready I'll then go out with the knowledge I have.

Is that a good idea?

[waikikikichan]

When it's big I'll catch white water and look at other surfers what they do. When I feel ready I'll then go out with the knowledge I have.

Could you clarify what you mean by "catch whitewater" ? You mean trying to paddle/take off on waves that are already broken and just white water/foam ?
If you want to get better, you need to try to catch "un-broken" waves. But being it you're just 10+ waves in, it's okay as a newbie/beginner to catch whitewater and go straight in. But say you're in 25+ mark on your own ( not with a lesson ), you should already be moving away from whitewater catching. And that's the point, where you're getting ahead of yourself too much. As you gain in your surfing technique ( paddling, take off, pop, starting to lean/angle in/turn ) you'll begin to ride to the right or left shoulder of the wave. By doing that you end up further away from the turbulent whitewater. Like you said, look at what the more experienced riders do and where they end up after their ride, compared to beginners who go straight in the foam.