Surfing Waves

I leave for a 5 day trip to Costa and will have 21 days to train, very little actual surfing time between now and then.What should be priority? Swimming/paddling ( I can get on board and paddle), yoga, cardio, weights, diet?

I’ve let myself get a touch out of shape over holidays. Where do I put my focus. I’m easily most worried about conditioning and the long paddles out and creeper sets.

By conditioning I’m referring to paddle and cardio endurance, but don’t want to overtrain and end up with tight hips and sore shoulders/ back. The older surfer conundrum I suppose.

I vote for all of the above Most significantly actually paddling on a board is probably the best out of those and maybe like paddle 10 strokes as hard as you can then paddle slower for a long distance until you recover from the sprint then repeat but if you are older then take it easy. But it seems like a good idea to do paddling swimming yoga cardio and weights and a good diet is always a good idea.

Ouch iron, your gonna break my body!

Yeah, I try to take 1200-1500 strokes on my board in the flatness of where I live, but it’s a time and daylight situation. I just can’t do that one everyday. I have free pools to hop into and swim also. I’m not in awful shape just kind o 1 more push before I reach what is challenging surf for me. Unfortunately im only there 5 days so no real easing into it. The last few days before I go I’m doing massages hot tubs yoga and rest. Daily massages in Jaco once I get there too.

Well not everything every day just do it all whenever you can but paddling the board a couple days a week would be good and swimming if you can’t. The thing about surfing is the better shape your are in the quicker you’ll learn.

I’m not going on a surf trip but I do stretching every day and weights 2 times a week and hiking for cardio training 3 to 5 times a week and paddle 2 times a week

I think paddling no 1, and what you are doing on the lake is perfect. It will also train your back to arch - not something that people do in their normal lives and so your back muscles can tire out when you hit the ocean

Secondly, I find that the rear of my shoulders get sore, from paddling but also from pushing up off the board - paddle to sit, and popping up. So band extensions (for shoulders) and push ups.

And get the pop up groove working from some dry land work

I actually think that will be enough. There isn’t much more you can do in 21 days; just maximise your paddling cardio. And don’t wear yourself out or injure yourself by over exerting

What is as important is keeping your body cared for during those 5 days. For example, I find that stopping my session 20 minutes before I’m worn out, rather than 20 minutes after I am, means my recovery is much faster and I can be back in the water sooner and more frequently. Eating right, sleeping properly. Surfing 5 hours a day when your body can only handle 4 hours will make day 4 and 5 a real struggle. Surf 3.5 hours and you will be keen to go hard every day

Thanks for the replies!

I’m actually on the Atlantic—not s lake, but it is finicky here, only breaks 2.5 hours before high and about an hour outgoing, needs good swell, and I have to be home and it has to be daylight. Fortunately I just got done with a good 4 out of 5 days right at end of December with waist to 2 foot overhead surf.

Paddling flat water is definitely my priority 1. Tide sensitive though even for paddling as crazy as that sounds.