Surfing Waves

Saw this on facebook. Made me consider the question; is being a beginner so bad?

Yeah once you can stand up it seems no one wants to be called a beginner. Yeah see that beginner? That's not me I can stand up I am almost intermediate.

"Beginner" is the best time in surfing. You get so stoked at the littlest things. When you make a mistake, others forgive you because you're "just a beginner".

When I am surfing, I am not worried about the beginners or the good surfers. As for surfboards, it doesn't matter what board a beginner gets, they'll still suck. It doesn't matter what board a good surfer gets, they can ride anything.

The worst/most dangerous surfer is the "Half-Good" surfer.

For me the beginner stage was more challenging. I was very skilled at bodysurfing and paipo boarding and starting to learn knee boarding. A 6'10" board was huge to me. I knew how to paipo and bodysurf and I wasn't about to catch and ride whitewater as I had sworn that off in the bodysurfing stage. First it was a matter of learning where to be to catch the wave as compared to bodysurfing and paipoboarding. Then popping up wasn't too difficult because I had been popping up to knee or riding one nee up and one knee down and even standing up on my paipo board so it was simpler because no swim fins and a much bigger board to stand on. However on every wave I would drop down and end up pearling at the bottom or I would fall backward off the board. On about one out of ten to twenty waves suddenly I was riding along and then so thrilled I would ride out of the pocket and out of the wave before I even thought about adjusting the direction. After a couple weeks I was riding about nine out of ten waves and falling on the tenth at the takeoff. I learned that you needed to adjust the pressure on your feet from the front on the drop to more evenly once you get to the bottom. It was like skateboarding down a short steep ramp. You had to do the same thing for that bring the board under you as you drop. As you drop on a steep face the board is pointing down toward the bottom but at the bottom you have to make it flat to the bottom so really it is moving the board from behind you on the drop to under you at the bottom. Amazing we can do that so easily. I am the kind of person who needed to understand what I was doing. I could see by two weeks that I was going to learn to do this kind of surfing. It took me about a year to approach the level of comfort I had with paipo boarding and maybe three years to feel like I was better at surfing than I was paipo boarding. I thought of myself as a beginner till I noticed I really enjoyed surfing in conditions that scared my friends who surfed many more years than me.

Sup, my names Devon finney, I’m from Kaua’i Hawaii originally, now I live in Winston Salem North Carolina. I was semi pro, then gave it up and went underground, but I charge! I’ve surf ehukai to cannon’s. My favorite surf spots is kalihiwai point, lumahai, target’s, frist ditch, pakala pipes, and my home break ammonia’s and cemeteries! I’m going to the coast here in NC next week and I want to surf some good waves, I knw it won’t be want I’m use to but it’s something. I knw tons of pro’s back home but none that reside here! But I’d love to be give someone lessons if needed!

You are far away from Kauai. So I guess you went to Kauai High school. I don't know if anyone who frequents this forum is from North Carolina but you are kind of far from those waves as well. From the little bit I know it sounds like the outer banks is the place to surf there but I think hurricane season is over so it's not going to be like Kauai. I think your best bet is to get in touch with the surf community there maybe check out the surf shops see if you can put an add for lessons there.

Too much for the ego to handle, that’s why wave pools set the bar way lower than the actual stated ability level, no one wants their ego shattered, that won’t be a returning customer either!!

waikikikichan wrote:"Beginner" is the best time in surfing. You get so stoked at the littlest things. When you make a mistake, others forgive you because you're "just a beginner".

Replace "beginner" with "old guy" and the statement is still true. As to the Geezer's question, being a beginner is great. Unless you are competing the best reason to improve is to have more fun.

waikikikichan wrote:"Beginner" is the best time in surfing. You get so stoked at the littlest things. When you make a mistake, others forgive you because you're "just a beginner".

It is for the beginner themselves. It's a hazard for everyone around them. Surf with beginner friends and they weren't scared on overhead waves at all.They would just drop in and take those very steep waves where they have absolute no control over their board. Then they ride straight towards the beach and drop in on other surfers. Joy of surfing a point break where anyone can paddle out to the line up.