Surfing Waves

Just after everyones thoughts and advice really

Obviously the beaches are getting a bit busier and now i have all my own kit i have the option to get well away from the summer crowds. What i was wondering is if there is any general advice on how to know if any area is safe to surf especially if i've found a quiet beach that maybe doesnt have any life guards/info.

I was reading Thaya's latest surf and it sounds like she had a few problems when she was out and i can see myself doing that.

I never surf alone but when i'm in with a mate we dont always tend to stay that close to each other either

Dont paddle out at quiet spots into surf you know you cant handle. I try to surf when someone else is in earshot, but sometimes I just like to go out totally on my own . You just need to know what you can handle and dont push it

When in doubt, paddle out
or is it
When in doubt, don't paddle out
hmmmm

last year my third time out surfing i paddled out when it was easily up to 2ft-4ft overhead and got sucked by a rip, luckily i kept my cool and got out of it, also got pounded taking a few back into shore, but i sure as hell wish I had sticked with the other guys instead of going across the beach and finding my own break. I have to admit it was scary being like 150yds offshore by yourself with just your board and yourself to help you out. That taught me never to go out over my current ability. Like with any type of boarding sport you need to push the envelope to get better but there's no sense in going out in a situation you're clearly not ready for. One day I will surf when the waves are that big, that day is not today though . From now on I'm making buddies with all surfers i come by out there.

play it safe - never move beyond your comfort zone until you are ready for it thats my advice

also, if surfers are out you can probably surf the spot, always look at the conditions

Thanks for the info guys.
Interesting reading

Its always a good idea to check a break out at low tide too. You will be able to see if there are any hidden objects that may injure you in a wipeout, rocks, shallow reef, shipwrecks (there is one at Whitby thats only just covered at low tide). Of course you won't be able to see whats hidden at low tide.

northswell wrote:Its always a good idea to check a break out at low tide too. You will be able to see if there are any hidden objects that may injure you in a wipeout, rocks, shallow reef, shipwrecks (there is one at Whitby thats only just covered at low tide). Of course you won't be able to see whats hidden at low tide.

Good shout. I didnt realise how many rocks and lumps there were at Watergate till i was on them

soops wrote:What i was wondering is if there is any general advice on how to know if any area is safe to surf especially if i've found a quiet beach that maybe doesnt have any life guards/info.

Chances of you finding a safe beach, with decent surf, with noone out is really very limited these days
Pretty much every break thats suitable for surfing and okay for a beginner will be listed in stormriders or similar, so you'll be able to find out a little bit about it before you go.
If its a genuinely secret spot, then you probably shouldnt be out there.

Probably more of an issue is not 'where' but 'when'. If you cant paddle out, you shouldnt be out. But watch out for those days when an offshore wind will make it easy to get out... but very hard to get back in again

Now that I'm retired and can surf during the week, I find that I am often the only one out, here in far northern California. I don't feel as safe, but I just can't pass up the opportunity to have every wave to myself.

"Don't surf alone" is probably good advice, but I'll bet that most people who say it haven't had much opportunity to surf alone.

yep the only tim ive surfed alone is eithier when it was miserable out or it was real rough and i shouldnt have been out anyway

If ever Im surfing alone, I tend to think its because Im in the wrong place or everyone else thinks its not worth it

If its a genuinely secret spot, then you probably shouldnt be out there.

Have to disagree - if I happen across a nice break by pure fluke and notice that it isn't listed anywhere, am I not to surf it because it's a 'secret spot'??? Not at all - I'll surf it for sure - but what I won't do is plaster it's location all over the internet............

Good advice about the low tide thing - I spent many hours at different breaks checking for rocks at low tide before I ventured in ............ especially as I used to surf alone far more than I do now.........

Surfing-Innovation wrote:

If its a genuinely secret spot, then you probably shouldnt be out there.

Have to disagree - if I happen across a nice break by pure fluke and notice that it isn't listed anywhere, am I not to surf it because it's a 'secret spot'??? Not at all - I'll surf it for sure - but what I won't do is plaster it's location all over the internet............

I didnt mean you shouldnt surf it because it wasnt listed - I meant that most of the secret spots are secret because its a long paddle out, its miles from anywhere, its at the bottom of a cliff etc etc.
I think there's very few places left which would be suitable for a beginner on his own that cant be found in a book or on t'internet. At least in the UK in the obvious locations.

If it does happen though, get out there.

stop whining we all die sooner or later. unless you have young children. then i could understand.

When in doubt, don't go out.

That should be a good all round rule. If you speak to other people that surf there that'll be real helpful. Also just paddle out there one day and you don't have to catch any waves but just sit and paddle around to get a feel for it. Then paddle in.

hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf wrote:stop whining we all die sooner or later. unless you have young children. then i could understand.

Thanks for that

hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf wrote:stop whining we all die sooner or later. unless you have young children. then i could understand.

the xxxxx you come out with never ceases to amaze me

I didnt mean you shouldnt surf it because it wasnt listed - I meant that most of the secret spots are secret because its a long paddle out, its miles from anywhere, its at the bottom of a cliff etc etc.

No worries

Agree with the bit about some spots being 'hellman' orientated just to get to - I think the general rule of thumb is to know EXACTLY what you're getting into - but more importantly EXACTLY how to get out of it!!!!

I surfed a couple of spots on the Isle of Wight over New Year (twas wild and windy, to say the least) and one break involved a pretty hairy climb down some steep steps onto a nothing 'beach' that sort of disapeared at high tide .......... leaving a pretty dodgy clamber back onto the steps as the only way out.........

I did get a bit of advice off some locals before I even ventured in - but in hindsight (and had I not been going home the following day) I would have left it alone until I knew how little beach was left .............