saltydog wrote:How tired you get is very dependent on the condition of the ocean and how the lessons are taught. Wading into a thigh deep then hopping onto a deck when already broken wave is not tiring at all. Some schools have brand new students paddle out to the lineup right away so they can be pushed to catch unbroken waves. So... it all depends. Around here I only see the latter.
I have to admit, that's a surprise, so if that caused any confusion I apologise. We've done three beginners lessons and a 3 day course so far and all of those experiences have exclusively been catching broken waves starting from standing - no real fitness required above what's normal for anyone active. Since then I've rented boards on my own and caught waist high green waves. At no point have I as a beginner done anything close to what people here are saying is physically challenging (3m green waves!!). That was the point I was making (which I thought I made clear).