Surfing Waves

Hi all!

I'm super curious to hear about your experience when you began learning how to surf. Surfing has a steep learning curve and I would love to hear about what your process was like transitioning from a total beginner to an 'intermediate' surfer? Or to put it better – when did you feel confident that you had a good grasp on what you were doing?

It just absolutely amazes me watching people surf – I've just started learning and getting out in the water...and I know I've got a long way to go Things like paddling, getting over/through waves, understanding the conditions, even staying on my board (haha!) are all extremely new and challenging to me. How did you go about developing these skills? I guess it amazes me to think that a surf newbie like me, who has a hard time even staying on her board, could eventually get to the skill level of the other surfers I see out there! Excited to hear any insights from your surf journey!

Cheers!

I learned about waves body surfing and board riding sand sliding and skateboarding. Then I started paipo boarding at around the age of 12. I was very into body surfing and caught some waves with 20 foot faces so when I started paipo boarding I rapidly increased the size of the waves I rode. By the time I was 18 years old I was paipo boarding waves almost that size and starting to recognize the advantage of standing on a board as opposed to laying on it. I started drop knee stance and then kneeboarding to get some ability to change my center of gravity more and even tried standing which is very difficult with fins on. My paipo board got snapped in two and I made a decision to try learning to surf on a 6’ 10” surfboard. I surfed every day and it took almost exactly 2 weeks to get to where I was reliably riding waves staying close to the power pocket on the unbroken face. After that it was steady progress over the long haul with minor slow periods. Not really sure when I became intermediate but I recall the moment I realized that I had passed the skill level of my casual surfer friends (about 1.5 years). I also remember when I became comfortable with conditions that scared my friends (close to 2 years) which was around the same time that I felt I had approached the level of skills I had on a paipo board

I truly am convinced that the first through 3 years is just getting to learn the basics and trying to stay out of people's way. The big jump in technique happens between 3 and 6 years.

For those that go too short too early, those times will only increase.

cocoeri wrote: even staying on my board (haha!) are all extremely new and challenging to me.

If you mean sitting on your board between sets, remember to just dangle your legs. Once you hook your heels under the board, you're going to start to rock the boat. Let you hips sway with the wave. Learn the motion of the ocean.

8 years and I still don't know what is going on.

However I only moved somewhere that really has good waves last year. I've improved much more than I did in the last 7 years.

Last week I returned to the spot where I learnt how to surf 8 years ago. The old me would think the wave is really good and big. Now I wouldn't even bother getting in the water. It was so easy to get out.

I keep telling my friends that surfing in terrible breaks is like learning to swim in a jacuzzi. How would you get good when all the beach break just closes out. You would be lucky to get a 5 seconds ride after a whole session.

The learning curve to surf is individual and unique, as seen even from three responses.

It is influenced by variables that include, time in the water, exposure to a variety of comditions, personal motivation, access to coaching (formal and informal), fitness levels, choice of appropriate equipment for each stage, and one's physical capacity for movement, mobility, anthropometry and VO2 max, among other things.

So with that big caveat, here are some thoughts on how long will it take...

-no magic number...it is pretty much all process

-be ready for platea periods, followed by breakthroughs...which are unique to each individual

-your attitude of joy, curiosity, gentleness, staying unattached as possible with outcomes and celebrating small wins will make the process a happy one

-tracking progress in a surf journal helps

-some days you will feel you know what you are doing for your level

-some days you will feel clumsy, ungrounded, tired or kooky on your board...learn when to say enough and come back out another day

-be kind to yourself...this is a difficult sport to master....but worth every moment of striving to improve

-surf with friends at your level or slightly better...you will improve beside each other and enjoy the trip

-it is possible to feel like a beginner after 5 years, 10 years...increments of time are not as vital as increments of fun or intensity of challenge (far more subjective measurements but ultimately more appealing, at least to me)

Thanks for posing this question, it was good to think on it...

Close to 3 years now and I'd like to think I've learned how to get out of people's way. (At least, in most conditions & at familiar breaks.). wkkkchan's timeline seems accurate for me, as I'm now learning / improving various techniques.

waikikikichan wrote:I truly am convinced that the first through 3 years is just getting to learn the basics and trying to stay out of people's way. The big jump in technique happens between 3 and 6 years.

Yes staying out of people's way is definitely a main priority of mine right now! Cheers!

delphin wrote: Thanks for posing this question, it was good to think on it...

Thank you for your super thoughtful answer! So many great insights to consider here! I love what you said about celebrating small wins – learning how to surf is definitely a life-long journey and every day will be a unique experience. I'll definitely keep that in mind throughout my process

It seems to me that many people learning to surf focus mostly on board handling skills. How to paddle, how to popup, how to turn, how to duck dive or turtle roll etc. However to surf well you need to understand the waves. What is that particular wave going to do? If you know then combined with knowing what you can do you will make the most of the wave. Otherwise you are at the mercy of the ocean. I guess we all are but the more you understand the ocean the less you will be at it’s mercy and the more you will be in harmony with the ocean.