Beginner!

[abc123]

Who knows absoutely nothing about surfing apart from the fact that it is done on water with a board!!

I'm keen to give it a crack this summer and would appreciate some advice. I'll be doing it alone so learnign as I go along.

Decent wetsuit and board for a beginner? Is it better to do a bit of bodyboarding first?

I'm basically looking for any info that you think a beginner needs as I currently know nothing!

Cheers

[PapaW]

See the stickies in the board i just moved this too Thats a good place to start

[ABSurfer78]

The very first lesson is to respect the locals where you go out at. Don't get in the way. The first thing you want to do is buy a board that's around 7'9" or bigger. The bigger the board, the easier it will be for you to stand up on. If you buy a shortboard you will only get frustrated and give up! The best way I was taught was to go out and just do it! Watch other surfers, practice what you see them doing. Time is the teacher in surfing. Putting the time in the water. One day it will just click. Once you start getting your surf legs, you will then begin to take off. Until then, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!

PS It's not a good idea to go out by yourself when you are first starting out. Surfing is fun, but can be dangerous. Try to find a buddy to at least tag along with you.

[ripcurl9310]

The very first thing u should work on is being a strong swimmer.If ur not a strong swimmer and freak out when u get caught in a wave surfing is not for u.After u think u r a strong enough swimmer u should start body boarding to get some what of a feel for what surfing will be like.i started on a longboard with a soft tip so just in case u fall off it does smack u in the head and give u a nice cut when u come back up.i like longboarding but it is alot more mellow than what i like to do so shortboarding is my thing.u should probably practice with longboarding quite a bit before going to shortboarding.once u get to shortboarding u should try first to even being able to stand on a wave and breaking off to ur designated side and then try pumping for speed.and after that u can keep learning and learning and more and more tricks will come to u with such ease.