Learning to Surf at 24 years old...

[IonhideCR]

Hello there,

Now that I have a litte more free time I wonder if it's not to late for me to learn to surf :S.

I think I'm going to take about 4-5 lessons with a certified Instructor on the beach I want to know if lessons are ok? and keep on going to the gym on week days. Is yoga Helpful??

I am fit 6'1 tall and 168 Pounds. Is it posible for me to be able to switch someday to a shortboard? and what size is recommended for me?

I'm going to my first lesson this saturday and my second lesson on sunday. Is there any famous surfer who learned at late age and still get famous or any of you guys who progressed from long board to shortboard at 20s?? I just need inspiration I think ...

[drowningbitbybit]

Bloody hell, you're 24 not 84!

[travelzomg]

Its never too late to learn to surf... i was 4 years older and there are many in here who learned to surf in their 40s or 50s... so dont you worry.

lessons are definately the way to go. you can check out in a "safe" environement, if surfing is something for you. from then on you need to chose for yourself, if you are able to progress on your own or learn better when tutored. This is, too, a question of your awareness and your interesst in surfing, your willingness to read up on important things and convert them in the water.

there is no reason, you shouldnt be riding a shortboard one day. but take it easy and start with something longboardish with a lot of float and easy paddle. having a "wrong" board will very much spoil the experiance... don't think you have to be cool and have a shortboard stuck under your arm... its about the board that fits you best and lets you ride the most waves... if you will take classes i am sure they will provide a fitting board.

tbh, surfing is not about beeing famous or having mastered this skill at this age or whatever... surfing is whatever you make of it and whatever you take from it. You should find your own ways and regard this as a journey that will def. change you in more ways than you now think..

[IonhideCR]

Bloody hell, you're 24 not 84!

hahahaha thanks dude... that's inspiring lol!! Really

Hey Travelzomg... your answer was really helpful and now I'm convinced to give it a try... I'll take 3-4 lessons which is what I can afford because they are kindda expensive (40$ x 2hr session) to get a formal introduction in the sport.

I'm not looking forward to be in competitions though... I want to surf because I need a hobby... something to do on my weekends, excercise and even a stress therapy lol...

I'll follow your advice. Looking surf as a journey sounds perfect I think that's what I needed to hear from somebody who knows about the sport. I'll do my best to learn as much as I can. I forgot to mention that I am a 8year experienced pool swimmer so i'll take advantage of that.

Thanks a lot! Any other advise is welcome from everybody!

[surf patrol]

Hi IonhideCR, welcome to Surfing Waves!

Have a read of this topic -> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17676

[travelzomg]

I'm not looking forward to be in competitions though... I want to surf because I need a hobby... something to do on my weekends, excercise and even a stress therapy lol...

surfing is something different for everyone alltogehter.. as said, its what you make of it..

for my part its very much stress therapy.. it may sound a bit strange but one of my most favourite parts about surfing is sitting in the line up... beeing in the sun, legs in the water, bobbing up and down with the rhythm of the ocean watching the horizon... this is where i can let go of it all.. this is my place of total serenity...
surfing isn't only about riding the most instense most hollow most crazy wave...

just let me give you one more advice, incase you will continue alone on your way: THINK!
dont just act... sit at the beach, watch the waves and think what you will do in the water... dont just paddle into a wave, think from where its coming, think if you are in position, watch if somebody is on the wave allready and only then go..

you want to be a beginner, but not a kook...

oh and the pool swimming surely will have its advantages.. paddling should come easier to you than to others..

[IonhideCR]

Suuuure actually I love the ocean since I was a kid... and going to the beach is my favorite kind of trip lol!! Can you tell me more about your learning experience learning at 28?? Why did you started? What kind of boards are you surfing today (long, shortboard, fish... etc)? how many times a week do you practice? I'm really interested hehe... By the way thanks for your replies!

I'm going to my first lesson this Saturday at 8:00 so bye bye Sleeping haha... nevermind!! Hours are going slowly lol, wish I wake up and it's saturday XD

[surf patrol]

IonhideCR, I've knocked you up a prototype for Saturday. Let me know if you'd like me to start construction

proto.jpg (7.76 KiB) Viewed 8819 times

Seriously, enjoy your first lesson.

[travelzomg]

Well, basically i wanted to start waaaaaaay back, like 15 years ago, allready...
i allways wanted to surf but unfortunately i have never gotten to do it... was never at the right place at the right time... some time ago then, i had two weeks of vacation i didnt know what to do with.. having a friend that surfs, she pushed me into booking two weeks of surfcamp and finally get going... having all water related board sports done but surfing, beeing a long time skater- and snowboarder and martial arts student, it came easier to me than to others and i manage to get up on my 3rd attempt - so its hard to compare to others...

started ofc on a foamie, a 7 ft, which was good for like 3 days.. then changed to an NSP 7.6 hardboard and had two intense weeks of surfing... then, some time later i went for another two weeks with friends, doing double sessions every day in surf up untill head high.. started with an 7.6, then down to a 7.2 and then down to the 6.8... then i could borrow my friends 6.6 shortie and gave it a go and halfway managed to get into waves and loved the way the board behaved.. so got myself my own shortie, a Webber 6.4 The One, which has nice float, a wide planar shape, is thick and sturdy and slammed into the waves with it for a few days...

so now i am going to indo in two weeks and the aim is to master the shorty....

and to answer your last question; since i am living in switzerland, i dont practice...

SurfPatrol: Where can i order?!

[IonhideCR]

Went to first class... learned at a 10'0 longboard, I stand up on my first wave (white water)!!! it was greats... shoulders hurt a lot, is there any excercise I can do on my weekdays to train them??? I'm looking forward to go next weekend to the beach for 2 more lessons...

[travelzomg]

cool to hear that you are so stoked!

keep on letting us know how it goes.

[surf patrol]

Try to get to the local pool and swim some lengths.

[IB_Surfer]

After boogieboarding as a teenager then falling into a suburbian trance, I finally snapped out of it at age 32 and learned to surf. I'm now 46 and get the gitters if I can't surf twice a week

[drowningbitbybit]

I'm now 46 and get the gitters if I can't surf twice a week

...or buy a new board once a week

[IonhideCR]

LOL... actually today I went to my second class, this time they gave me a 8'0 Fun Shape. I got to catch about 6 waves. It was a 3 hour lesson, but after 1:30 I was destroyed... Paddling was getting imposible for my shoulders, so I couldn't get to the pipeline easily, it was SO hard!!!... i feel satisfied because I'm not in white water anymore (only two classes) and rode some waves . My instructor said I was a quick learner .

Any advice of exercises I can do home to get more strength in my paddling muscles apart from swimming on a pool and push ups?? something i can do in my home...

So themathteacher, how long did you train to ride a small surfboard???

THanks to all.

[IonhideCR]

Going to Third class tomorrow!!! still nervous

[RonG]

So themathteacher, how long did you train to ride a small surfboard???

I'm curious - why are you so fixated on getting onto a shortboard as quickly as possible?

I see that a lot on this forum - "Hi, I want to learn to surf and can I do it on a 6'2 board?" and "If I ride a 9' board today how fast can i be on shortboard?" - as if the one and only goal in surfing is to be on as short a board as possible.

At my beach I see people on all kinds of boards, from long to short and everything in between. I see a few people on shortboards who can really shred. I see many more on shortboards who can barely paddle them, much less catch waves, and I wonder "Why?". I like to think it's something more than effective marketing and hype.

Just seems to me that you should enter surfing with the goal of learning to catch and ride waves, and let your developing tastes and preferences as you progress dictate which direction you take and what kind of equipment you use to get there. Long, short, thick, thin, narrow, wide, whatever.

Sorry Ionhide, not trying to single you out or get on your case. I'm not that much further down the road from where you are - I started surfing last year...at almost twice your age, so I think you're lucky to be getting in at 24. You'll probably be riding a shortboard long after I'm fish food

[IB_Surfer]

I agree with Ron, it took me forever to transition down, but I also longboarded the entire time. Even now I still own a longboard, but don't use it as much becasue, well, I got used to shorter, not because I don't like shortboarding.

How long did I train to ride a small board? I didn't, I transitioned very slowly. I learned on an 8ft thick wide funboard, then bought a 7'6" california gun, thick and wide, and a longboard at the same time. Then went down to 7'2 a few years later, and 6'8 a few years after that, and so on. It's an expensive way to do it, but at least you don't go sit in the lineup and do nothing by jumping from a big board to a small one.

I have friends that started at the same time as me and they won't touch a shortboard. It's a preference thing more than anything.

[IonhideCR]

Hello,

Actually at first I thought that my main objective was to ride a shortboard someday. After I went to my first lessons I enjoyed surfing sooo much that I started seeing it as journer. I have to say that someday I want to ride a wave with any kind of board, low speed and top speed. I'm an adrenaline lover I can ride 3-4 feet waves now, still fall to the water sometimes though but it's fun After three times surfing my shoulder still bad :S I got tired after like 20 mins. Paddling is sooooo hard sometimes.

I want to buy a board of my own in one month. Right now they borrow me an 8'0 racy fun shape. I would like a NSP 7'2 funboard (http://www.newsurfproject.com/funboard-72.html).

I'm about 1.85m and 170 pounds. Not to much money to be transitioning so I want to know if that board will be good for me now that i know the basics. I want it to last long. I need some advice about this.

Thanks!!

[IonhideCR]

Hi everybody!!...

I started to surf about 2 months ago hoping I could use a shortboard someday.

Yesterday I went to the beach decided to buy a 7'2 NSP Fun shape which is the one I've been using during 3 weeks. They asked me if I want to test-drive the board before buying it and I saw a 6'6 NSP Shortboard (Epoxy) so I felt curious to try the shortboard because I was afraid to buy the funboard and get bored 2 months later lol... I went to the beach with the shorty! Paddling is a little bit harder of course but no big deal... After 2-3 tries I was riding a wave I stayed about 3 hours in the water. My performance is greater in the 7'2 though but I was decided to buy the 6'6 instead if I can ride some waves.

Now I have my 2012 NSP 6'6 shortboard in my room and I'm willing to master it for a long long time . The key of surfing is to practice a lot...

I Started on 10'0 longboard.... went down to a 8'7 Fun shape... then 7'2 NSP epoxy fun shape... and now my own 6'6 NSP shortboard which is great...