Learning surfing Hawaii

[pafcho]

Hello to everyone here.

I am keen on learning surfing (never done it before), so I decided to spend a month in Oahu, Hawaii and take lessons. I would like to work with an instructor who can follow my progress, I guess if I just pop up on the beach and take the first instructor I might end up being taught the same things every day... you get my idea. Can someone recommend a good surfing school for this purpose? Also what do you think would be my progress after a month? I know this depends solely on me but let's say what progress does an average person make in one month, surfing every day?

I saw in the site a nice section for fitness training. I am going to Hawaii in mid April so I have 3 months to improve my shape. Obviously I get back in the pool for swimming but what else would you recommend to do in these 3 months?

I am taking this quite seriously and I plan to put a real effort in it and as I am an absolute beginner every advice will be appreciated.

Thank you

[oldmansurfer]

I live and surf in Hawaii but on another island and I don't know anyone who took surf lessons on Oahu not that surf lessons aren't a good thing. I would say increase your swimming skills is of ultimate importance. Can you swim 70 or 80 laps? I guess whatever else you need to do depends on how athletic you are already. Strength flexibility and balance and endurance can be worked on prior to learning to surf.

[pandarturo]

Go to surf n sea in Haleiwa they have lessons and gear

[CARBr6]

Based on a video posted here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8206&p=169930#p169930
It takes around about 50 hours! But to be honest it all depends on your fitness and abilities. Some people really struggle to stand on the board in the white water and can take several lessons just to manage that, other people stand up on their first go and find them selves trying to catch green waves by the end of their first day! Good luck with it though, surfing will change your life! Mahalo.

[oldmansurfer]

Your ability to paddle without getting tired will help you learn to surf faster so building your arm strength and endurance prior will allow you to catch more waves when you start. One of the issues that most surfers learning to surf suffer from is the rubber band arm syndrome. You are surfing as long as you can and as you try to paddle in you arms start to feel like rubber bands and you kind of throw them out forward and they fall into the water all the while hoping that this some how will get you to shore. I know from my own experience that this can be avoided completely by conditioning prior to surfing.

Surfing requires a reasonable sense of balance and working on that may help to keep you on the board longer so that you can learn to maneuver the board better instead of falling off.

There is a thread in this forum on popups that has instructional videos. If you practice your pop up prior to surfing you will learn a lot faster as well.

It all depends on how driven you are to learn. Do you want to just take it easy? It's fun just to be in the ocean riding whitewater. You could learn a lot faster with some preparation done ahead of time. Most people will have ridden a wave by the end of the first day. I love to watch people learning to surf. I copy them when the waves are small , standing legs way apart arms held way out, big grim on my face too. I love surfing.