A Newbies Guide for Newbies

[Silvery]

It's like reading a book and the last chapters missing.
He was on speaking terms with a few of the locals at Scarborough, be nice to know if he's ok.
His posts were full of humility and honesty, no BS .....rare thing.

[oldmansurfer]

Yeah he seemed so eager and willing to learn and share his adventure learning to surf. But my experience was so different from his. I wonder how many different versions there are of learning to surf? Probably as many as there are surfers. One person who posts here from time to time (David Flanagan) wrote a book called " Board" gives an honest perspective on his experience learning to surf and once again so different from me or Phil. I enjoyed reading his book but OMG it's nothing like what I experienced.

[oldmansurfer]

You know I just re read this post and realized he had been injured and quit surfing prior to this last post and had just restarted. He hadn't posted in a while before that. I guess he probably quit surfing. Too bad but still this thread has a lot information about what to expect for newbies.

[Silvery]

Be interested to read your journey if you feel inclined.

Guess you're right about Phil's injury being the most likely cause.

[oldmansurfer]

The very first time I surfed I was about 12 years old and quite a good swimmer and learning to body surf. The was a beachboy (older than me) who worked at a hotel near my fathers office. Sometimes I would go to the beach by the Hotel to kill time while my parents worked. I kept asking him to teach me to surf but he always said he was working and he would teach me later. One day I see him at the beach near my home and run up and ask him to teach me. So he gets me on his long board which I could stand on without being on a wave because I was a kid and it was a big board. He pushed me into two waves which I rode all the way to the beach. I thought well that wasn't too exciting. Compared to bodysurfing it seemed boring.

The next time I surfed I borrowed my brothers board and surfed at the spot in front of the hotel that the beachboy worked. I managed to catch a couple waves an ride a little bit. Still not impressed since I had become an excellent bodysurfer by then. Shortly after that I got into paipo boarding which is riding a small wooden board on your belly. I became quite accomplished at that and used to do a one foot on the board and one knee on the board stance called a drop knee stance. I borrowed my other brothers short little potato chip board that was like 5'2" and wide. It took me about 30 minutes to figure out where to be in the lineup and then I caught a wave stayed in a crouch and got tubed completely and came out. I wasn't sure because it was really wet but another surfer saw it and said I was tubed.

Then when I turned 18 my parents bought me a surfboard. I tried it a couple times but was really into paipo boarding then and switching over from laying on my belly to kneeboarding so the board went into the corner of my room. While knee boarding I realized the ability of a surfer to use weighting and unweighting which I could do a little knee boarding. I was having an awesome session surfing my newly made plywood and fiberglass kneeboard and riding a wave with around a 15 foot face I turned under the lip and came down just a little too slow and the lip landed right on me snapping my new kneeboard in two. It had taken me 2 weeks to make it so the surfboard sitting in the corner of my room started looking more attractive. I talked to my surfer friends and asked them how to learn and they all said surf as much as you can. So I went out every day all alone and surfed 2 hours at least every day and more on the weekend. At first I was catching green waves since I had no desire to ride whitewater. I would take off and pearl, take off and pearl, take off and pearl, take off and pearl, take off and pearl, take off and pearl, then suddenly take off and not pearl. I tried to think of how it was different in the times I didn't pearl and by two weeks I could take off and ride a wave down the line making minor turns 90% but still pearling 10%. In another 2 weeks no more pearling.

While paipo boarding I had previously been invited to join the surfers in the lineup and they taught me the etiquette of surfing. I never took lessons and started on a shortboard which at the time was a 6'10" diamond tail single glassed in fin with no leash. It was very different from all the stories I hear on this forum.

[Silvery]

You were really right about it being completely different to Phil's journey! !! Really enjoyed reading that, thanks.

[oldmansurfer]

I think if you grew up in the ocean then you will have similar experiences to me but apparently most of the posters have not.

[steveylang]

Have you guys seen this video?

I guess the main advice I would give to newbies is:
1) Don't go out in conditions where you feel scared or unsafe (this is self-explanatory)

2) Genuinely try to enjoy and appreciate the process even when you're struggling. This can be easier said than done, but I do look back at my various stages of learning fondly, even if I wasn't enjoying it 100% at the time.

[oldmansurfer]

Hahaha Great movie to give people an idea what to expect learning to surf with all the bells and whistles. The experience is different for everyone. Maybe there are similarities among many beginner surfers but there are a wide variety of experiences in those learning to surf. Read the book "Board" by David Flanagan who sometimes posts here. Very different from the book "Barbarian Days". What is it that you enjoy? In the movie it was jumping onto someone else's board or riding the longest wave of your life or looking cool for the photographs. I think many people, even surfers, don't understand why I go out in junk waves. I enjoy it. It's a challenge and if I don't have lots of fun I get exercise and stay in shape for the next time and maybe I learn to read the waves better. Expectations lead to people being disappointed. I don't expect much other than to get wet and have some exercise. Always rewarded by accomplishing that goal. I suspect that those in the movie won't become surfers for long or in the case of the long time beginner surfer, he still will be a beginner in the years to come. I say don't have too much expectations and try to be safe and like the movie says don't compare yourself to others too much. If you are having fun and you are safe (and those around you are safe too) that is all that matters.

[steveylang]

Hahaha Great movie to give people an idea what to expect learning to surf with all the bells and whistles. The experience is different for everyone. Maybe there are similarities among many beginner surfers but there are a wide variety of experiences in those learning to surf. Read the book "Board" by David Flanagan who sometimes posts here. Very different from the book "Barbarian Days". What is it that you enjoy? In the movie it was jumping onto someone else's board or riding the longest wave of your life or looking cool for the photographs. I think many people, even surfers, don't understand why I go out in junk waves. I enjoy it. It's a challenge and if I don't have lots of fun I get exercise and stay in shape for the next time and maybe I learn to read the waves better. Expectations lead to people being disappointed. I don't expect much other than to get wet and have some exercise. Always rewarded by accomplishing that goal. I suspect that those in the movie won't become surfers for long or in the case of the long time beginner surfer, he still will be a beginner in the years to come. I say don't have too much expectations and try to be safe and like the movie says don't compare yourself to others too much. If you are having fun and you are safe (and those around you are safe too) that is all that matters.

Thanks for the tip oldmansurfer, I will check that book out (already downloaded a sample to my Kindle.)

I am 100% with you on going out in junk days, which can be great practice. I surf 2 days a week, every week, it's my only form of exercise. So even if it's 1-2 ft. slop, I will still catch some waves, get wet, feel the seawater, and paddle around for awhile- it beats a treadmill any day. I still grumble about it, but it's better than nothing.

I really liked the the phrase 'Fail With Joy' in the short.

[oldmansurfer]

I haven't ever regretted going surfing.