surfing alone? (as a beginner)

[surfjj2000]

hey everyone, i'm new to this forum but I want to ask something.

is it smart to surf alone?

I'm still a beginner and I really want to surf.
I'm 17 years old and had 5 lessons and surfed free 2 times with my older brother.
the thing is now that my older brother lives way further of the coast line and I live 7 miles of the coast whe can't surf together anymore.

I want to know from the other surfers if it's smart to surf alone as a beginner.

altough I'm not really alone, my dad will stand on the beach until I'm good enough/have enough experience (don't know if that counts as alone). I'm not afraid of big waves, and know my limits (2-4ft waves) since i'm also not very tall. (5'6-5'7). but does that count or do I still need someone in the water? because I don't have any surf friends, I came up with this al myself and paid for everything myself so I really want to learn it and progres to a Fish/Shortboard and just have fun in the water.
I do know the dangers of rips and that sooner or lather I will get caught in one as any other surfer, so I'm not affraid of that also since it's very crowded. (also don't want that my dad has to stand on the beach when it's winter, so that's why I want to surf alone).

(their are also lots of other surfers around 10-40 sometimes even 100).

thanks and all the best,
jj

ps: sorry for my bad English, it's not my native language/language I speak everyday.

[BoMan]

It's important to surf with someone that has your back in an emergency. Many things can go wrong when you are learning. You can collide with your board, other boards, or submerged rocks, The ocean can hold you down, pound you into the sand or carry you away with strong currents. A friend or family member will help you when danger strikes and teach you how to deal with it.

Be safe and have fun!

[surfjj2000]

Thanks BoMan

So does my dad standing on shore and watching me count to?
I do have my brother but he lives far away and isn't a very experienced surfer either, infact I know more about rips, swell periode and height etc. Than him. I also don't have any surfing friends.

[oldmansurfer]

If your dad is willing and able to rescue you then it helps having him there. He could also call for help if help is near by but if not at least if you drown he will know where to tell people to look for your body. If you surf alone you need to be able to stay out of trouble besides being caught in currents and swept out to sea you could get pounded by the waves into the bottom and you need to have some skills to avoid that. Your board might hit you and you need to have some skills to keep that from happening. You might loose your board and be stuck out there without a board. There are dangerous rocks and reefs and ocean life and sea monsters .....Well ok there aren't any sea monsters but there are numerous ways to get in trouble in the ocean. As to the answer to your question is it smart to surf alone it depends on what your goals are. If staying alive is a top priority for you then surfing alone probably isn't a good idea but if other things are more important than that then go for it. The is risk in every ones life and surfing alone increases that but is it worth the risk? If the answer is yes then it is smart to surf alone if not then the answer is no

[surfjj2000]

o , well than I think I'll just stop surfing after my last lessons if the risk is so big.

thanks for the reply OldmanProner

ps: I life in the Netherlands.

these are the most commen conditions of the area I wanted to progress surfing http://nl.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Noor ... st/six_day

[jaffa1949]

There could be a solution, there may well be a club of surfers at the beaches you wish to favour.
Join a club, it has social advantages too, new friends help and perhaps even trips away together. Keep it touch and if you really love surfing become a strong swimmer learn about the beaches and safety. Surf with the other people in the water until you become capable.
Keep the stoke and surf!

[dtc]

Hey, I think surfjj is not surfing 'alone' as in there are no other surfers around, just not surfers that' s/he knows. That's a big difference

So long as the usual safety precautions are understood - able to swim, understand rips and exit points etc - and surf etiquette to avoid getting into trouble, then I don't see any particular issue. I certainly rarely surf with people I know and never have, even when I was learning. Sure no one is specifically looking out for you, but the other surfers will help out if asked

Just need to know your limits and not push them too much until there is more skill

That said, a surf club is a great idea if there is one

[Big H]

I surf alone....always have....I have a lot of ocean knowledge though and can swim a long time and survive for longer if it came to that. Even with all of that, I will not go out if no one else is out at all. Never gamble everything on one hand.....if something were to go wrong (dislocated shoulder for instance on a wipeout) and I was really all alone out there, I could wind up out to sea and no one would be the wiser. That being said, so long as there are others in the area, we all keep an eye on each other. There is one guy who works down the street that I have surfed "with" more than a couple dozen times.....we have never spoken to each other, I don't know his name, though we nod in passing. In the water we look out for each other and take turns on the wave as we should.

[OlegLupusov]

You are not alone as the area is crowded. How far is the line from the area where you can stand on the bottom?
I started "alone" as you define and was pretty fine in terms of safety.

If you are too scared just play in white water for another 5-7 sessions. Or just pick a beginner spot with small waves, no currents and bay watch on duty.

Two or more beginners are not always a good combination which may result in mutual daring and showing off.

I would say that "alone" could be safer:)

[OlegLupusov]

I know about a girl who got killed while surfing with a bunch of friends although all of them were quite experienced.

[surfjj2000]

The surf spot is very well lnown so there are also others out. Experienced ones, inteemidiates and lots of beginners.

I was going to surf earlier but couldn't so I took the time to correct my ocean knowledge before my first lesson.

Before I got into the water I did know what Rips, tides and currents are. What to do in them and when they are strongest at my area (full moon, north east wind) I also know what to do and I know that I will get caught in one. I knewneven more than my brother when he first took me out. So I'm not scared of that. I know my limits, and if I don't think it's 'safe' for a beginner as me it's beter to stay out then look like a paddling kook who can hurt himself/others or. Or even life threaten

And yes indeed my brother said the same. He started alone because your friends can push you over your limits.
When your alone (with surfers you don't know) you can pay attention to your suroundings more.

[dtc]

Sounds like you are doing pretty much everything right and understand what you can and can't do - time to hit the waves!

[surfjj2000]

Thanks everyone, I'll keep this post updated with my progression and experiences

[surfjj2000]

hey you guys, im back

couldnt surf for month but went out on my own after words, felt a bit nervous wiped out 6 times and then...................................................................................I CAUGHT A WAVE!!! man that feeling, it was great 2 ft day tryed again and got washed again, but after i while i could stand up and another surfer my age came up to my talking about my foot position and hwo to improve.

you are right about the surfers around the world, i don't really have lots of friends but i did already make some buddys that i see surfing on the days/times i most of the time surf. EDIT: i also got in the way of someone accidently after trying to catch a wave and going back to the peak but didnt padlle hard enough to the white wash so messed up some dudes wave,appoligezed in advance:) but he was cool about it and said it could happen, even gave me a thumbs up for admitting my mistake since most people just ignore as if they didnt make a mistake or simply laugh.

thanks for the updat guys

[oldmansurfer]

That is such a great report. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let us know how it all went. Sounds like there is no turning back now... you are a surfer.

[surfjj2000]

Haha yes thats true, the surf comumity really is a remarkeble brother/sister ship, you can feel it the moment you enter the line-up, some surfers giving you a quik thumbsup when you surf a good wave down the line on that foam board (wich took me 45 or more tries on one day:)

It's something special, didn't expect such nice locals either, all those stories abouy locals frightend me a bit, but actually they are pretty cool laid down dudes. I felt nervous in the beginnen when looking at those 2ft waves, but oncd out the back its so calm that you can only focus on one thing. The horizon and the waves cominh at you. It gives peace. My brother said that if possible he could surf some of the weekends with me in Winter time. Glad to have such a great brother who gives up some time to spend surf time with me.

[oldmansurfer]

You won't find that everywhere you go but I am glad you have some buddies out there to share the waves with. Localism is worse at certain breaks and I guess certain countries also. In my experience it seems to be much less at breaks frequented by beginners but I guess there can be aggressive locals at any break. But for most surfers they were once there at the level of surfing you are at and you are a polite surfer which makes for a more favorable impression.

[surfjj2000]

hey guys, so a question. im thinking of buyung my first board. does anyone have experience with a 6'8 40l Torq? I was also looking at the Torq 6'3?

[dtc]

What board have you been surfing so far? How many waves do you catch (out of every 10 you go for)? Do you do bottom or too turns? How heavy are you

Just trying to get an idea of what to suggest. Initial thought is that both boards are a bit short