The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Surfing

Generally, the surfing community tends to be very inclusive and would rather shun newcomers than welcome them and teach them how to surf; still, notwithstanding, if you can break on through into the surfing community you will find that it can be a lot of fun, and very dangerous. The reason that surfers meet new surfers with such contempt is because new surfers wildly jerking around on a surfboard is very hazardous, for them and everybody else sharing the waves with them. If you can learn how to surf without hurting yourself or anybody else, then you will find that it is a lot of fun.

Once you have broken through into the surfing community, you will find an abundance of friends who want nothing more than to catch a wave with you. But first, you need to learn how to surf, right? So here is the ultimate guide to surfing for beginners!

The first thing any budding surfer wants to do is find the perfect board; the board needs volume and stability. There are some things you should take into consideration when looking for a perfect surfboard for you: your skill level, fitness level, and height, these are all things that can have a detrimental impact on your surfing if you shop for the wrong board. For your first board, you will want a six-or-seven-foot board for stability. Six-or-seven-foot boards enable you to be able to both paddle out to the waves and ride the waves for the first time. When you are searching for a good quality online rip curl outlet, make sure you shop comparatively. The quality of your board is very important. When you are riding a wave for the first time, you do not want to be risking your life by taking a low-quality and mass-produced board out.

You should make sure that your first board is, while not necessarily expensive, well-constructed. Falling off of your board on a huge wave can mean serious injury, or worse, death. Make sure you look for a board that is well-reviewed and is designed for beginners or intermediaries, as getting a board for professionals will only hinder your progress and prevent you from achieving and finding success in surfing. Your board is everything, and should be an extension of your legs, so do not cheap out!

The surfboard is not the only thing you will need to make sure that you get, rather there is a whole list of things you need to become a pro-surfer! You will want to make sure that you get a leash the length of your entire board and hook it to the ankle you will have positioned at the back of the board during your riding stance, you will need a good-quality thermal swimsuit that will be nice and tight, but not too restrictive, with a rash guard to prevent your skin from burning up or chafing. You will also need wax to prevent you from slipping off of your board.

Before you hit the beach and catch a wave, make sure you do some practice at home, or even on the dunes at the beach, practice pushing yourself up and out of the water, and then practice quickly jumping onto your feet and getting into your riding stance. Once you have practiced these fundamentals, it's time you got started. Paddle out into the water, and when you see a wave that you want to ride, approach it by paddling towards it with your board facing toward the beach, it is important here that the nose of your board is not underwater, but rather just sitting on the surface.

As the wave hits you will get your board's momentum going, and then, as the wave draws in, check where it is, and as you feel yourself speeding up and the wave pushing you with a gust of energy, stand up, as you stand, try to stand in one fluid motion so you do not stumble. Bend your knees and hold your arms out like a bird, and there it is, you are a surfer!

Surfing has never been this easy! You can find surfing to be a very rewarding sport, and as you get better you can go for shorter boards and ditch the longboard, but for a beginner, you will want to make sure you ride a longboard to keep you and everybody else safe.

Surfing can, however, be very dangerous. When you are surfing you must keep your wits about you and check out your surroundings so no accidents happen and so you keep everybody else safe, and yourself safe, so everyone can have a good day riding the waves!