Do you know how to surf? Is it easy to pick up?

[imported_Tomato]

Going to Oahu this weekend with my fiance to celebrate my birthday... his older brother is a doctor there, so we'll be staying with him. He has 2 surfboards which he says we can borrow, but I don't want to seriously injure myself or get eaten by a shark. Is surfing easy to pick up, and is it worth trying for the first time out there? Any surfing tips? I can snowboard a bit, will that help at all?

 

[ThePresence]

Some people pick it up easily, some people don't. It requires athleticism and a good sense of balance. I am not a big surfer, but I do ok. I have never surfed in Hawaii, so I can't answer that.

 

[imported_Tomato]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Some people pick it up easily, some people don't. It requires athleticism and a good sense of balance. I am not a big surfer, but I do ok. I have never surfed in Hawaii, so I can't answer that.

Does it require strong legs/arms/stomach/etc.? I'm not extremely athletic, but I have a pretty good sense of balance.

 

[azazyel]

Watch Point Break when she is showing him how to "pop" onto the board. That's the easy part. If you go surfing make sure it is a sand bottom and not a reef. Also, for a beginner don't go try it if the waves are over 4 feet.

Just get a boogie board, you will have way more fun.

 

[FleshLight]

Have you ever snowboarded? The maneuvers are almost polar opposites but you'll still get the hang of it quicker 🙂

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: Tomato

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Some people pick it up easily, some people don't. It requires athleticism and a good sense of balance. I am not a big surfer, but I do ok. I have never surfed in Hawaii, so I can't answer that.

Does it require strong legs/arms/stomach/etc.? I'm not extremely athletic, but I have a pretty good sense of balance.

Strong legs will help you very much. Just keep in mind, you are not gonna become a good surfer in a day or two.

 

[notfred]

Surfing is NOT easy to pick up. I started surfing in the 6th grade, and I've spent a lot of time with other surfers. No one begins to get even to a competent level in a week. Surfing requires strong arms (you're constantly using them to paddle yourself into waves... back out to the peak, adjust position, etc), and good balance. You don't need exceptionally strong legs or stomach muscles, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to have them.

If you don't do a lot of endurance type excercise with your arms (like swimming or rowing) they're going to tire out really quickly. You'll be sore after 45 minutes.

To really get the hang of surfing, you have to stick with it and go do it a couple times a week for several months. After 4-6 months, you can get to the point where you really start to know the basics and can develop your technique.

Don't worry about sharks or injuries though. In a decade of surfing, my most serious injury required seven stitches (I got hit in the head with the fin on my board). Other than that, I never had any injuries I would consider serious in the least, just small cuts and bruises.

Learning to surf is not like most other sports. When you're learning to snowboard and you fall, you just stand up and try it again. When you're learning to surf and you fall, you have to paddle back out to the peak before you can try it again. Also, on your way out to the peak, there are waves coming in that you have to contend with. When you're paddling skills aren't very good, it's really easy for each wave that hits you to push you back towards the beach farther than you're able to paddle back out before the next wave.

Start on small waves, and go with someone experienced who can give you tips on how to paddle and where to sit in the water. The thing about teaching someone to surf is that you really don't teach them how to stand or surf or do tricks on the board. You teach them how to paddle and where to sit, because the hardest part is catching the waves. Once you've caught the wave, then standing and turning is something you'll really have to figure out mostly for yourself.

 

[Sassy]

When I was a teenager I surfed all day, everyday. I?ve surfed up and down the east coast and only once did a sandshark collide into my legs. Fortunately I wasn't injured. It was quite funny actually. I happened to be in Virginia Beach, an unfamiliar surfing terriotory for me. The water is quite rusty, I believe due to it being on the Chesapeake (sp?) shipping lane (rust from the boats?). When the sandshark hit my leg, I didn?t realize what it was, so naturally I screamed. All the other surfers began laughing and I was quite embarrassed until?.. the shark jumped completely out of the water right next to my surfboard. The other surfers saw this and stopped laughing. The last laugh was mine as I quietly departed the water. I never went surfing at Virginia Beach again. There?s all kinds of marine life in that water. 🙂

If your truly interested in surfing I suggest you follow Notfred?s good advice.

 

[sillymofo]

Please take my advide on this and get yourself a bigger board, and when you see a wave, swim ahead of time. Don't try to stand up first, get on your knees and try to balance before you try to stand up. With the bigger board, you'll have time to adjust. And don't try too hard, just have fun... don't pick the big waves.

 

[shutterFly]

Used to surf at queens beach and canoes (haven't gone in about a year or so), both in Waikiki, almost every day for quite some time. Since you're coming here, I'd recommend getting surf lessons at Waikiki. The waves are generally gentle at the inner breaks and the instructors will watch out for you. They'll tell you how to handle the board in the water, what to do when a wave comes and all the "basics". They also give you a board so large it's like you're on a sidewalk. Some of them also push you into the wave so you won't have to paddle too hard.

You can also rent a board and try it on your own too but I'd recommend going with someone who knows how to surf. If you do go this route, get something that is 9'+. Harder to maneuver in the water when standing still but easier to balance on when moving.

But notfred is 100% correct. It's not easy to pick up, requires good endurance and I'd recommend you know how to swim. Don't worry about the sharks... can't say that I've ever seen one at Waikiki.