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Learning to surf

There isn't much to surfing. You just stand up on a board and ride the wave. I would guess as long as you are physically capable of it that you could get up in a day or two.
 
ponyo said:
How hard is it to learn how to surf in the ocean? Can I learn in like a month?
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The words that come to mind here are easy to learn but extremely difficult to master.

If you are a strong swimmer and have experience skate or snow-boarding you'll have an easier time of it.




purbeast0 said:
There isn't much to surfing. You just stand up on a board and ride the wave. I would guess as long as you are physically capable of it that you could get up in a day or two.
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Maybe for about five seconds if you get lucky for most people ... getting to your knees and staying there is tough enough in decent sized surf.

Staying in control when you are trying to stand up is not easy at all the first 100 or so times lol!
 
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I think my balance is ok. I can rollerblade, ski, and ride bike and motorcycle. Never really tried skateboard or snowboarding.

I think I'm having sort of midlife crisis. I'm in my mid 40s and wondering why I'm not taking advantage of all my free time and opportunities. So I think I will start learning new stuff. Once this COVID-19 dies down and international travel restrictions are lifted, I think I'm going to go live in different areas of the world for months at a time and try to learn. I want to learn how to surf. Then scuba.

I spent the last hour researching surfing schools. Last year when I visited Jeju island, I visited a beach and watched people surfing. I think I want to do that. So I'm going to book a month in Jeju island and take surfing lessons and learn to surf. Then book a month in Thailand and learn how to scuba. I told my wife and she thinks it's a great idea. Maybe spend a year and try living in different cities and places around the world.
 
Nothing wrong with that. I wouldn't get too hung up on "learning" anything. Just give it hell, and have fun with the process. When you're doing what you want, even failure can be fun.
 
I have been surfing for over 40 years, since I was a kid. Taught my wife to surf longboard, she was up and riding the first session. We were able to hold hands side by side on a wave that day. Short boarding will take a lot longer to get anything done.

Just get familiar with the turtle roll so paddling out when there is any size or power, is easy peasy -

 
Thanks for the videos! That turtle roll is cool technique. That's kind of stuff I want to learn by going to school. I want to learn fundamentals and proper surfing techniques. Then I can practice on my own. But I want to learn the proper way to surf.

I'm going to drive down to Jacksonville Beach, FL, and buy cheap Wavestorm surfboard from Costco to practice.
 
ponyo said:
I think my balance is ok. I can rollerblade, ski, and ride bike and motorcycle. Never really tried skateboard or snowboarding.
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I would say I qualify as an expert skier, I've done it almost my entire life (started at 3), but I can't surf or even paddle board to save my life. I can't say I've given much of a time investment, but I tried to learn during a few vacations with a cousin who surfs pretty well and I am just complete garbage on a board.

Not sure what that's worth, if anything.
 
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TheVrolok said:
I would say I qualify as an expert skier, I've done it almost my entire life (started at 3), but I can't surf or even paddle board to save my life. I can't say I've given much of a time investment, but I tried to learn during a few vacations with a cousin who surfs pretty well and I am just complete garbage on a board.

Not sure what that's worth, of anything.
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Yeah it depends on the person. I was able to get up and surf my first time on a long board but then again I was 14 so everything was easier back then.
 
In a month of being in the water 2h a day, 3-5 days a week, you'll probably get proficient at standing up and catching waves. Another 6 months to learn the etiquette and not get in people's way. 5 years to be decently good.

Based on my experience.
 
It all depends on WHERE you're learning. Some shore breaks are just more intense than others...and some are nonexistent. I first tried because I was at Waikiki Beach like 15 years ago...so I rented a board and paddled it out. There weren't enough waves and with the reef under me, I was reluctant to take too many risks. If was fun to try, but I'm much better at snowboarding.

What you want are medium sized waves that break around 3-4 feet deep. It's tougher to find good places to surf than you think because too often the conditions are not great to learn...but yeah...you're basically timing the wave and trying to stand up to ride it. Long boards are easier to learn, but if you skateboard, you may not struggle surfing a shorter board.
 
ponyo said:
Then book a month in Thailand and learn how to scuba. I told my wife and she thinks it's a great idea. Maybe spend a year and try living in different cities and places around the world.
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Don't cheap out on the scuba lessons. Find a place with a good student:instructor ratio. My first dive after getting certified I was put in the noob group with other 0-5 dive Divers and those people were fucking dangerous. Had problems entering the water. Poor buoyancy control. Couldn't clear their masks well. Zero situational awareness. Hell I had to help explain how to get equipment on. We did 3 dives as that group so I got to talk to some of them and they had all had done larger class sizes over a more condensed time. Mine was a 2:1 ratio so if I was doing something wrong or needed practice it was noticed and focused on.
 
i don't think it's that hard to do the pop up and turn. I think the biggest hurdle is fitness with paddling your arms trying to catch the wave. If you don't paddle hard enough get some forward momentum going as the wave picks you up, it just passes you up or you go over the falls. Much easier to do on a long board.
 
Exterous said:
Don't cheap out on the scuba lessons. Find a place with a good student:instructor ratio. My first dive after getting certified I was put in the noob group with other 0-5 dive Divers and those people were fucking dangerous. Had problems entering the water. Poor buoyancy control. Couldn't clear their masks well. Zero situational awareness. Hell I had to help explain how to get equipment on. We did 3 dives as that group so I got to talk to some of them and they had all had done larger class sizes over a more condensed time. Mine was a 2:1 ratio so if I was doing something wrong or needed practice it was noticed and focused on.
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I'm not going to cheap out on scuba. I don't want to die. I'm probably going to go learn scuba at Koh Tao island in Thailand. There are more than 70 dive schools on that island and they issue 2nd most diving certifications in the world.

https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/the-complete-guide-to-diving-in-koh-tao/
 
First step is getting a ip68 certified device and something with a cellular data connection. You should be aware that it'll only work on the surface though. Water kills signal super quick. Those pool floaters work okay as long as the waves aren't too rough. I've surfed on one at resorts in the carribean
 
ponyo said:
I think my balance is ok. I can rollerblade, ski, and ride bike and motorcycle. Never really tried skateboard or snowboarding.

I think I'm having sort of midlife crisis. I'm in my mid 40s and wondering why I'm not taking advantage of all my free time and opportunities. So I think I will start learning new stuff. Once this COVID-19 dies down and international travel restrictions are lifted, I think I'm going to go live in different areas of the world for months at a time and try to learn. I want to learn how to surf. Then scuba.

I spent the last hour researching surfing schools. Last year when I visited Jeju island, I visited a beach and watched people surfing. I think I want to do that. So I'm going to book a month in Jeju island and take surfing lessons and learn to surf. Then book a month in Thailand and learn how to scuba. I told my wife and she thinks it's a great idea. Maybe spend a year and try living in different cities and places around the world.
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I used to surf quite a bit. Learned how shortly after moving to Los Angeles in the early 1990s and really only stopped about 17 years ago after my son was born as it took up too much time. It is great exercise but can present some unique challenges to staying healthy too. One problem is bacteria in the water, you definitely don't want to go out after it has rained as the waters will be hazardous to your health. Another problem is sea life and the fact that you have a surf board tethered to your leg. I've been hit in the mouth by my own board, split my lower lip wide open which required stitches. I've been hit by other people's boards too. Then there is the marine life. I've seen jellyfish in the water but if you're wearing a wetsuit you likely won't get stung. I've never seen a shark but I know they're there.

The bigger the surf the harder it is to paddle out. If you don't feel comfortable paddling out into big surf, don't do it. It is very physically demanding and if you aren't used to it 20 minutes in the water paddling into big surf can just make you feel completely spent. Longer boards are more stable and easier to catch waves with but they can be more challenging to paddle out into big surf with. I would say give it a few weeks practicing a couple hours every day or every other day in small surf and you should get the hang of it and be able to catch a wave and stand up on the board and ride it a short distance.

My first board was a 7'6" egg shaped board which was a good first board, not too large that it was difficult to turn but big enough I could catch waves. You'll need a leash unless you like swimming in to retrieve your board every time you fall off of it. You'll also need some wax that is suitable for the water temps you'll be surfing in. Wax is to make the deck of the surfboard grippy, apply it liberally. Weather or not you need a wetsuit depends on the water temperature. I used to surf year round so I had a couple different wetsuits for different seasons. If you plan on surfing in warm waters then board shorts will be enough but I would wear a rash guard or that wax will rub the skin off your chest and stomach.

Surfing is a lot of fun. I still miss it at times.
 
ponyo said:
I ordered Body Glove 8.2" inflatable longboard surfboard from Costco. I think inflatable will work better for me as I plan to travel. I can easily check this with my luggage on planes and it'll fit in trunk of small cars I rent.

https://www.costco.com/body-glove-ez-8'2"-inflatable-longboard-surfboard.product.100424771.html
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Where do you live now?

One more tip, the leash attaches to your back leg. Meaning, whatever way you naturally face when you pop up on the board, the leash should go on the leg nearest the back of the board. If you face right and your right leg is on the back of the board then you attach the leash to that leg. If you face left and your left leg is closest to the back of the board then you are goofy-footed and you attach the leash to your left leg.
 
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