Surf Tips

Let’s begin with with the letter A and continue throughout the year! Here are some fun surf lingo terms that you should know. Thanks Rippin H2O for your great and entertaining list.

India’s First Multi-Purpose Reef Goes Off from ASR Limited on Vimeo.

Make’s me want to go to India! Has anyone surfed this yet? It looks amazing and fun.

Outdoor classroom for surfers.

It’s nearly summer time and that means it’s time to finally learn how to surf. I know that you’ve been saying that you want to learn how to surf year after year but have been putting it off. Well, the time is now, 2010 is your year to learn how to surf.

What do you need to know about surfing? Surfing is a challenging sport both physically and mentally but dont’ worry it is achievable. It’s the perfect sport to learn that will both challenge you and provide quite an euphoric feeling after catching your very first wave. You will enter the state of a beginner mind and enjoy the flood of energy that comes with learning something new.

Here is some helpful advice to get you surfer ready for this summer:

• Swim- Swim as much as you can possibly take. It’s important to start working your upper body.
• Read a Surfing Book or try a Surf DVD like Peggy Hall’s Yoga for Surfers Fitness series.
• Take a surf lesson. It’s very difficult to learn how to surf on your own or have your super ripping boyfriend try and teach you.
• Go on a Surf Vacation. If you want to learn, why not commit and surf everyday for an entire week. You will see the most progression attending a surf retreat.

Hope to see you in the water soon!

I love the guys and gals from Surfsdesk.com. I subscribe to their RSS blog feed as it features some great info about SURFING! Being a traveling surfer, I could relate to the info below and thought you would enjoy it to! Make sure to check out Surfersdesk.com. Enjoy!

The standard rules that EVERY surfer should know..local or traveler.

1. Closest surfer standing to the curl  has priority. If you are standing on the wave, you look behind you and some person is there… get off the wave

2. Paddle around the wave, not through it.

3. Don’t throw your board over the falls, there could be other surfers below you.

4. Help other surfers in trouble.

So those are the standard rules of surfing. If you don’t understand them, ask someone.

Here are some extra traveler rules that are good to go by. It’s what I go by when I’m traveling and it’s worked out for me.

1. Watch  where a local enters the water and paddles out. This will most likely be the best spot and the easiest entry.

2. Once you’re out in the line up, don’t just paddle around everyone so that you’re the closest to the curl. Wait your turn.

3. Observe the pecking order. there will be a few guys out that will get a majority of the waves. Locals know their spot and they don’t want to lose any waves to you.

4. Paddle for waves after the few guys that rip are paddling back into the lineup (after their waves).

5. Don’t get in a paddle battle with a local. You’re a traveler that is surfing on your week vacation. This person probably surfs everyday.You will lose.

6. If everyone is paddling out into the ocean, you should probably do that too… unless you want to take a wave on the head.

7. Talk to people in the line up. Everywhere I’ve been, surfers are nice and they have NO problem chatting while waiting.

How does sitting up straight on your surfboard help you to catch waves? Why is posture important on a surfboard? Check out this You Tube clip for some tips.

Soft Tops are the best to learn on.

What to Expect
So, what should you expect for your first beginner surf lesson? First of all, surf lessons (and surfing) should always be fun! If you are able to laugh at yourself (even the naturally athletic may be humbled by a couple of not-so-graceful wipe-outs), you are right on track. Surf lessons are typically 2 hours and should be at a maximum ratio of 5:1 (5 students to 1 instructor.)

At the beginning of your surf lesson, your surf instructor will do a brief check-in and introduction. After the intros, it time for a land lesson. Your class time on the beach will include things like safety, ocean awareness, anatomy of a surfboard and last but not least, surf etiquette – all critical to having fun once you hit the water. On the land, you’ll also receive instruction on how to pop up on a surfboard, how to ride the surfboard, and how to safely end your ride.

After your land lesson, is the time you’ve been waiting for – time to hit the ocean! This is where the true test lies, so hopefully you have paid attention to your surf instructor. Once in the water, the surf instructor will corral you in a group and call you over one at a time. During your turn, your instructor will watch for the perfect wave, and once it is coming, he/she will give you a slight push (I call it a love pat) into the wave. This is when the fun begins! Once you feel the push, it’s time to pop-up and enjoy the ride. Nothing beats your first wave!

Surf Shop in Barra de Navidad, Mexico. This is where we SHOULD have gone.

Our Surf Crew L-R; Mike, Chris, Me-Shell, Rachel and Sy. Mike taking images as Federales would not take our picture.

Que Dia! What a Day! We arrived for Reid and April’s Wedding at Isla Navidad “Grand Bay Resort” in Mexico and were super psyched to go on a surf adventure. What a surf adventure it was! There was a huge Mexico swell and our crew was fired up to take advantage of some great waves. Well, to make a LONG story short…the perfect waves were right outside our hotel (little did we know). We went on the guided surf adventure and fell into quite the array of obstacles and challenges along the way. Our Surf Adventure consisted of a surf guide that did more surfing than we did, 8 hours of driving, numerous jellyfish stings to all of us, a broken leash, a near drowning and my hubby got punched in the face. Oh yeah, no one in our group caught a real wave. Que Dia! There was a positive. We had an incredible bonding experience and have lots of funny stories to tell. We did get a chance to surf the next day at Bara de Navidad which was incredible. Thanks Mexico Surf Crew 2009.

Know your limits as a beginner to an advanced surfer.

One of the Surf Etiquette rules is to Know your Limits. This is not a rule for the beginner surfer only. Perhaps it even applies to those surfers who ‘already know how to surf’ more so than beginner surfers. Never-ever surfers and beginner surfers may be a bit hesitant to go out on a day with the flags up, but if you have had many great surf sessions under your trunks then you may feel the courage to do so. Tune in to how you are feeling before going out. Do you feel excited or do you feel anxiety? This is usually a big indicator as to your limits. If you decide to go out, hang on the shouldar of the wave for a while and catch some waves there until you feel comfortable in the water. You would be surprised at how differently the water looks like from being on the shoreline to actually being IN the thick of it. Be Safe and stay blissful!

Image from eastcoastwahines.com

Life is a journey, and much like surfing, sticking to a few basic rules or courtesies can make the ride a lot smoother.

The rules of surfing are universal codes. Let’s see how surfing etiquette can so easily apply to us all in our every day life.

1. No Dropping In.
This surf etiquette rule reminds us that in life we should respect and honor other people’s choices in their life’s purpose.

2. Wait your Turn.

Being aware of your place in the queue in your journey for anything is a great life skill.

3. Don’t get out of your Depth.
Much the same in the real world, we all need to realize our limitations.

4. Respect the Locals.
We all know the saying “When in Rome..”.

5. Keep Control.
In life’s journey you need to be responsible for yourself and your well being.

6. No Discrimination.
Opening up your mind to others regardless of gender, race or religion can be great for expanding your soul.

7. Look out for others.

If you see someone needing assistance, help them.

8. No Rage.
Breathe in with love and out with love.

9. Right of Way.
Give way when you need to. Unnecessary confrontations in life just take up energy that is best used for more positive activities.

10. Respect the Environment.
Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos or memories.

Life’s journey will always be an adventure. Enjoy the ride of the wave. Smooth waves are the best, but not knowing what the next set of waves will bring always adds to the excitement of life.

To see my FULL STORY click here.

Check out these amazing nose rides at the Noosa Festival in Australia. Looks like so much fun! Let’s hear about your surf tricks!