You might think that surfing and yoga are far out from each other but that notion is incorrect. Both have similar concepts that really blend well to give you a better life. Here are five reasons why surfing and yoga is a great combination.

1.  Yoga and surfing have a common denominator. They are ways of life.

2.  Surfing without exercise such as yoga can have health repercussions.

3.  Yoga will teach you patience in surfing.

4.  Yoga will increase your strength and flexibility on the board.

5.  Yoga will help you improve posture and breathing.

Surfing and yoga is a perfect complement that assists in excelling each other to higher levels and that is why most women’s surf camps have yoga activities as well. The pair not only enhances your spirituality and physicality but also harmonizes your mind and body in perfect balance. So the next time, before you surf, practice a few minutes of yoga and breathing. Then you’ll realize that surfing is not only a purely physical activity but can have liberation effects as well.

Plenty of surfing to be had this summer!

This summer has blessed Maui with tons of surf! I mean tons! It started in early summer and the surf continues on without any long lulls until the next swell. We get a breather of a day or two and then whamo!…surf’s up. This is turning out to be one of the best summer’s for surfing that Maui has seen in a long time. Come and join us for some exceptional waves. Click here for the Maui surf report and weather.

SwellWomen is a proud member of the Surfrider Foundation which is a foundation that is dedicated to the protection and preservation of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots and founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers. The Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 60 chapters across the United States and Puerto Rico, with international affiliates in Australia, Europe, Japan and Brazil.

JAWS at night?

On Jan. 20th, 2011, professional big wave surfer Mark Visser made history by achieving a night ride on waves measuring 30-40 foot faces off the shores of Maui with specially engineered LED lights built into a buoyancy vest and modified into the surfboard. The lighting technologies were created especially for the project by Solus Corporation using ground breaking NASA submarine lighting to ensure the wave and board were lit in the right places, at the right time and illuminated the wave without hindering the vision of Visser, the jet ski drivers and the helicopter pilots.

A true world first – no one has attempted to ride and capture big waves at Jaws, Maui before in total darkness quite like this. With the help of his team overhead in a helicopter, Visser was towed in by jet-ski as he entered the infamous big wave break just prior to the peak of the swell, completely illuminated.

Information and Image form Surfer’s Desk.

Pearling-
Problem: When the nose of the surfboard gets buried in the water and you pitch forward.

Solution: You may be too far forward. Try lying a little further back on your board.
As the wave starts to take you, arch your back a little to put more weight on your legs / thighs.

The wave passes you by or you miss the wave-
Problem: You aren’t catching any waves.

Solution: You may be too far back on the board. Try shifting your weight a little farther forward (but watch out for pearling). It may take a bit of time to find the sweet spot on your board, not too far forward or too far back. You only want the nose of your board a couple of inches out of the water.
Start paddling earlier so you have more speed when the wave reaches you.
Paddle faster and keep paddling until the wave has passed.

Pictured- Soft Top boards with a protection fin

A great indicator of what your first board purchase should be, has a lot to do with how often you will be surfing. Soft tops or foamies (pictured above) are ideal for never-ever’s or beginners. They are easy to surf, buoyant and you won’t get discouraged as you will be catching a lot of waves (even on your very first day!). However, soft tops aren’t ideal for an adult who has fallen in love with the sport and wishes to do it more than once or twice a year. Typically, an adult would outgrow their  soft top surfboard. This brings us to epoxy boards which make an excellent board for a newbie. Epoxy boards are in between a Soft Top and a Fiber Glass board with a thick coating of foam around the fiberglass. Not only are these boards virtually indestructible, they are also a great training board to take a complete beginner to an intermediate level. After you graduate from an epoxy board, your next board purchase will be a fiber glass board. These certainly get dinged up easily and are not buoyant like the soft top or epoxy board. Fiber glass boards are recommended for intermediate surfers and higher. Hope this helps! Catch a wave today, even if only in your mind.

Soft Tops are the best surfboards to learn on.

The Surfboard

The surfboard is the essential piece of surfing equipment. You can’t surf without it. But what is the real difference between a soft top surfboard and a fiberglass board (or hard top)?

If you’ve ever had surfing lessons with a surf school, you already have a good idea of what a soft surfboard is. Pictured above, think of a soft, pliable foam that is similar to a boogie board but long like a surfboard. Soft Tops are incredibly buoyant and helps beginners catch waves more easily.

The difference between a traditional fiberglass board and a soft top surfboard is that the regular fiberglass has a hard outer shell unlike the foamy shell soft tops have. You also need wax for a fiberglass board to maintain traction while surfing.

Check out next week’s post: What kind of Surfboard should I buy?

Why do surfers lover surfing SOOOO MUCH??? Read this book to find out why.

Saltwater Buddha by Jaimal Yogis is a book about so many different topics related to surfing that is delivered in a clear, light and often humorous way. This book will help you to understand why surfer’s love surfing so much and it’s also perfect for those who love the ocean as well. It describes how surfing is a spiritual practice and provides Jaimal’s personal accounts of the lessons learned in the water. It truly is a must read for those about to embark upon surfing or veteran surfers.