Why Beginner Surfers Start with Soft Top Boards

Beginner surfers start with soft top boards so they can learn the fundamentals without the board being an issue. Hard boards and short boards create more security risks and difficulties.

The first priority for beginners is to learn the fundamentals so they can advance to real waves and bigger waves. Some will go to short boards and others will choose long boards. It will be dependent on a lot of factors.

soft top surf boards

The Soft Top Boards Performance

The reasons to start with a soft top board is they catch foam waves easily, are easy to paddle and are easy to ride. These three factors are in comparison to riding short boards. Surfing still is physically demanding and beginners tire usually in an hour or two depending on their conditioning.

I begin most teens and adults on a 9′ soft top board. After they improve on the fundamentals, I move them to an 8′ soft top. The 8′ soft top is an excellent board and surfers ride 7′ tall waves with them as well as execute a lot of advanced techniques.

The First Techniques to Learn

Learning to balance on the board and paddle straight with a wave pushing the board is a challenge for many beginners. They have to learn to paddle hard enough and long enough to catch a wave, paddle with short strokes, and paddle evenly with both arms. Any deviations turns the board and it flips.

The pop up on a soft top is easier than on a short board because the surfer is riding a foam wave and the soft top surf board is more stable. The surfer learns to pop up into a stable position and ride straight to the beach.

The posture is having feet shoulder width apart with the front foot at a 45 degree angle forward. The most important part for beginners is to have the hips and shoulders square to the beach and not have a shoulder back like riding a snowboard or skate board.

Advancing to Real Waves

A foam wave occurs after a real wave breaks and there is a lot of time to position for a foam wave. A real wave only offers a few seconds as it arcs and breaks. The timing of getting into the right spot requires judgement and practice.

The surfer lets the real wave come under the board and as it arcs, paddles hard to go down the face. At this point the beginner surfer must have mastered the pop up so that it is smooth and he lands in the right posture.

In a real wave, the surfer does not ride straight to the beach but rides in the pocket. He bottom turns while going down the face to get into the pocket. He can also point the nose of the surf board towards the pocket after he has caught the wave but before he pops up.

The soft top surf boards perform well in these instances and the surfer can learn to perform maneuvers in the pocket. The surfer learns the bottom turn, the cut back, and how to accelerate the board for speed.

If surfers don’t surf frequently, the soft top surf boards can become their boards for life.

Read Other Posts:

Beginner Surfers Learn on Soft Tops

5 Steps to Improve Surfing Performance

3 Ways to Catch Real Surfing Waves

Training to Ride the Surfing Short Board

Short Board Surfing Techniques

For Surf Lessons in Oceanside, see the Home Page

Visit me on Instagram

For getting in better shape for surfing see GetFittoSurf.com

Sign up for weekly Tips on Losing Weight, Health, and Fitness Newsletter

See my new Health and Lifestyle website Markap Health and Lifestyle

The Surfers Life

Why do surfers surf? What is it about the culture that attracts and holds millions of people in the world? Why is the culture growing and how has it infiltrated our world with clothing, music, fitness, and stoke?

Buy on Amazon in Kindle or Paperback. $2.99 or $6.92

the surfing life

The New Surfing Trilogy. 3 books in 1 E-Book

Lose weight, get fit, and learn to surf. All in one concise summary of 3 books, Combines The 3 Week Plan, Get Fit to Surf, and Learn to Surf Guide.

Buy E Book on Amazon for $6.99

The Perfect Start for losing weight and getting fit is the E Book The 3 Week Plan

Buy on Kindle for $2.99 or Paperback for $6.95

the 3 week plan

Get my new book Get Fit to Surf

Its time to get back in shape. This book discusses strength, flexibility, stamina, and nutritional needs for getting in shape and losing weight. It is the great guide to get back to fitness for all your recreational desires. If you can surf, you can do most anything.

Buy on Kindle for $2.99 or Paperback on Amazon for $6.95

Get the Learn to Surf Guide Course in Kindle, Paperback or Audio

surf lessons in oceanside

A great 29 page course on the fundamentals of catching waves, doing beginner and advanced pop ups, riding real waves, how to do maneuvers on real waves, which surfboards to ride, and how to progress. Great for lesson preparation, after lesson review, or learning on your own.

Kindle price $2.99 on AmazonPaperback price $6.95 on Amazon. Audio download price $6.95

Everybody Can Surf

To read a great book for getting in shape to surf or getting in better surfing shape, read my new book Everybody Can Surfa Health, Fitness, Nutrition, and Surfing Adventure

everybody can surf

Description:

Get healthy and fit to surf or set a goal of surfing to improve weight, fitness, nutrition, and health. This guide by a surf instructor/health coach/personal trainer gives the short version of how to lose weight, get strong, build stamina, develop nutrition, and learn to surf. Surfing is a lifestyle enjoyed by millions and so is fitness. Fitness creates opportunities to enjoy life through lots of different kinds of recreation. No need to stand on the sidelines while others are having a great time. Start your program to health with easy steps and progress at your own pace. That is the secret to maintaining a lifestyle. Do it at your pace. This book will start you on the path.

Buy the E book on Amazon for $2.99

Buy the Paperback on Amazon for $6.95

Seniors Get Fit to Surf

Description:

Seniors often ask if it is too late to learn to surf. Age is functional not chronological. If people have been exercising and maintaining body strength, surfing can be accomplished. If people have not been exercising, then getting in shape to surf could be a life changing move. Learn how to develop strength, flexibility, and stamina to learn surfing. If you are in surf shape, you could pursue most any recreation.

Buy the E-book on Amazon for $2.99

Buy the Paperback on Amazon for $6.95

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is SeniorsGetPicPaperBk.jpg

Read a Book in the Markap Series

Self-Leadership, Happiness, Start Now.

Start Now is the process of losing weight, building strength and stamina, developing cardio fitness for surfing, recreation and health. Buy the E-book on Amazon for $2.99 and the Paperback for $6.95. Get into surf shape, start a new lifestyle, and enjoy life at a new level of health.

Buy Now on Amazon

build strength and stamina

Happ

Build Immunity in this Covid Era

The new Omicron variants can often sidestep the anti-bodies in vaccinations. This is when we need to have a strong immunity system. This is when people with underlying conditions like obesity or chronic metabolic disorders like diabetes become vulnerable.

Developing good health habits will help your immune system. The main components would be to attain a healthy weight. Eat healthy. Exercise, Get adequate sleep. Mitigate stress. Drink half your body weight in water oz (a 200-pound person drinks 100 oz.) Consider supplements for the nutrients you may not consume in your daily diet.

One of my favorites is the Rishi mushroom. It has been chronicled in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It supports the major systems. It fights viruses, bacteria, allergies, and inflammation. I get a compilation of 5 reishi mushrooms extracted and combined into one powder. You can get a discount as my client with this link.

This is a short statement that says it all:

  • Reishi: Reishi is arguably the most important and most revered herb used by Asian people throughout history to promote radiant health, longevity and a more centered state of mind. It is known to be among the most protective herbs in the world. Reishi may help improve immunological, neurological, metabolic, hepatic and vascular protection, among other functions.