What It Takes to be a Good Surfer is a common question before people sign up for surf lessons. A lot of people have it on their bucket list to try once and others are considering what kind of investment in time and money does it take to be good.
This is a fair question. It varies for most every individual. There is not one answer for everyone because everyone begins with a different set of capabilities, physical attributes, and learning abilities that are not discovered until the person is in the water the first time. Then as a coach, I can tell what investment it would take to become improved. There is much more to being a good surfer than people imagine although some start with a great advantage.
The Basics of Becoming a Good Surfer
Surfing is physically demanding. People in good physical shape by the Body Mass Index which labels normal weight, overweight, and obese have a distinct advantage. Overweight is a problem in surfing not just because it takes more power to get the body off the surfboard into a standing position but because the person has probably stopped exercising. This causes the double problem of being heavy and not having the strength to deal with the weight in the water.
Being in good physical shape or fitness is an advantage to improving surfing. Surfing requires upper body strength, lower body strength, core strength, flexibility, and stamina. Each has to be improved as one learns more advanced techniques. The first start is to learn the techniques of riding a surfboard straight to the beach.
Many find this a challenge for a few reasons. They have difficulty learning the techniques. They have muscle memory from other sports like snowboarding and skateboarding that make it more difficult although athleticism is an advantage. Surfing is technical. A person must be able to move their body into the right stance on a surfboard to ride and especially to advance. Many can ride, but they don’t do it through the right techniques.
There is a feel to surfing. One learns the timing of waves and when to paddle and when to pop up. This is taught in lessons, but not everyone can get the feel. So there is a natural talent that has to be a part of the equation. There also has to be a commitment or opportunity to get to the water often. Like most sports, surfing has to be engaged in frequently. Once a week is probably minimum for advancing although some could do it every two weeks.
Training while not in the water is important for professionals and for surfers wanting to advance and not going in the water frequently. All the strengths listed above must be advanced to progress. Surfing is tiring. There must be stamina for paddling. Surf students should practice the correct pop up in their living room to hone the surfing muscles and timing. Courage is a big factor. The ocean is intimidating and each move to bigger waves is a little frightening to everyone.
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 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
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
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 Amazon. Paperback 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 Surf, a Health, Fitness, Nutrition, and Surfing Adventure
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
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.
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.
