Here are 32 Powerful Suggestions for Novice Surfers to Improve Rapidly!

It has to be one of the (if not the) most difficult sports to become an expert in, and that sport is surfing.

And when you're just starting out in surfing, you'll need all the assistance you can get.

Because of this, we have gone ahead and compiled a massive list of thirty-two of the most helpful beginner surfing tips to assist you on your journey.

Enjoy

32 BEGINNER SURFING TIPS TO GET YOU SURFING BETTER, FASTER

1. SEARCH FOR A SURFING AREA THAT IS FRIENDLY TO BEGINNERS.

There are certain surf breaks that are better suited for more experienced surfers, while others are more suitable for novices.

Waves that are more powerful and that break in a more dumpy manner are typically preferred by advanced surfers.

However, if you are just starting out, you should steer clear of waves like these.

Instead, look for surf breaks that have slow, soft rolling waves because this is where you'll find the best conditions for learning how to surf if you're a beginner.

2. GET TO KNOW WHEN THE TIDE IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR LOCAL FISHING SPOT

When the tide is high or low, different characteristics emerge from each and every surf break.

On the other hand, there is no universal law or principle that can be followed without exception.

It is up to you to figure out when the tides are optimal for surfing at your favorite local spot. Certain spots are more favorable during high tide, while others are more favorable during low tide.

A speedy and simple method for doing this

just ask a local  

They will be able to inform you of this in an instant.

3. BEGIN TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON HOW TO READ A SURF FORECAST

If you're going to go surfing, you want to do it when the waves are at their best, right?

If that's the case, you're going to want to educate yourself on how to interpret surf reports.

If you can perfect this ability, you'll always be exactly where you need to be, when you need to be there.

every time

*Our go-to forecasting service for waves in the ocean MagicSeaweed, check it out for yourself over here.

Legropes deteriorate over time

Velcro degrades over time, and the legrope cord itself is susceptible to nicks and cuts on top of that.

Because losing your board in the middle of a surf session is the last thing you want, it's a good idea to give your leggie a "once-over" every so often to check for damage. The last thing you want is to be without your board.

Not only is this incredibly annoying, but if you lack self-assurance, it has the potential to quickly put you in a precarious situation.

Therefore, make it a habit to routinely inspect your legrope for any signs of wear and tear.

One of the most blissful things one can do for themselves is go surfing by themselves.

You by yourself, surrounded by natural beauty, fully conscious but isolated.

Ahhhhh

However, if you're just starting out, it's probably best to steer clear of things like that.

It is a good idea to have additional people around you while you are in the beginning stages of your learning because it will increase your sense of safety and confidence, and let's face it, having someone else see your waves is just better.

When I was practicing on dry land, I was always calling BS.

That was before the following took place, however:

Imagine this: I gave two private lessons to two different people, both of whom were complete novices, and they both struggled throughout the entire two-hour session until they were almost successful in standing up in the final 15 minutes of the lesson.

Six weeks later, the same two surfers book another private session with me within the same week. This time, we'll pick up right where we left off.

Since the beginning of our lessons, Surfer 1 hadn't surfed or gotten any practice.  

The result

We pretty much had no choice but to run the exact same lesson as the one that came before it, with things only coming together in the final 15 minutes once more.

On the other hand, Surfer 2, which I was unaware of at the time, had been diligently practicing their pop-up at home each and every day.

And the outcomes were completely absurd.

The progress was extremely significant despite the fact that he hadn't even touched the water once during that entire period.

Therefore, if that isn't evidence that dry land training is effective, I don't know what is.

Therefore, take a cue from surfer 2 and make sure you get some daily practice on dry land.

7. AVOID REDUCING THE SIZE OF YOUR EQUIPMENT TOO RAPIDLY

As the proprietors of a Surf School located in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, we come across this quite frequently.

A significant number of our students make the critical error of moving down to a smaller equipment size too quickly.

I know, I get it, we all want to be on those shiny beautiful looking surfboards, but if improving is the highest priority on your agenda (above looking cool, that is), then it's a good idea to hold off on dropping equipment size too quickly. I know, I get it, we all want to be on those shiny beautiful looking surfboards.

Why

Consider it in light of the fact that...

Your ability to catch more waves is directly proportional to the size and buoyancy of your surfboard.

The more waves you are able to catch, the more chances you will have to practice and perfect your technique, which will ultimately lead to more rapid improvements.

If you're riding a board that's too small for you, you won't be able to catch any waves, you won't be able to get to your feet, and you won't be able to get any reps in for practice, which means there won't be any room for improvement.

I'm not saying you shouldn't reduce the size of your boards; what I am saying is that you need to do so at the appropriate time. That's all I'm saying.

You need to put in some time in the water if you want to get better, and there's no bigger deterrent to putting in that time than the possibility of getting chilled.

When shopping for a wetsuit, do yourself a favor and prioritize keeping warm over looking stylish. At the very least, make an effort to find one that strikes a good balance between the two.

Check out this wetsuit buyers guide if you're not sure what to look for when purchasing a new wetsuit and want to learn more.

9. KNOW YOUR LIMITS - AND PUSH THEM BY 10%

There are risks involved in surfing, so it's important to be aware of your capabilities.

But

You must also challenge yourself to break through those barriers.

I guarantee that if you go into each session trying to challenge yourself and your limits, even if it's just a little bit, your confidence will soar to new heights.

The 1% rule is all about looking for incremental ways to improve things on a consistent basis.  

Small improvements, when added to one another and multiplied over the course of time, can eventually add up to produce enormous gains for the whole.

What are some ways that you could work this into your surfing game?

Simples Every time you get in the water, choose one facet of your surfing that you want to get better at, and then direct your attention solely to that facet for the duration of the session.

It's possible that you want to challenge yourself by determining how many waves you can catch in one hour. Alternately, you might want to work on speeding up the process of popping up to your feet. Regardless of what you want to work on, concentrating your efforts on making small, incremental improvements will result in massive gains over time.

11. LEARN TO LOVE THE JUNK

I love surfing junkie waves

Do you have any idea why?

Simply because that was the only kind of waves that were ever present in the area where I grew up.

But there are actually a lot of advantages to getting used to and enjoying surfing in less than ideal conditions, including the following:

And a great deal more than that

The next time you are "umming and ahhing" about whether or not to get in the water because it looks like it might be dangerous, go ahead and do it anyway.

Afterward, you will almost always have a better feeling.

Fail fast is a motto that I like, and it's also one that I'm quite good at, but it still holds true in the sport of surfing.

Because here's the deal, if you want to get better at surfing as a beginner, you have to put in the work.

You have to accept your failures, whether they be wipeouts, stacks, or beatings in the whitewater; you have to accept everything that comes your way.

Because in surfing, it's not about the destination; it's about the dance (thanks for that one, Alan Watts), and it's about falling in love with the process, along with everything that comes along with it.

Here, here

The majority of surfers are similar to sheep.

They observe a crowd of surfers already in the water, and without making any kind of assessment of the conditions, they immediately begin paddling in the direction of the group and join in.

Then, as was bound to happen, they become frustrated with the other surfers and end up missing all of the waves.

To summarize, don't be a mindless sheep that can't come to their own conclusions; rather, be the independent-minded wolf that chooses what to do on your own.

Because who knows, a perfect little spot with nobody out might be just 100 meters further down the beach, and it might be waiting for you to come say hi.

14. LEARN THE RULES OF THE GAME

A lack of understanding is a significant factor that contributes to a lack of confidence in beginning surfers, and it is one of the main contributing factors.

A fundamental misunderstanding of not only the rules of the game, but also the norms and protocols of surfing in general

When you're just getting started, it's not uncommon to experience feelings similar to those of a deer caught in headlights, including confusion, apprehension, and discomfort.

How exactly do you counteract that?

You are going to need to educate yourself on the guidelines of the lineup, how it functions, and where you stand in it.

It's called surf etiquette, and once you get used to these unspoken guidelines, your level of confidence in the water will skyrocket.

15. LEARN TO PADDLE LIKE A PRO

Paddling is the one thing that absolutely no surfer ever wants to work on, and it makes sense: after all, you didn't start surfing so you could become an expert paddler, did you?

However, give this some consideration for a while.

You spend FAR more time paddling than you do actually riding waves, and you know what, being an incredible paddler can help you in more ways than you can possibly imagine:

In addition to a great deal more

Therefore, make sure you spend some time perfecting your technique—the goal should be to reduce resistance while increasing propulsion.

I can guarantee that you will experience the benefits of this strategy very quickly.

16. TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

The sport of surfing is a wacky one.

In order to make progress, you may find that you need to take one step back after every two steps you take forward at times.

One common example that comes up in our surf lessons is as follows:

A surfer will attempt to catch an unbroken wave that is green in color, and once they do, they will ride the wave down on their bellies, stabilize, and then stand up.

This is acceptable behavior for the first few times you try it, but you need to get past this phase as soon as possible.

This is a pattern that needs to be broken so that you can pop up at the top of the continuous wave instead of riding down it on your stomach (this is important for a number of reasons, but safety is one of the most important ones).

You therefore have a choice: You can continue to ride down the waves on your belly and maintain the same level, or you can start getting up on your feet more frequently in the whitewater.

Alternately, make the decision that you will always pop up at the top of the wave, regardless of how many times you fall or how many times you try and fail, until you finally master the technique.

There are times when the longer and more difficult route ends up being the route that is actually quicker in the long run.

17. DO NOT EXTEND THE DURATION OF YOUR POP UP

Did you know that every time you pop up to your feet, your board is actually losing speed?

Because of this slowing down of the board, it has become significantly more unstable as a direct result.

Therefore, make it a priority to appear quickly, in conjunction with the advice given in the previous paragraph, and you will find that you are more successful, more frequently.

18. DIVIDE AND CONQUER YOUR PRESSURE

Do you ever find that you are riding a wave, and then all of a sudden you just stop?

Putting on the brakes and coming to a complete stop

This is probably because of the way you surf and the way your weight is distributed on your board; more of your weight is probably placed further back than it should be.

Therefore, you should try to distribute your weight evenly across the board, as this will make it easier for the board to plane over the terrain rather than becoming bogged down.

Consider it in this way: when you're riding a wave to the shore on your stomach, you can always dry-dock that thing on the sand, right? That's the case here.

All of this is due to the fact that your weight is distributed evenly across the board.

Therefore, try to accomplish this while standing up.

19. REPETITION, REPETITION, RETPETITION

I wish I could help you improve without you having to put in any effort by giving you a magic trick or a shortcut that would do it for you automatically.

But let me tell you something, this simply does not exist.

As is the case with everything in life, there are no short cuts, and you will always get back what you put into things.

Spending time in the water is an experience that simply cannot be replicated.

The same thing over and over and over again

20. GET SKILLED AT READING THE WAVES.

When first learning to surf, the ocean can seem to behave in unpredictable and chaotic ways, doing what it does with no apparent pattern or purpose.

But the more time you spend in the water, the more you'll comprehend how waves function, including how the ocean moves, its ebbs and flows, and its patterns as well.

With all of this ocean knowledge under your belt, you'll be able to start reading the waves, and before you know it, you'll always be able to predict exactly where a wave is going to break.

It is true that it takes some time, but the more time you spend in the water, the better you will become at reading the ocean and the waves, which will put you in the right spot a greater percentage of the time.

If you want to improve more quickly, you should watch how the best do what they do and emulate what they do.

What you see on film will, through a process of osmosis, eventually make its way into the way you surf when you're actually out there.

Even though it's possible to watch a surf movie, get pumped up, and think you're going to rip it up in the water, only to end up completely kooking it (guilty), you'll get better at surfing over time. This is true despite the fact that sometimes watching a surf movie can make you think you're going to rip it up in the water.

Because of their participation in our Surf Skate Programs, a significant number of our students have demonstrated tremendous growth, and it does not take a genius to comprehend the reasons behind these changes.

You can practice the same maneuver on a surf skate as many times as you need to in order to perfect it, and then you can apply the same body mechanics to surfing in the ocean.

If you ask me, it's pretty frickin' potent, so there you go.

Check out this article on surf skating if you've never heard of a surf skate before and want to know what to look out for.

23. RAISE YOUR DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE WHILE SWIMMING

When you're held underwater, do you experience any anxiety or fear?

You probably do, and while that is perfectly normal, there are things that you can do to change this.

You need a lot of practice and time spent pushing yourself in order to get to the point where you feel more at ease in potentially dangerous situations (refer to the 1% rule from earlier in this post for more information).

But you can also increase the amount of air you can hold in your lungs.

Without gloating (okay, I'll admit that I'm gloating a little bit), I'd like to In just five days, I was able to increase the amount of time I could hold my breath from 46 seconds to 4 minutes and 48 seconds.

That's pretty crazy, huh?

To accomplish this, all I had to do was practice the Wim Hof breathing technique every morning, and voila! I was able to record a breath hold time that was seriously badass.

The realization that I can now hold my breath for a respectable amount of time has instilled in me a greater sense of self-assurance regarding my capabilities in the water.

I strongly recommend that you give it a shot as well.

You have to get good at falling if you want to be successful in life, which is a funny concept that seems to go against common sense.

You see, there is a method to falling that ensures you won't hurt yourself and keeps you in control of the situation.

There is also a dangerous way to fall, one in which you will injure yourself and lose control of the situation.

Learning how to fall in a safe and controlled manner is all about developing your pre-emptive and predictive abilities, or knowing what is going to happen next and getting ready for it.

Therefore, in order to become a better faller (if that's even a word), you should try to think a few moves ahead and prepare yourself for any and every possibility.

Oh man, I really am to blame for this one; I really ought to stretch a lot more than I do.

It not only allows your body to move the way you want it to on the wave, but it also significantly lessens the likelihood that you will sustain an injury as a result of doing so.

*Reminder to self* must extend themselves further

We are too hard on ourselves on land; let's leave that nonsense behind; it has no business following you into the water.

When you look around, you might notice 6-year-old children who are completely ripping, which might cause you to question everything; however, if you really think about it, who cares what anyone else is doing?

That's not all there is to surfing, though.

So, listen to what I have to say: Put an end to making judgments about yourself based on how you measure up to other people in the water; let all of that other stuff go; and concentrate only on improving yourself.

And everything else will be handled as it should be.

There is almost nothing that is funnier than watching your friends go over the falls or get smashed by a wave (I'm literally laughing right now just thinking about it), but watching your friends go over the falls or get smashed by a wave is right up there.

But if you're the one who ends up getting smashed, things aren't nearly as funny as they might otherwise be.

However, this is not how things have to be at all.

Simply switching your perspective or reversing the order in which you think about things can help you see the humorous side of being inebriated as well.

The end result is that you are smiling, laughing, and having a good time even though you are being thrown around like a rag doll under the water.

Absolutely tranquil and cool as a cucumber

29. PARTICIPATE IN A REGIONAL SURFING PROGRAM

Why don't you sign up for a surf program in your area if you haven't already?

Depending on where you live, you may have access to a whole community of people who are just starting out in the sport of surfing at the same time as you are.

There is nothing more beneficial to your early stage development than jumping into the pool with a group of people who are all working toward the same objective and encouraging one another to get better.

*We host a plethora of Surf (and Skate) Programs just like this one; in fact, you could say that they are kind of our calling card.

If you are interested in learning more, the following information is provided: 5-Week Surf Programs

Did you know that the morning is traditionally considered to be the best time to surf?

Well, it is

Let me explain

During the middle of the day, when the sun is at its zenith, the land heats up, which in turn draws air toward it from the ocean, which is cooler. This causes the wind to blow onshore, which in turn causes the waves to be all choppy and unpleasant.

Also, during the dark hours of the night, when the sun is not shining, the land loses more heat than the water, which causes the wind to change direction and blow offshore by morning.

Which means that conditions are spotless and heavenly.

This is not an ironclad law, but it does appear to be the case the vast majority of the time.

31. Make Sure You Have the Appropriate Wax for Your Template

The purpose of the wax on your surfboard is to provide traction.  

However, if you surf in water that is not the appropriate temperature for the type of wax that you are using, then you will lose a lot of the grip that your board normally has.

If you use wax that is designed for colder water, then it will be too soft, and the wax will move under foot slightly, which is not ideal. If you use wax that is designed for warmer water, then it will be suitable.

In addition, if you use wax in warmer climates, you will discover that the wax will become extremely hard and rigid, and it will lose all of its gripping ability.

In conclusion, pay close attention to the type of wax that you are employing, and make sure that you select the wax that is most appropriate for the temperature of the water in your area.

32. GO TO THE WATER WITH A DIRECTION IN MIND

If you aren't familiar with the term, "segment intending," it was coined by Abraham Hicks, and it refers to the practice of having a distinct and concentrated intention.

In addition, you can make use of this information to assist you in your surfing.

You should always go into the water with a plan: what exactly are you hoping to improve? What do you hope to accomplish during this session, and why?  

If you have a plan, it will be easier for you to concentrate on reaching your goal, and as a result, your performance will improve.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The conclusion is as follows:

A whopping thirty-two pieces of advice for novice surfers to help them along their journey.

Yew

Rowan

Do you have any other pointers for inexperienced surfers that I should know? Post them in the comments section down below.