Getting Essential Beginners Surfing Skills

By Damian Papworth

Surfing is one of the leading water sports as it is more than just an exercise, it is considered by those that do it to be a lifestyle and to some it is their religion. Surfing is a great workout as well as being a fun and exciting sport to take up, but you need to develop some surfing skills in order to do it well.

To be a good surfer you have to have enough power in your upper body and shoulders to be able to propel the board through the water to catch waves. To do this you might have to work on developing your upper body strength through doing a series of weights. Lots of surfers also turn to yoga as a way or building strength as well as balance. Balance is an essential part of being a good surfer and you will develop the muscle memory as you practice until you can easily stand on the board.

It is also very important that a surfer gets to understand how to get the surf before they even set foot in the water. Most surfers will take a few minutes to observe the surf before they go in. One of the most dangerous features on the beach is known as a rip. It is one of the leading causes of drownings for swimmers, but it is also a useful tool for surfers to use to get out the back of the waves.

A rip is a channel or current of water that has landed on the shore and is now traveling back out. Surfers use a rip current to pull them out the back of the waves more quickly and easily. You can spot a rip when you see a section near the waves are breaking that does not have waves. It is usually darker than the other water because it is deeper or it can also be filled with churned and sandy water.

There are some essential surfing skills that you should work on developing in order to become a better surfer. In order to get yourself into a position to be able to catch any waves you will have to be able to get your surfboard behind where the waves are breaking. To do this you need to use the Eskimo roll manoeuvre or duck diving. Eskimo rolls are where you roll your board on top of you as the wave approaches to break on top of you. Duck diving is a more advanced skill and it involves pushing hard down on the front of your board and dipping under the approaching wave.

Other skills that you will need to develop are paddling to catch a wave and getting the stand up movement and balance happening. You should practice going from your stomach to surfing position as much as possible to get the movement fluid.

When you have got some of the basic surfing skills down pat, you will really start to have fun with the sport and learn something new every time you head out. - 31498

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here