1. Find a soft top surfboard

If you are a beginner, find a soft top surfboard for yourself. The wave storm surfboards are very popular because they are very good for entry-level surfers and they offer lots of fun. Your board is likely to hit you when you are a beginner. So when you have a soft top, it won’t be hard on you.

2. Pop-up well

Practice your pop-up for a few minutes on the beach. Place your board on the sand and then lay down on it. For you to stand up on a wave, you need to learn how to quickly and fluidly pop-up. It should be real quick but you need to have the control. If your perfect the motion while you are on the beach, it will be much easier when you actually start surfing.

3. Surf where there are less people

If you are practicing in a not so crowded place, you are likely to get more waves and as a result, better results while practicing. You will also be less embarrassed when you fail. Popular places will be full of expert surfers.

4. Find the sweet spot

When you’re paddling, you need to find the sweet spot present in the middle and use that while paddling. Some people paddle too far back while on the boards and if you do that your board makes a wheelie and the going becomes slow. If you paddle to far up on your board, the nose may go underwater.

5. Shuffle your feet

You need to learn how to shuffle your feet while walking in and out of the water. Even though it is not directly related to your riding of a wave, but it is essential because it will reduce the possibility of getting hit by a stingray. When a stingray barb goes through your foot, the pain is unbearable.

6. Take the extra paddle

If you paddling for a wave and you see that the energy of the wave is starting to lift you into it, it is a good practice to take one stronger paddle. The extra velocity that you will get with the extra paddle will make your drop much easier. This is a tip that can be used by surfer of any level.

7. Stay perpendicular to the whitewash

When you’re surfing, you need to stay perpendicular to the whitewash. If you are horizontal to your board when a wave comes, it will clobber you and push you to the shore. You need to knife through whitewash and keep your body nice and low on the board.

8. Fall flat

You are going to fall while surfing. When you fall, you need to take care not to injure yourself. To do that, fall flat. You should never dive headfirst off the board. Instead, you need to flop onto your side or back. You need to keep your arms and hands over your head and in front of the face to reduce the possibility of being hurt by the board.

9. Do not bend your back, bend the knees

When you are on a wave, you need to bend your knees but do not bend your back. When you bend your knees, you will have better balance and you will be able to absorb the energy of the wave. If you bend your back and keep your knees straight, this is a bad style.

10. Have fun

Don’t forget to have fun because if you’re not having fun while surfing, you will not like it. Have fun and enjoy yourself.

References
1. Surf Training Success – Surf Fitness Program
2. Science in your watershed
3. Surf your watershed