General Information

Surfing or "he'e nalu"¹ is an activity ² involving a surfer
³ and often some type of water craft. Usually surfing is done with the aid of a Surfboard⁴
Surfboards have a range of lengths.⁵ On your first few attempts, using either a fun-sized board or longboard will greatly aid in your ability to ride atop a surfable wave.⁶
A surfer uses a surfable wave's energy to move them along the water's surface. A wave rises due to its impending demise as it strikes the shore. This creates a hill of water upon which the surfer tries to slide down. The surfer does their best to match the speed of the wave by paddling (see below). When the surfer has reached a sufficient speed, they will begin to slide down the "face"⁹ of the wave. If you are riding on top of some type of wave riding device, you shift your weight to turn and steer right or left, faster or slower. If you are trying to engage in stand-up surfing, this is the point when you rise to your feet, hopefully some place close to the board's centre, and use your balance to maintain yourself in a mostly vertical position.

It is important to have an idea of the rich history surfing enjoys. If you live in an area lucky enough to have waves, it is very likely that there are surfers living near you. With a bit of knowledge, you will better understand other surfer's lingo and better appreciate surfing's culture. It is interesting to note that once you have ridden a wave, it is likely that you will forsake work, education, family, and other persuits to be on your board, trying to feel the 'stoke' (joy) that wave riding offers.

Board Surfing has existed for centuries in the Hawaiian Islands and was practiced by the native Hawaiian people for both religious and recreation purposes. But by the turn of the 20th century, surfing was near extinction. But as luck would have it, in 1901, a hotel opened along Waikiki Beach. Luck then told someone at the hotel that it would be a good idea to advertise with the image of someone surfing at Waikiki and the hotel in the background. The tourists showed up in droves to lean to surf, effectively saving surfing from extinction.

By 1915, Duke Kahanamoku ¹⁰ had brought surfboard riding to Australia. By the 1950's, surfing was in its Golden Age, with 1000's of gremmies¹¹ taking to the waves and beaches like never before.

Now that you know a bit of surfing's history, you should now be concerned with getting the right board for your abilities.

Initial Considerations

The issue of what type of board is best for the novice surfer must be addressed. Generally, the longer the board, the easier it will be to float, paddle, stand, and ride atop. However, with added size comes the dificulty in maintaining control of a large mass. You should look for a board that will allow you an opportunity to get a feel for paddling out, moving around the line-up, and paddling into waves. Generally it is a good idea to start with a board that is between 8 feet and 9 feet 2 inches (2.5m - 3m), some what wide and a little thick. Don't expect wonders your first time trying to stand up. You are going to fall -- a lot. Imagine yourself trying to run on ice and that will be something like your first attempt.

In order to catch a wave, a surfer must first be in the right place. You can't just go into the ocean and hope that a surfable wave is going to come to you. Usually, you can see where other surfers are grouped together, this is called the "line-up." You can find line-ups all along any coast that has waves. However, a good place to try surfing, if you have never surfed before, is at a place with a slow moving, gentle breaking wave - something a more experienced surfer may call 'crumbly' or 'mushy'. Don't worry about finding perfect surf with an 'A frame' shape. You just need something with a little face to get going, a small wave that will allow you an opportunity to get the basic feel of riding atop the board.

Another good idea is to go out when the waves are not too big. Too often, beginners will go out in surf that is over their head and they tend to get into trouble. If you have never been on a surfboard, don't be too concerned with catching the waves and standing up on your feet. Instead, try and get the feel of paddling out through the waves, keeping your balance as you move the board through the water. You will likely find just lying prone on your board difficult at first. You will need to find a good balance point on the board to paddle. You should also practice turning the board around to face the beach and then around to the open ocean.

NEVER TURN YOUR BACK TO THE OCEAN ¹²

First Time On Your Board

Generally there are two (2) positions in surfing. The first, is the paddling position, and the second is the standing position. Each has a spectrum of variations, but the only thing that really matters when doing both is looking cool.¹³ Paddling is the method by which you move the board, and yourself, accross the water. The majority of surfers paddle while facing the deck (top) of the board, lying prone. If you are riding a longboard, it is also possible to paddle while kneeling on the deck, but this takes a lot of practice and balance to master. In either case, the surfer's weight should be shifted slighly toward the rear, making the nose (front) of the surfboard rise slightly out of the water, but not by very much. If you are on a shortboard, your legs can be kicked to add thrust. If the board's length precludes kicking, then keeping the legs inline with the board is important to reduce water friction.

It is much easier to turn a board around if you sink the tail and get the front or nose of the board out of the water and then pivot the board around the tail. Doing this reduces the water friction you would experience if you were to turn the board while laying flat. You can use the energy stored when you sink the tail by aiming and angeling your board to utilize this energy. After you have turned and lined the board in the right direction, you bring the nose down quickly and use the energy that is released as the board rises to the surface. This will give you an easier time paddling as you will have a little help from the boyant board when you start moving.

Normally, you will paddle out through the waves. ¹⁴ This is going to take some practice. Breaking waves can be very powerful and can do damage to you or your board if you do not know the right way to approach the waves. A broken wave, or one that is about to break, can put thousands of pounds of pressure on you and your board. You can minimize the amount of energy you experience by reducing the surface area that opposes the direction of the wave's energy. Think path of least resistence.

If you are on a shortboard, you will need to learn to 'duck dive,' that is, you must push the nose of the board under the water so that you and your board go under the breaking wave. This is done while paddling by first pushing the nose down slightly, with a bit of a side to side angle too, so that the board is just below the water. Then you use your momentum to shove the board under the breaking wave, using your arms, and then your knees and feet. After the wave has passed, the boyancy of the board should bring you to the surface. Pull slightly upwards on the front so that your board will gain some forward speed as it rises. It will take a lot of practice to get this right. The good news is that if you were smart with choosing your surf spot, you are going to be in a place that the waves are not too big and getting this wrong will not result in mortal injury. Another option is to use the methods for longboards.

If you are on a longboard (or you haven't gotten the duck diving thing down on your shortboard), you can do one of two things. You can go over the wave or you can go under the wave. On small waves, it is best to just try and paddle over the wave. However, as the size of the wave increases, the more difficult (and dangerous) this can be. Forward speed is your best ally when attempting this maneuver. Keep paddling as you intersect with the wave. If the wave is steep, you will likely drop a bit on the back side of the wave after it has passed -- therefore, it is a good idea to brace yourself as you pass over the wave to avoid broken ribs. If the wave has already broken and the white water¹⁵ is approaching, you can also try and go under the wave by 'turtling' or flipping your board over so that you are under water and the bottom of the board is facing skyward. By pulling the board close to you while the wave passes over, you can avoid loosing your board to the force of the wave.¹⁶

Surfing is an individual activity that is almost always done in the company of other surfers. This causes surfing to be a some what selfish activity because there are only a limited number of good surfable waves to be had at any location and everyone is trying to catch them. Most surfers want to ride waves without other's being in their way -- either paddling out, sitting around, or paddling to catch the same wave. Therefore there is a series of rules that must be followed to avoid accidents and confrontations.

The first and most important rule is Do Not Drop-In¹⁷ on another surfer. Generally speaking, the surfer closest to the breaking part of the wave, the curl, has the most rights to the wave¹⁸. However, if a wave has yet to break, the surfer who first stands up on that wave has the right of way and their position in relation to the curl is irrelivent. In any case, if you are not sure, don't try and stand up. Instead, pull out and wait for the next wave. If you don't look both left and right to make sure your are clear, you may end up dropping in on someone you shouldn't have. This can result in bad vibes and a negative response which can result in a very negative experience.

Waiting is a very important part of surfing. If you are impatient, you will try for every wave that comes near you, and this will likely resut in you catching none of the waves. That's because most new surfers do not know where's the "right place" to wait and which waves are going to be good for their particular spot in the lineup. Too often, new surfers will make themselves tired by trying for all the waves, when instead, they should be saving their limited strength and stamina for a good wave near their location. Unless you have a strong swimming background, plan on being tired and feeling worked after your first few times surfing.

You should give consideration to how you are going to fall off the board, the inevitable wipeout. If you fall, try not to yell as you will be drawing more attention to yourself. Instead, think about why you fell and try not to do that thing again.

Surfing is a feeling for how to ride the board on the waves. Your improvement in catching waves will be directly related to the amount of time you paddle and build up your coordination and strength. Your improvement in riding waves will be based on numerous factors. If you are learning at a place where there a many waves and you are able to catch lots of well shaped waves, you will improve more quickly than if you are at a place you only get a few waves an hour and they are slop. Your natural internal balance will be a big factor. If your balance isn't very good, don't expect miracles -- but don't give up, you can improve your balance through practice in and out of the water.

Surfing is about being in the water, learning about the ocean, and learing about yourself. Surfing is not simply an activity or sport, it is a way of life that can deeply and profoundly change who you are, where you live, and how you live.

Surfing Terms