Ryanmb21
Expedition Leader
:Wow1: I was at San Onofre this past weekend! And I cut myself badly while in the water!!
That guy is a savage!
Surfing Beginner
- Thread starter Maximus Ram
- Start date
:Wow1: I was at San Onofre this past weekend! And I cut myself badly while in the water!!
That guy is a savage!
JOnesbilt24
New member
Paddle like the clappers
Its a life changing experience. No kidding you will be hooked and will want to always live near good break. Start on a used long board, look on Craigs List and try not to spend more than $100-200 as you are sure to ding it up, buy something nice when you have the knack. Repair your own dings its easy and you can learn on U tube. Be wary of etiquette, snaking a local old timers wave is a good way to ruin a nice day out surfing. Try to stay away from other surfers until you gain confidence and form. No matter what when you wipe out, hang on to the board. Wash your board down with fresh water when your done and it'll stay newer longer, and wont turn that nasty yellow color. Just a few tips I learnt the hard way. see you out there.
Evan
Its a life changing experience. No kidding you will be hooked and will want to always live near good break. Start on a used long board, look on Craigs List and try not to spend more than $100-200 as you are sure to ding it up, buy something nice when you have the knack. Repair your own dings its easy and you can learn on U tube. Be wary of etiquette, snaking a local old timers wave is a good way to ruin a nice day out surfing. Try to stay away from other surfers until you gain confidence and form. No matter what when you wipe out, hang on to the board. Wash your board down with fresh water when your done and it'll stay newer longer, and wont turn that nasty yellow color. Just a few tips I learnt the hard way. see you out there.
Evan
ddawson
Adventurer
locally there are a few cars with the bumper sticker, "if you don't surf, don't start." ha i won't be that harsh, but be warned it is addicting.
if you didn't grow up near a beach, learn how to read the ocean. learn to observe what the currents, tides, winds, etc are doing and how they affect the waves. don't go out if you don't feel comfortable. there is no need to be macho. we had two drownings this weekend due to lack of swimming skills and a decent swell.
one of the guys suggested to read up on surfing etiquette. i think this is a great idea and will lessen your chances of an argument or worse with a local. if you are going to surf at a crowded spot do your best to stay away from people and be VERY aware of your surroundings. remember that a 10ft log with a ten ft leash = the ability to hit people who are 20ft away. if you hit someone expect to get chewed out.
if you continue to surf the same spot regularly, odds are you'll meet people who will give you pointers and make your sessions better. they may even become friends. always be humble and friendly.
surfing will change your life. important family functions suddenly won't be that important. travel will now include places with great waves and warm water. you will meet new people from all walks of life, all with interesting ideas and viewpoints.
if you didn't grow up near a beach, learn how to read the ocean. learn to observe what the currents, tides, winds, etc are doing and how they affect the waves. don't go out if you don't feel comfortable. there is no need to be macho. we had two drownings this weekend due to lack of swimming skills and a decent swell.
one of the guys suggested to read up on surfing etiquette. i think this is a great idea and will lessen your chances of an argument or worse with a local. if you are going to surf at a crowded spot do your best to stay away from people and be VERY aware of your surroundings. remember that a 10ft log with a ten ft leash = the ability to hit people who are 20ft away. if you hit someone expect to get chewed out.
if you continue to surf the same spot regularly, odds are you'll meet people who will give you pointers and make your sessions better. they may even become friends. always be humble and friendly.
surfing will change your life. important family functions suddenly won't be that important. travel will now include places with great waves and warm water. you will meet new people from all walks of life, all with interesting ideas and viewpoints.
lostworldexpedition
Explorer
I do not surf.
In the last year we have driven through some of the best surf spots in North and Central America and it was incredibly tempting (especially San Juanico (Scorpion Bay) in Baja and Sayulita. I did not start because I was afraid of getting hooked. The temptation is strong, so now that I am in Costa Rica I am finally giving in. A friend of mine lives in Tamarindo and offered free classes to Lacey and myself, so we are heading there for a week of learning, pain and frustration with a large dose of happines (I hope). If we get hooked I appologize to all you surfers in ExPo... there will be another 2 newbies out there.
The reason I am hijacking this thread (sorry) is because of the moral of this story: start surfing now, you may regret not starting later. If we would have started surfing in SoCal or Baja, we might be doing allright by now and the trip would have evolved into something different. Now, we missed a ton of great surf spots.
Then again ask me next week if I love or hate surf :victory:.
In the last year we have driven through some of the best surf spots in North and Central America and it was incredibly tempting (especially San Juanico (Scorpion Bay) in Baja and Sayulita. I did not start because I was afraid of getting hooked. The temptation is strong, so now that I am in Costa Rica I am finally giving in. A friend of mine lives in Tamarindo and offered free classes to Lacey and myself, so we are heading there for a week of learning, pain and frustration with a large dose of happines (I hope). If we get hooked I appologize to all you surfers in ExPo... there will be another 2 newbies out there.
The reason I am hijacking this thread (sorry) is because of the moral of this story: start surfing now, you may regret not starting later. If we would have started surfing in SoCal or Baja, we might be doing allright by now and the trip would have evolved into something different. Now, we missed a ton of great surf spots.
Then again ask me next week if I love or hate surf :victory:.
Wiley
Adventurer
I have been following your site, and couldn't believe you hadn't tried it yet. Worst case you find out you hate it, but at least you wont have to think about all the waves you may have missed years down the road...good luck man.
ddawson
Adventurer
since you're in a warm water location absolutely give it a go. learning is much easier and fun when you don't have to worry about getting cold. i just got back from mainland mex and the water was 85 degrees. we had a few days of bad surf, but being in warm water makes the session a lot more fun.
as far as location, costa rica is a great place to be and has tons of excellent surf spots for all levels of surfers. also, being down there chances are the locals will be much more friendly than any in the states. i don't know your direction of travel, but nicaragua and panama also have fantastic waves.
you will probably get hooked on it. keep in mind there is nothing bad about getting hooked on something that will keep you in shape and make you enjoy nature more!
vanderpooch
Authentic Adventurer
:iagree:
Amen Brother!
Amen Brother!
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
This is what I learned about surfing last winter....I spent a lot of time in Mexico & CA learning to surf. I would say I still can't really surf but....
I learned it is much different than many of the other board sports I have done. Other than there is a board under your feet it is not like skate boarding or snow boarding or even wind surfing. Surfing to me, seems much more about time spent with nature than other board sports. Even compared to back country snowboarding.
It takes a lot of effort to get a wave and then it may be 5-10 seconds of fun. Rinse and repeat. Back country snowboarding is the closest I have found to it out of the board sports. Study snow conditions, check avalanche danger and go. Surfing is more about where are the waves breaking, how does tide affect it, what is the wind doing, what is the temp at, is it a full moon or close to it?
The first most important thing I learned was do not be intimidated by the ocean. Your surf board is your life vest. Once you get over the waves crashing down on you and the intimidation of the ocean it is much easier to focus on actually standing up on a wave. Being in the water as the sun comes up or sets...well, nothing like it in this world that I have found.
Agree on the getting hooked part...I find myself hooked though because of all the science that goes with surfing. Understanding and knowing the ocean and all that comes with that. That is what got me hooked. I suppose once I actually know how to catch every wave and ride it out the thrill of being on waves may be the element I am hooked on.