We have tried to
outline below the necessary information required for a beginner up to
intermediate to progress in the sport.
Surfing is an exhilarating sport, often challenging, but the rewards
are hard to put into words. It is also a physically demanding sport and
without doubt a certain level of fitness is required. Most importantly,
it’s vital that you learn about safety in the water, the ocean can be
a dangerous place no matter what level of experience you have acquired.
Please take the following safety aspects into consideration when
going surfing.
DON’T
surf alone. It’s always safer
to surf with a one or two people… it’s also a lot more fun.
DON’T
drop-in. Recreational surfing is
a sport without hard and fast rules but there is one fundamental
unwritten law: the surfer nearest the curl of the wave has right of
way.
DON’T
surf straight after a meal, or
after drinking alcohol.
DON’Tbail
your board when paddling out through waves if you can possibly
help it. There
may be someone right behind you and they won’t appreciate getting
a board in the face.
DO
observe warning flags and
restricted area flags. These are used for safety purposes by
lifeguards at most of the main surfing beaches from May to
September.
Guide to flags
If a red flag is
flying, the beach is closed because surf conditions are unsafe.
Beginner and intermediate surfers should find a more sheltered beach
elsewhere. Experienced surfers who paddle out when a red flag is
flying do so at their own risk.
A zone with
black-and-white chequered flags is a lifeguard-supervised area for
beginner surfers. These areas sometimes get pretty crowded, with
boards flying around all over the place, so keep your wits about
you.
A zone with
yellow-and-red flag flying is an area for swimmers (and bodyboarders)
only.
Possible hazards you may encounter
Surfboards
For beginners, the biggest hazards to watch out for are surfboards-
other peoples and your own. Whenever you lose control, try to jump off
the back of your board and land behind it. As you come back up to the
surface, cover your head with your arms. If you see someone else’s
board hurtling towards you, the best course of action is to duck under
the water. Surfboards are highly buoyant objects so if you duck two or
three feet under water you’ll be safe. Again, cover your head with
your arms as you come up to the surface.
Rip currents
Water pushed towards a beach by the action of waves flows back out to
sea as a rip current. Rips can usually be identified from the shore as
channels of deeper water (often between sandbars) where the waves
aren’t breaking; the surface of the water is usually rippled or
choppy, and may be discoloured by suspended sand. A strong rip current
can quickly drag an inexperienced surfer out to sea. If you get caught
in a rip, don’t try to paddle back to shore against the current;
instead, paddle across it to wherever the waves are breaking. Rip
currents are often only 10 or 20 yards wide, so you can usually escape
their clutches by paddling a short distance. Never leave your board;
it’s your life raft.
Rocks
If you’re surfing a rocky reef or point break, wear boots (and maybe a
helmet if it’s a really gnarly spot). When you wipe out, try to land
feet-first; never dive off forwards at a shallow break.
Weeverfish
Despite their small size (only six to eight inches long), weeverfish
can inflict an excruciatingly painful sting. Weevers are most likely
to be
encountered at sandy beaches during periods of hot weather, when the
fish come into shallow water to spawn. If you get stung (it feels as
though you’ve trodden on a sharp nail), put you foot in a bucket of
very hot water (the venom is de-activated by heat) and take a couple
of painkillers. Sting relief spray (such as wasp-eze) can also help.
Jellyfish
Occasionally encountered on onshore days during the summer, jellyfish
can sting exposed areas such as hands and feet, but your wetsuit will
protect the rest of you.
Sunburn
Even in Britain, intense summer sunshine can cause sunburn and the
associated increased risk of skin cancer. Be smart- use a waterproof sun
block.
BOARD ADVICE
There are 2 main
types of surfboard.
The first kind are
the soft foam boards. These are ideal for both kids and adults just
getting into the sport. They are safe and easy to use.
The second and most
frequent type of board used are the boards with the hard exterior (most
often fibreglass) made on a inner foam core or blank.
The most important factor
when purchasing a new board is getting the right size. Too small and
you will be struggling to catch the waves. If you do then catch a
wave the
board will be too unstable to stand up easily and progress along the
wave very far. On the other hand, if you go too big, the board will be
heavy, cumbersome and hard to handle especially as the surf picks up.
For most beginners a Mini
Mal is usually advised. In the good all days, before the advent of
the shortboard, all surfing used to take place on great big Malibu
Boards, which could, and still do, reach lengths of 12ft. The
Mini Mal is a shortened version of the Malibu board, or MalLongboards
as they are now mostly commonly known. Mini Mals feature a wide
rounded nose, providing a lot of planning area, to help catch the waves
and to keep you going once the board is moving. The extra width in the
nose, combined with extra volume also provides a very stable platform
for the surfer to stand up on.
As you move up the
ability ladder and are up and riding comfortably along the unbroken part
of the wave a couple of options present themselves. The surfer can drop
down to a smaller thruster type board or move up to the Longboard style
of riding the waves.
The smaller thruster type
boards come in a variety of guises, but generally they are have more
curve in both the outline( plan shape) of the board and also in
the bottom curve or rockerline. This allows the boards to turn in
a tighter arch making them more maneuverable for more progressive
surfing. The key to dropping down to a smaller board is not to go too
far. A smaller board, with reduced volume and more curve in both plan
and rocker will be harder to catch the waves on. If you keep your wave
count up, you will not only have more fun, but also improve quicker.
The other technique of
surfing is the Longboard style. This involves, moving up and down the
length of the board nose riding, switching stance and so on.
Longboarding done well is a pure joy to watch. Longboards have a very
flat rockerline and have extra width, volume and planning area. They
catch waves like nothing else and fly over the flat sections on a wave.
Hanging ten(ten toes over the nose) surely has to be the ultimate
goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Once you have decided
which board to go for, the next step is to make sure you have the few
basic necessities to go with your board. This will not only help you
improve quicker, but also make sure yourself and the other surfers are
safe.
The most important
accessory required is a leash. This attaches to the board through a
leash plug and around your ankle preventing the board from getting too
far away from you. The general rule of thumb is the leash should be the
same length or if not a bit longer than the board you are using.
The next necessity is
wax, the grippy substance that is rubbed onto the board to prevent the
surfer from slipping off. The wax comes in different consistencies
depending on the temperature. If the wax is too hard due to it being
designed for a warmer temperature, it will become shiny and provide very
little grip. If the wax has been designed for a colder temperature it
will become too soft and rub off easily. More often than not a cool or
cold wax will be the choice for surfing in the UK.
A noseguard is then often
advised and really for a thruster with a pointed nose it should be a
must as it can prevent serious injury. This is a soft, self adhesive
,rubber guard that is placed on the tip or nose of the board.
The final accessory is a
boardbag. The bags consist of a high density foam to take the sting out
of any knocks and so on. To a certain extent a boardbag is optional,
but it does help prevent a number of unnecessary dings, for instance
on or
in the car etc. They tend to come in two types a Day Bag and a Travel
Bag. The travel bags are thicker and provide more protection, and
definitely if you plan to travel with your board on a plane, train etc.
then a travel bag is the product to go for.
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Please bear in mind this
information is a general overview, if you feel that you require any more
assistance please do not hesitate to contact us on;