Surfing

[Makeo]

Does anyone here surf? Know anything about it?

I'd like to learn.
Should I buy a board or hire one for a while? I realise that as you progress you get a smaller lighter board but how fast is the progression?
Is it possible to buy a board that is suitable to learn on but also suitable once you get some skills?

Has anyone surfed in Spain?

[laurentius]

Some of my friends surf. I've heard that england has best waves in europe. Norway, france and spain got surffable waves too. If you want the best waves possible goto either hawaii or australia

[Immortal Wombat]

A couple of my friends were in Croyde (in Devon) this week, and apparently the surf was great. Gnarly tubes for all.

[DaShi]

That's how I plan to retire, man. Open a little surf-board shops in Maui and get high all the time.

[st_swithin]

If you have some cash, get a foam longboard (> 8') - it's the easiest to learn on cuz' it catches even little crappy, crumbly waves and you don't have to worry about going too fast like on a shortboard (>7').

Then move to Kauai (non-haole) or Maui (haole).

Live happily ever after.

[TCO]

I surfed a lot in California. Buy a longboard. ~9ft. that is easier to learn on. But surfing is still not easy. The key is more in catching the wave than it is in balance or popping up. People commonly have this miscopnception. What you need to learn is when you have caught the wave SO that you can pop up.

When the wave comes by, you have to paddle hard (all out) to get speed going. I don't understand the physics but if you are stationary the wave will pass you by. If you have near the same speed as the wave, you can "catch it". usually people have a hard time learning to surf becasue they are trying to get up too early. They really haven't caught the wave.

A good drill to learn is to ride several waves in all the way to the beach on your stomache. (Don't popup.) This will give you the feel for the board catching a wave. The best waves for this are "reform". (The white water after a wave crashes. In californai, the waves are biggest in Winter and often the reform itself can be very strong.)

Than you can progress to kneeling and soon to standing. With standing, I find that it helps if you a little bit exxagerate the distance your feet are apart from what seems natural. That drops your butt down and makes it easier. once you have the hang of it, you can progress to crossover walking, soul arches and toes on the nose. (Just kidding, that stuff is hard.)

You will probably want to move on to short boards soon, since you can turn more easily and carve on face waves and such. And you are a good athlete and light, so you should do well. But longboards can still be fun cause you get longer rides and can ride smaller waves. (its a flotation deal). All the shortboarders I knew said that they wished they learned on a longboard. They all had a torture of a summer paddling every day without ever gettign a succseful ride. I've seen people on longboards get up the first day. Doesn't always happen of course. I've taught some girls to ride and they did well cause the float/mass ratio was even more in their favor and becausee they would listen to instruction.

Have fun. I love surfing. Even on a lousy day, there is something soulful about being in the water, getting the brine in yoru nose. It's a Zen thing. (But than again, you never embraced the cold...so maybe you don't think that way.)

[Makeo]

Should be no problem catching a wave. I've spent lots of time at the beach just never surfed. Can body board no problem.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

I've never switched away from longboards. The trick stuff doesn't greatly appeal to me- I just like to get out there and ride.

Spain has some fair surfing beaches on the Atlantic coast- they improve as you head north. To be frank- you'll never get Pacific-sized waves in Europe, but there's a whole heap of attractions beyond that. Riding the Severn Bore is a good one- it's a tidal bore that you can ride for miles.

[Ted Striker]

1) smoke lots of weed
2) get a bad attitude
3) use words like gnarly and killer

[st_swithin]

Wow, Ted, you've managed to put my entire life into three easy-to-use little aphorisms.

I believe I shall! (Translation: in Homer: Don't mind if I do!)

[Ted Striker]

whoah