Learning to surf is one of those things you either jump in to, or think about jumping into. I lived in SoCal for 5 years and never learned to surf. I knew I was going to get frustrated trying to learn on my own, but had a hard time finding a place to take a class. I wanted a friend or two to go with me so I wouldn’t feel so silly starting out.

After years of putting it off, I moved to NorCal and decided I was done waiting around. I looked up surf classes and just got out there. Awkard or not, I’d rather be having having fun feeling like a kook in the water than sitting at home wishing I knew how to surf.

I’ve compiled a list of resources that I’ve used to get started.
I’ve also started writing my own mini-guides. Check them out:

Resources I’ve used to get started:

Classes: If you don’t have a very patient friend to teach you, classes are a great place to start. I learned through Adventure Out. Classes include equipment and are usually medium sized to the instructor to student ratio is pretty good. I’ve taken their surf class twice now and had a blast both times. It’s much easier to get up on a wave when you have instructors to help you with your timing.

Web Sites: There are tons of great resources on the web. My favorite is Surfline. The Surfline site features surf reports to guides on everything from surf etiquette to technique to understanding surf forecasts and wave breaks. This site is a valuable resource and member supported.

Movies: Okay, I’m not really sure how much I learned from watching professional and life long surfers go at it on film, but it is a lot of fun. Check out the gold standards: Endless Summer, Step Into Liquid, Riding Giants, and many more.

Friends: Most of my friends don’t really know how to surf either. We go, have fun, encourage each other and watch out for each other. Plus it’s more fun to eat pizza with a friend afterwards than all by your lonesome.

Don’t Give up: Your best resource for learning to surf is you. I fall all the time, WAY more than I get up. It’s cold and I’m tired. But I go do it on days I know I can, and skip it on days when the waves are oo big or the conditions are too rough.  I’m going to keep trying to learn and I’m going to keep trying to have as much fun as I can.

~

My Mini-Guides:

Choosing a Wetsuit and Accessories

Choosing a Surfboard, coming just as soon as I get a board.

Looking for something specific? Email me. If I know how to do it, I’ll write up a guide. If I don’t, well I’ll figure out how.