Surfing 101: Try Surfing Today

We look at the basics of surfing in this installment of our how to surf guide.

Surfing is a popular sport in which you paddle into the ocean on a surfboard (usually a simple piece of polyurethane foam that has been coated with fiberglass) and then try to ride the waves back into shore.

It's participated in by men, women and children of all ages, who are attracted by the fun and sense of freedom that it offers. The only requirements when learning how to surf are that you be fit and able to swim well, as by lacking in either of these you'll be placing yourself at risk. Even though surfing is far less dangerous than many other sports, it still contains dangers of its own.

Any shoreline where waves above a meter high form is a suitable location and, weather permitting, you can surf all year round. It doesn't cost much to start, as you only need to buy a surfboard. Popular surfing beaches typically offer surfboard and wetsuit rentals, if that's the route you wish to go.

The basic fundamentals of surfing are quite simple to understand, however implementing them will take practice and time. You could teach yourself how to surf, and you can learn a lot from watching other surfers. It never hurts to ask them for a few pointers either, but you need to be careful with this because they could be teaching you their bad habits. With that said, professional instruction is still the quickest and safest way to begin learning how to surf.

With a professional instructor you will learn the rudimentary basics of learning to get on a surfboard and you should be up and surfing within a day or two. As well as learning how to use a surfboard though, you'll also need to learn about waves, currents and the ocean. Things to be learning along the way are how to tell if the conditions are safe, picking out the proper wave to catch, and predicting what kind of break a wave will have.