Getting Essential Beginners Surfing Skills

By Damian Papworth

Surfing is one of the most popular sports done in water because it is a lot of fun as well as being a challenging and fulfilling individual sport. Surfing is more than just a sport to those who practice it, it is a way of life. To get the most out of the sport though you do have to develop some surfing skills.

To be a good surfer you have to have enough power in your upper body and shoulders to be able to propel the board through the water to catch waves. To do this you might have to work on developing your upper body strength through doing a series of weights. Lots of surfers also turn to yoga as a way or building strength as well as balance. Balance is an essential part of being a good surfer and you will develop the muscle memory as you practice until you can easily stand on the board.

Being able to read the beach conditions is also an important thing for surfers to know what to do. Since most beaches are unsupervised, it is important that you know when conditions are safe for you and when they are not. One of the most dangerous things on the beach is a rip. This is a leading cause of drownings on beaches, but it is also something that many surfers use to get them out the back of the waves more quickly and easily.

A rip is a channel or current of water that has landed on the shore and is now traveling back out. Surfers use a rip current to pull them out the back of the waves more quickly and easily. You can spot a rip when you see a section near the waves are breaking that does not have waves. It is usually darker than the other water because it is deeper or it can also be filled with churned and sandy water.

To get to the point where you can catch waves you have to be able to get the board out the back of where the waves break. To do this you will first have to learn the eskimo roll and after that a more developed skill is duck diving.

There are some basic skills that you will have to develop in order to be able to surf and find it enjoyable rather than frustrating. Some of these skills include paddling, catching waves and then standing up smoothly on the board. Directing the board comes later when you have the basics down pat.

When you have got some of the basic surfing skills down pat, you will really start to have fun with the sport and learn something new every time you head out. - 31512

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here