How to Build Surfing Courage

How to build surfing courage is an important issue for progress to real waves. Courage is the 800 pound gorilla in the room that is rarely mentioned. The ocean is intimidating and a new surfer realizes they have little power in comparison.

Surfing courage develops with comfort in the ocean and building competence. As a new surfer improves their techniques do they can ride and catch beginner foam waves, they have the opportunity to step up to real waves.

How Real Waves Differ from Foam Waves

Foam waves can be seen from a distance and the surfer just has to get in front of them. A real wave peaks in a few seconds and the surfer has to be in the right position.

The new real wave surfer should start with small real waves of two or three feet. In Oceanside the smaller real waves occur closer to the beach than the bigger outside waves on most days.

The first thing is to notice where the waves you want are breaking. Then you paddle to that spot and wait. It is important to catch the real wave early before it peaks and be paddling out in front as it reaches its apex (where the foam comes over the top).

If surfers wait to long to get in front of the wave they have to try and catch it from behind which doesn’t work. If they are not close enough as it is forming, it will break on top of the surfer. The surfer has to first develop the ability to see the wave forming and then paddle to the right intersection point.

This learning process results in lots of crashes. Hopefully the crashes are from wave timing and not poor techniques. Wave timing can be learned. Poor techniques doom a surfer until they learn correct ones. I often get students looking me up to correct problems they are having.

New students have difficult with real waves because they lift the tail increasing the speed and often cause students to stuff the nose. I tell students that they have to consider catching foam waves and real waves the same. The techniques are the same.

The beginner has to have superb pop up technique or he will pearl or fall off real waves. With good technique, he will learn he can catch and ride real waves. Now the courage required is to ride bigger real waves. This process never stops as surfers keep aspiring to make jumps to bigger waves. Surfers say they have to learn to manage fear, not eliminate it.

Learn More

For Oceanside Surf Lessons, see the Home Page

See the Post Surf Lessons Begin with Foam Waves

See the Post What You Learn in a 2 Hour Lesson

See the Post How to Progress in Surfing

See My Dry Land and In Water Demo video

See How to Catch a Green/Real Wave video

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