Ride Waves in the First Surf Lesson
People who want to surf often ask how many lessons it takes. New students can Ride Waves in the First Lesson. They can learn how to be independent so they can practice on their own.
Learning to surf is learning timing and rhythm. It is learning the sequence of steps that are required from recognizing the wave to riding the wave. In between are steps taught in dry land and in the water. The most difficult part for new students is often overcoming their own instincts and resisting the learning method.
Overcoming Our Instincts
Everyone has been standing up since they were toddlers. Everyone comes into lessons with a lot of muscle memory from other activities. The surfing process is different from anything anyone has done before. Learning to surf is shedding thoughts, instincts, and muscle memory of the past. It requires the ability to focus and coordinate the brain and body .
The dry land process teaches students how to stand up in a process I call a sequence. Students do it on dry land but then totally abandon the process in the water. Instructions consist of getting students to abandon their own instincts and learn the sequence. After they fail to do it instinctively, they usually start listening to what is required.
This process of abandoning one’s own instincts to doing what is required is often accomplished by students on the first ride. Others take the full lesson time. Part of the issue is intimidation of the waves. When students get in the water and get shoved by waves going 15 mph, their mind is overtaken with a little panic.
Learning the Count of the Sequence
I give students a count to say out loud in the water that takes them through the process and tries to by pass thinking and instincts. The count is paddle, stop, push, back foot, stand up, front foot. This count is paddle to catch a wave, stop in the man’s pushup position with the hands, push up, bring a foot under the butt and stand on it. At the same time start lifting the hands off the board so the other foot can go to the front of the board.
That’s it. Sounds simple. Yet, the student has to isolate all other thoughts and just do what is required. There are very few effective short cuts. Some do jump to the advanced pop up right away which is moving both feet at the same time to the board. This requires the hands to be up as the feet land. Not easy for most beginners.
Catching Waves Takes Some Patience
Learning to have patience to catch waves is not easy for beginners. They want to pop up as soon as the wave touches the board. The trick is to paddle first to get in front of the wave so the tail of the board is not in the foam when the pop up begins. Makes all the difference in the world.
The other issues that hinder new students is physical size and conditioning. Weight can be a total hindrance. Overweight and obese new students often do not have the strength nor agility to perform the techniques. They have to begin losing weight and training as I point out in my books below (The 3 Week Plan, Getting Fit to Surf). With proper conditioning, they can learn the techniques.
A series of lessons can help most people progress from riding foam waves to riding real waves. They can practice on their own in between and then the lessons act as tune ups as well as introducing new techniques to progress.
More Posts
Oceanside Surf Lessons for Beginners
Beginner Surfers Learn the Pop Up
How to Progress to Surfing the Short Board
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