Why Beginner Surfers Can’t Learn on Their Own
Many people start their surf experience by renting a board and heading for the waves but their are reasons Why Beginner Surfers Can’t Learn on Their Own.
I tell my new students at the start that surfing is rhythm and timing. They don’t even know the concept exists until after they get it. Then everything is easy. Even in lessons it is difficult to slow down students’ racing minds to get them to focus on techniques.
Learning the Sequence
Surfing is a sequence of steps that have to be included one at a time. The instincts of most people is to do everything at once resulting in horrible form and balance. If a an uninstructed surfer stands up, it is usually for just a few seconds because they don’t know how to stand.
Most beginners cannot catch waves on their own. They don’t understand when to try to stand up. Even in lessons, it is hard to get students to be patient and accept the right timing. Foam and real waves have a rhythm that can be followed for good execution.
Timing and Rhythm
The timing and rhythm start by spotting the foam wave to be ridden. There are good and bad foam waves. Most beginners want to just roll over for any wave and start paddling. The student wants a straight bead of white foam that is big enough to push the surfboard. Then before it arrives, he rolls onto his surf board and paddles to get some momentum. When the wave is close, he paddles hard three times to accelerate in front of the wave.
After the student is in the wave, he puts his hands on the board in a man’s push up position. He rests here for a second to gather his poise. Then he pushes up and places a foot on the board. Most beginners want to paddle and then put their hands in front of their shoulders in an already pushed up position. This is ride over. The student pushes the nose under or tips the board over.
After pushing up from the stopped position, the surfer brings a foot under his butt and places it flat on the board. He stands on this one foot as he raises his hands off the board. This is a difficult sequence for beginners because they want to hold on until both feet are on the board.
After lifting the hands, the surfer has room to bring the other foot to the front of the board. Failing to follow this sequence results in all types of problems with balance, placing the feet correctly and standing up. By not knowing the sequence, the beginner is failing on every ride. It is hard to figure it out because we have no parallel experiences. It is not like any other board sport.
Taking a Lesson to Develop the Right Habits
Some beginners quit in frustration and others decide to take a lesson. The longer the student has practiced on their own, the more difficult it is to reverse the muscle memory they have engineered. It is also difficult for snowboarders and skateboarders because their stance on a board is incorrect for surfing and causes falling.
Other problems a beginner might face are being overweight, lack of flexibility, and lack of strength. These are obstacles for any new surfer. There is a certain level of surfing fitness necessary to learn and advance.
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