I started at the age of 12 and in competitive surfing that may have been considered rather “late”. Our son aged 6 who started surfing at age 2 is a local at the back line of the Berg. We both share in a mutual passion and love for riding the waves regardless of the type of wave ridden or the size of the board we are riding.
I must add, I get just as much joy (if not more) twinning a tandem ride together as i would negotiating a punchy wave with some decent power behind it.
One thing doesn’t change however…the basic principals and tips remain the same for all surfers embarking on their surfing journey.
Daniel (age 6) and I have been chatting about the most important lessons we have learnt and would love to share our 5 top tips!
- Practice, practice, practice your pop up. It’s the fundamental movement and can make or break your surfing experience. The more you practice (on land or in the water) the quicker muscle memory develops. Your body and mind don’t distinguish repetition done in the ocean or on land, it just recognized the repetition of the movement you are simulating.
- Don’t neglect the “power strokes” when you think you are in the wave, paddle another five strokes with everything you have!
- Look in the direction you are going. Don’t focus on your feet. Where ever your eyes go, your body will follow. Focusing on your feet limits your ability to see what’s happening around you and lead you to falling off much easier.
- Spend time on your board. You may not be catching waves, but the more time you spend laying and balancing on your board the better. This may mean paddling back out or waiting for a wave. Your balance improves with the amount of time spent on your board.
- Keep coming back. The more time you spend in the water, the easier it gets. The more waves you will catch, the more you will ride and before you know it you will be carving the back line!
Happy Surfing and see you in the line up!
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