Can you teach a person to surf when there afraid of the water?

Question

Can you teach a person to surf when there afraid of the water?

Answer 1

Hey man ya your best bet is bring them out on a smallish day. get them to walk out first then swim then paddle out. i have a friend who did. brought him out on a 4ft day in the middle of winter wearing just a summer suit on a 7ft minimal. he stuck with even tho he was scared and caught his first great wave. good luck its hard. hes getting realy good now. it takes time.

Answer 2

no. until they get over their fear.. it's not going to happen. since surfing involves water.

Answer 3

No! Surfing is an ocean sport. It requires strong swimming ability and confidence in the water. I feel very sorry for any one who fears the water. The sea is very powerful, and sometimes very unforgiving, but if you know your limitations, it is the greatest non-human source of joy I know.

Answer 4

They can, but it's not the smartest thing to do.

A surfboard is not a life-saving device.  A leash can break anytime, even in small waves, especially if the leash is super old.  The second you lose that leash, that person will freak out, and possibly drown.

People freak out when they don't understand something... like the ocean.  A "big" wave could come through, and the person could ditch the board, or get knocked off the board.  Then you have a "drowning rat" which could easily be dangerous for both the surfer and other people.

Not to mention rip-currents, which are things that lifeguards are constantly saving people out of.  If a person doesn't know what to look for to identify a rip, it's dangerous.

If someone can't swim, anything involving the ocean, currents, waves, and boards isn't a good idea.  That's like putting someone on a snowboard that is afraid of the snow and avalanches and all the animals.  If you don't understand the way nature works, you are dangerous to yourself and others.

Answer 5

I think for most water fearers the big thing is how deep they have to get in. So, just show'em one of your spots with a shallow shelf and they will be fine.

Answer 6

Yep

Way back (late 70's) I was an "inlander" travelling around and teamed up with some travelling surfers for a while. I put on a very strong leg-rope and learnt to swim and surf at the same time.

At first I paddled out the back and got in the water using the board  as my "security". Once I got comfortable with the water I went for a couple of waves but nose -dived so went back to floating watching the waves and the others surfing from side on.

Went on to spend the best part of a decade as a full on "surf rat" .... work was organised around surfing.

Answer 7

Yeah... Just take 'em with you and throw 'em in the water... If its a place with warm water and good waves, they should get hooked pretty fast...

Answer 8

of course

just force them to get over their fear by paddling them out!!

or just say "u wont get wet if u dont fall off the board!'

Answer 9

First, you have to get them to loose their fears about water before you can even attempt to teach them to surf.  They need to learn to swim before surfing.