Does surfing take time r practice, or does it come natural for all of u that tried?

Question

If u live in NY n u surf, where do u guys go?

Answer 1

Surfing is an ocean sport. before you decide to surf, decide to know and understand the ocean. Learn to be at home with its currents, rips, undertows and sometimes BIG waves. The original surfers were watermen (and women, both men and women surfed, but certain waves were reserved for royalty). You need an ocean to learn an ocean sport.

I spent almost all of my teen years, swimming, sailing, surfing, scuba diving and fishing. I even surfed in different places the Navy sent me, when it was possible. `I started surfing in 1966. In the mid sixties, like almost everybody else, I started on a longboard. I went shorter and shorter every summer, during the 'short board revolution.'

I had spent all of my summers at the Jersey  shore, and I had been swimming in the ocean and back bays since i was six or seven. So, for me, the waterman part of surfing came easy. It took me a whole summer, of surfing almost every day, for two or three hours a day to get "decent". I really didn't get 'good' until my second summer. Surfing is an ocean sport, to do it right, you have to be at home in the ocean, with its currents, rips, undertows and sometimes big waves. I don't just mean being good at swimming in a pool, the ocean can be very unforgiving. I have seen lots of really good pool swimmers have to get rescued. You have to learn surf etiquette (so the experienced surfers in the line up don't want to drown you), how to paddle and take off on a wave, and how to ride a wave. You can't do that without an ocean.

Lessons are usually the best way to start, unless you are an adolescent or young adult with lots of pals who surf who can teach you. Go to a real surf shop. The folks there can hook you up with lessons, and even rent you a board to learn on. Just work on your basics..

Be careful of what you read here on line. There are lots of really well meaning young folks who have neat answers about surfing, but at 55, I tend to classify anyone under 25 as a kid. After I found this site, I figured that I could answer a few questions, and spread the 'good news' of surfing. After you learn to swim and master the ocean, get your REAL advice from a surf shop, where industry professionals earn their rent money selling surfboards. However, if they think you are just a 'kook' tourist out to rent a board, you won't necessarily get the best attention.

If by NY, you mean NYC, there is all of the New Jersey shore and Long island to surf at. If you mean NY State, I guess the same applies, but you could add in New England, or a drive farher away, to Delaware or Maryland.http://www.surfline.com/travel/index.cfm...

THE REAL BOTTOM LINE IS: Go to a Surf Shop, not a computer. The pros there can give you the right answers!!

Good luck. Once you try surfing (and learn the 'right way') you'll have fun for life.

Answer 2

John F said it right. But if you're a little more specific of where you are in NY, I can better help you out (i.e. Long Island or NYC or upstate?) If you're on Long Island, or any of the 5 burroughs  you have pretty much all of Long Island available, from Montauk to Rockaway (you can take the Southern State pkwy all the way out onto rt. 27, which leads to montauk). Also, a trip to the Jersey shore isn't too far away, you can take the Belt Parkway over the Verrazano to the Staten Island Expwy and over the Goethals bridge, which puts you right to the NJ turnpike (its a big more scenic route than going through the city on the GW). However, I don't reccomend Jersey, the place is pretty dirty. I mean, I've been out in the lineup with trash and s**+* floating by, and huge chunks of wood with nails in them. I'm sure not all of jersey is like that, but most of it probably is.

If you're in upstate (which to me, from long island, is anything past Weschester) its going to be a little harder. You could get out to long island, or take a longer trip up north, maybe New Hampshire or something. You can check out www.surfline.com, check the surf reports and it will show you a bunch of breaks, and it also has a travel guide giving you info about the spot, i.e. how to get there and where to park, etc.