Going on vacation , need advise for surfing.?

Question

My friend and I were thinking of going somewhere for a summer vacation and we wanted to do a lot of things, but one of the main is surfing. We're both Oklahoma boys and know absolutely nothing about it except that we'd like to try it. I want to get the most out of this vacation before i need to head over sea's to the sandbox so any info would help. i.e. best/closest beach to Oklahoma, should we do rentals?, what kind of board should we be looking for? i'm 5'10" and 158 lbs. my buddy is taller and about the same weight.and any other advise that might help us in our ventures. even a crash course would help. Again thanks for your input and God bless.

Answer 1

Just go anywhere with a beach and take a day lesson. You are gonna suck at first, and you will be in shallow water with a foam board, so don't be expecting anything glamerous.

Oh and lessons are a little expensive. Don't just rent a board and go out and try to surf, people who cannot surf who are in the middle of people who can surf often annoy those people.

Answer 2

Don't be too worried about the board size. You'll definitely want to take a lesson. Most beach areas have surf schools and 1/2 day lessons given on the beach.

The surf schools will usually get you all set up with a foam longboard and a leash. Depending on where and when you plan to learn, you might want to at least bring a wetsuit as I know from experience, the water is midly cold most of the year in Southern California (except during the late Summer months). In places like Florida and Hawaii, the water stays pretty warm year-round.

Also, I would pick up a book on surfing and learn a little about the history, the culture and surf etiquette. It's a good idea to know the intangibles before even taking a lesson because depending on the intructor, they may or may not teach you that stuff. Plus, most surf books are a fun read.

Have fun man!