Want to learn EVERYTHING I can about surfing?

Question

I want to learn to surf, but am landlocked, so until I can get to the ocean, I want to learn everything I can, any good websites, movies, books, etc I should try? I am a 27yo female, but I am very atheltic, etc, so I am not worried about being "too old" as someone on here has already said. Anyone wanting to tell me I'm too old...don't waste your time. Thanks for any help you can give.

Answer 1

Get a subscription to Surfer Magazine. It covers the basics, keeps you up to date, has good articles, talks about board design, surf travel, contests and events, interviews the pros and other important personalities of the surf world; basically covers all the bases. It's inexpensive (something like $20 for a year of 12 issues) and informative. Another magazine I recommend is The Surfer's Journal. This is real in depth stuff though, so if you know nothing about surfing it might be hard to follow at first, with all the terms and people and stuff. Go for Surfer Magazine.

Get a couple surf videos. Watch them, enjoy them, study the style of the surfers. Find a couple that are completely different too. Get one that's progressive "new school" surfing, such as Young Guns II, or Campaign 2. Then get one that has a variety of surfing in it, like Fin, or Stylemasters. There's also the old classics, like Endless Summer I or II, Surfing Hallow Days, etc. One of my personal favorite surf videos is Framelines.

Go to http://surfline.com and go to the "Surfology" section. Read up on stuff like that. http://www.surfermag.com and read the forums and some of the stuff people are talking about. Just get immersed in it. You will start to hear things and know what people are talking about.

Realize that there are many many different areas of surfing. Not just a shortboard with 3 fins. It's a really progressive sport and has evolved. Read about the people that started the revolutions. Read about Gordon Clark, Mark Richards, Tom Curren, Duke Kahanamoku, Kelly Slater, Simon Anderson, George Greenough, Hobie Alter, Tom Blake, Laird Hamilton, Gerry Lopez, Al Merrick, Rell Sunn, Dewey Weber.... I could go on for days.

Learn about longboard, shortboarding, retro boards, bonzers; board design. Learn about the different waves of the world- Pipeline, Teahupoo, Jefferey's Bay, Mavericks..The environment and pollution- The Surfrider Foundation. The competitions- Triple Crown of Surfing, the WCT... The "soul surfer."

There's a World Tour event coming up in September that you can watch a live webcast of. Go to http://www.boostmobilepro.com and watch the live contest. Those are the top surfers in the world right now and that's one of 12 contests to determine the world champion each year. It has the schedule on there, but it starts Tuesday September 12th in the morning. Check that out for sure.

There's a lot out there, a lot you can know about surfing besides the actual act of surfing. Glad to see you interested and if you have ANY questions, even the simplest thing, please contact me and I can clear something up or discuss something. I am fanatic about surfing and would love to help out.

Answer 2

too old? I live in Hawaii, and I've seen some real old guys surfing some pretty big waves,a nd having a great time, and plenty of Wahine too so go get it...

Sapboi,

Kona, Hawaii

Answer 3

Go to the beach. You can't learn on land!

Answer 4

You can check out Surfline's surfology page for rules on etiquette etc. You can also get a product called an indo board to help work on you balance.

If you're not familiar with the ocean, make sure you take some time to get to know it. There's a lot going on out there and you can find yourself in trouble fast if you don't know what going on. Wherever you decide to surf probably has a surf school, try taking a lesson so someone will be watching you. If you decide to go by yourself, surf in front of a life guard tower and let the life guard know what you are doing before you get in the water.

You can watch videos or read books but no one can really tell you how to surf. Its something you have to do to learn. Have fun and be safe.