Where should I vacation so that I have a couple days to learn how to surf?

Question

I am a good skateboarder, wakeboarder, and snowboarder. I don't want to surf 2-3 foot waves on a longboard. I will only have a day or two on a week vacation to learn. Do I need lessons? Do I need resurvations? am I better renting a surfboard at some random beach and going for it? Any suggestions??

Answer 1

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 in a week!

That is what worries me when I read some of these questions. Lots of folks just don't know what they are getting into. The more times inexperienced people s***w up, and have to get rescued, the stricter anti surfing ordinances get past, and it makes it tough on the rest of us.

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. However, if they think you are just a 'kook' tourist out to rent a board, you won't necessarily get the best attention. make sure they know you want lessons.

Some folks have said that skateboarding may help. Well, any balance improving activity can be helpful to improve your surfing. That could be skate, snow, wake or skim boarding, working out on a Indo board, or doing the balance beam. HOWEVER, surfing is nothing like skateboarding. You have to paddle and catch a wave. First, and most important, you have to be at home in the ocean. You need to learn the mechanics of surfing, paddling out, catching a wave and standing up on the surfboard. It is after you have gotten all that down, that your balance becomes important, and if you have good balance (because, perhaps, you skateboard), that will only help you ride better.

If you only have one week, get lessons, have fun, and be able to accept the fact that you haven't even scratched the surface. I started at 14. I was already an accomplished swimmer, and it took me most of the summer to get 'decent' and certainly not 'good'. And I was in the water every day! I have been surfing for 42 years, and I have never seen anybody progress that fast.

Answer 2

If you are just beginning you need to try the smaller waves on the east coast

Answer 3

Surfing cannot be taught. You've already got a few lessons from carving snowboards and turning skateboards. (You say you are good, so I assume you can drop into a halfpipe.)

Pick the spot that will have waves when you are there. Look at several places, consider their seasons and if possible get a weather forecast for the dates. Surfers often wait till the last minute to get their airfare to confirm there will be surf. You don't want to spend a lot of time and money just to get skunked.

Mainland Mexico, just don't get bitten

Answer 4

n shore HI

Answer 5

Don't get lessons, they're a total waste.  All you need to do is get a good size long board (if you're under 6' tall then a 9' board would be good, and if you're taller than 6' you might want to get a board that is maybe 9'6" and pretty wide, this will make it a lot easier to stand up and catch a wave).  All you have to do is practice paddling.  When you've got the board under control, line yourself up with the wave and paddle as hard as you can and once you feel the wave starting to push you, stand up.  You'll fall the first 10 or 20 times, but after that you should be able to stand and ride the wave straight all the way until it dies.  Waikiki in Hawaii has really good waves to learn how to surf on.  They aren't that strong and the wave lasts a pretty long time.

Answer 6

Sunny Southern California!

Two local surf camps i know of:

Islands Surf Camp (owned by my surf coach's son)

Malibu Makos (Zuma Beach)

Answer 7

Get lessons and be prepared to learn on a longboard.  Nobody is going to rent you a short board, and most instructors won't teach you on anything but a longboard softtop.

Check out San Diego.  They have a bunch of different breaks, of various styles and they are relatively forgiving of newbies out there (depending upon the break).  I learned from a guy named rusty and thought he was great.  I recommend him to anyone I know is going to SD and looking to learn to surf.

There are a lot of other surf schools in San Diego too.  Some are better than others.  I have no affiliation with Rusty other than taking a lesson with him and having my daughter take two lessons with him.  As far as I know he has the best reputation in the area.