Useful tips for beginning surfers – Phuket Surfing in Kata Beach
Surfing isn’t something you’re likely to just “pick up” as if it was a hidden, long lost talent of yours.
It takes a lot of practice, patience and time to learn to be really good at it.
To ease those boundaries however, here are a few tips for our beginner surfers among our readers
out there, aimed at helping them attempt to start the adventure.
Expect to put in some work
Just like with any other sport, you need to put in some serious time and effort to learning and
becoming better at it.
If you follow these tips, you’ll be on your way to becoming a great surfer in no time.
Don’t learn surfing by yourself
No matter how easy you think it looks, never, ever approach surfing by yourself. Either get an
experienced friend to teach you or go to a surf school like ours in Phuket in order to avoid injuring
yourself and others, or even putting your life in danger.
Pick a good teacher
If you decide to take some surf lessons, research the teacher in advance. For example, have a
look here: (link to: https://www.phuketsurfing.com/surf-lesson/). Make sure that your surf
instructors are experienced and have good reviews (link to: https://www.phuketsurfing.com/
reviews/). Sometimes, a good teacher won’t just teach you how to surf, but they’ll also inspire you
and help you love surfing.
Use a big surfboard
One of the best beginner surfing tips that you could ever follow is not to be tempted to choose a
smaller, shorter board as fast as possible. A large board will help you develop better fundamental
mechanics and you’ll catch a lot more waves in the early stages.
Surf beginners waves
Using a beach that is appropriate for beginning surfers is crucial to your surfing success. Learn to
surf on a beach known for good, steady waves and the whole learning process will be a lot
smoother. Tackle small waves before you attempt larger ones. Start small, aim big.
Even though you may feel ready, unless your teacher says you’re ready, you’re really not.
Spend time on dry land first
Once you’re at the beach, don’t rush in the water. Spend some time on the beach and do your
stretching. Check your leash, you board and also take a moment to watch the waves. Keep your
eye on the other surfers and see what they do. This isn’t a habit that will stop once you’ve
graduated past the beginner ranks.
Embrace the love for paddling
Paddling is another thing you will need to practice until you get it right. The key is to find a rhythm
and to keep it. This also requires you to be in shape, because it will be quite exhausting, especially
the first few times.
Embrace the love for falling
If there’s one certainty when learning to surf it is that you will encounter a lot of falling. You will fall,
and fall, and then you’ll fall some more. The waves will knock you down, you’ll get confused, and
frustrated, and you’ll even get some bruises. All you need to remember is that it’s all part of the
game however. Get back up, try again – never give up.
Don’t forget to have fun
No matter what you do and where you are, if you’re not having fun, it’s not worth it. The best surfer
out there always is the one having the most fun.
