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Learning to Surf

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2814
Posts: 292 - Karma: 10
So here's the deal: I'm moving to California in August and I want to take up surfing. I tried it once when I was vacationing in Hawaii this year and absolutely loved it.

However, I really have no idea where to start. The board I was using in Hawaii was some big-ass rubber topped thing (you can tell I know my terminology). I know I should steer clear of short boards and thrusters until I get more experienced.

What make should I start with and what are the things I should be looking for? I figured I would try NSG because the tards over at the TW Surf forums are of no help at all.

My budget for the whole setup - clothing, straps, bags, board is about $900
Mar 23 2010 12:39PM
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hawaiiansteeze
Posts: 3255 - Karma: 3,226
yea id say just to get a longboard since your just starting, its a bitch to learn on something shorter with less float.  the only thing you really need to buy is a board, and id say check out the local shops when you get to CA.  you dont need clothes or anything other than a pair of boardshorts,  you dont even need to spend money on a boardbag

dont be afraid to get something used either.  you can save a bunch of money that way
Mar 23 2010 12:43PM
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Joshua.
Posts: 2957 - Karma: 6,229
get one of those foamer things... the tops are blue and if it stabs you you won't end your surfing career to prematurely.

I learned on on a regular longboard but it seems like I'm seeing blue topped ones more ofter now.
Mar 23 2010 12:49PM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
any tips on learning on a short board???? I've never surfed at all, but bought a used short and a full wetsuit. Planning on hitting the beach in a month or two. I know I'll stay out of the main lineup as I'm more likely to injure myself or someone else the first couple times out. I just figured I'd want to go to a short board eventually and decided to skip the longboard for learning. Any tips for a newb on starting out and standing up on a shorty.
Mar 23 2010 12:49PM
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MattWeiss
Posts: 1005 - Karma: 377

practice your push on the sand first (the standing up part), thats just what i see all the beginners at the beach doing when i go

Mar 23 2010 12:52PM
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hawaiiansteeze
Posts: 3255 - Karma: 3,226
all im gona tell you is that is a real bitch.  did the same thing a while ago and went out to get a bigger board.  just keep practicing and youll get it eventually but your gona be miserable and pissed for a lil while
Mar 23 2010 12:53PM
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tom.ch
Posts: 102 - Karma: -15
get a nice 8ft foam board, or something that is a proper floater.  A board that basically feels like your surfing on a boat once you've moved on.  Maybe even rent a foam board for a few days until you have your technique down.  Then get a long board and push past the annoying stage and just enjoy it.  Big fat foam boards are also a decent investment for when the surf isnt up to much and you just want to head out for a paddle.
Mar 23 2010 12:58PM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
so like what is too small to ride on a short board. I think my ron jon POS is like 6'6". Am I gonna have a hard ass time catching a 3 foot delaware wave???
Mar 23 2010 1:06PM
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2814
Posts: 292 - Karma: 10
Thanks for the advice guys. +k all around!

About floaters - are they super cheap? Or should I even bother buying one if I'm going to move past it in a few weeks? I'm pretty sure this was what I was using when I was in Hawaii last summer - I found it pretty easy to stand up and ride the breakwater.

Also, on a side note - is there a policy on Cali transit regarding surfboards on buses? - only asking because I won't have a car for a few months
Mar 23 2010 1:08PM
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hawaiiansteeze
Posts: 3255 - Karma: 3,226
it matters how big you are and how much you weigh.  the hardest part is learning how to stand up and keep you balancing while you do this with paddling you know.  

its like learning boxes before rails, sure you can do rails first but your gona fall alot and need to practice alot, where as you could start with boxes and work your way up.
Mar 23 2010 1:13PM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
I'm small and very light, although I found it kinda hard to just stay on the thing and paddle it the one time I got out last year. I also see guys digging with both hands just as they are about to catch the wave, is this like a last burst of speed before you push down hard for your stand up attempt.

I have really good balance as I've skateboarded a lot of my young life, and I picked up snowboarding in like a day.

What's the best way not to get harpooned by your board when you do fall, like bail to the side or off the back I'd guess right???
Mar 23 2010 1:17PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
don't fall.

honestly people are acting like you are gonna have  a really hard time with this.  you obviously have good body awareness and balance, so i'm guessing you will pick surfing up quickly.

my reccomendation would be to buy a long board ( i would stay away from a soft top, but they are good for beginners). and a short board.  the long board will be good to learn on and super fun for lower days.  also good to have to so that you can take girls out, etc

after you get the hang of the long board, go for a fish or a shorty.


where in CA are you moving?  i grew up in ventura county.  zuma all day.
Mar 23 2010 1:24PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51260 - Karma: 157,382
Go check out horizons west in santa monica, the old zephyr shop. Kennedy is a great shop if you want to drive to the valley and check it out.

Get a longboard to start. Far easier to catch waves with, more stable.

For spots, try to go somewhere that isn't going to be crowded while you're learning. Find a beach break where you're pretty much on you're own. Doesn't have to be an amazing wave to learn on.


If you;re buying a board, a lot of shops will give you deals for a wetsuit, bag(sometimes through the bag in free) , free leash and some wax.


What part of cali are you movin to?
Mar 23 2010 1:34PM
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2814
Posts: 292 - Karma: 10
Moving to Hollywood - Universal City area. I know I'm not super close to the beach, but I'm gonna give it my best shot to get out and learn.
Mar 23 2010 1:41PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51260 - Karma: 157,382
I always like venice. I felt it was never super crowded, but always a good time. It might be a little more crowded these days with the new concrete bowl down there. Still a really nice place. don't step in oil though, that shit doesn't come off your feet, lol.


I would say some places you should avoid at all costs at first, like huntington. Unless at some of the breaks if your far enough and out of the way of the locals.

It's sort of like skiing. If you have a really nice jump built one day, and this gaper keeps coming through and snaking you, then falling 3 feet from the takeoff, you get pissed. Try to find you're own space to learn in
Mar 23 2010 1:47PM
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cct_222
Posts: 1526 - Karma: 141
if your budget is $900, go to a surf shop, talk to the guys there, get something used, look for longer, wider, more bouyant, it'll make it easier to learn on, once you got the hang of it, buy something shorter, norrower, more nimble and manuverable
Mar 23 2010 1:50PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
def.

also, head out to zuma if you get a chance.  farther down the beach you are, the less crowded it is. 
Mar 23 2010 1:52PM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
I'm guessing if I'm left foot forward on a snowboard or skateboard I should just stick with that right??? Or do surfers ride either depending on the break??
Mar 23 2010 1:53PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
sorry for dub post, but whiskey militia should start having a pretty good amount of surf equipment.  keep an eye out.
Mar 23 2010 1:56PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51260 - Karma: 157,382
Even the play it again sports carry surf stuff.
Mar 23 2010 1:59PM
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RRhighrider
Posts: 2137 - Karma: 1,105

Buy around an 8 foot fun board, a leash, and a rash guard.  You can find a good used board to learn on for under $200 and rash guards are cheap and worth not having nipple rashes. Make sure you buy a thick board too because really helps.  Defiantly do not get anything thinner than 2.5 inches.  Learning to surf is frustrating but be persistent.  Learn to turtle roll well, because nothing is more frustrating then getting stuck inside and taking an hour to get out to the line up (learn to duck dive once you get a smaller board).  Spend time before you go out in the water to look at the break for a while.  It is important to know where the waves are breaking best and the flow of the sets. If you are by a computer then check out surfline before you go.  It is always nice to know what conditions are like before you go out and it has a lot of southern California spots.  Have fun and do not give up.

Mar 23 2010 2:02PM
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skichicky3
Posts: 2593 - Karma: 64
You were probably using a sunset board...they are definitely easy to learn on since they are really buoyant and therefore easier to learn to stand up on. However, when you make the transition from a sunset to a real board its a lot harder at first even if its a longboard. I would look for a longboard over 9' to start with, definitely make sure its a fiberglass board and not epoxy.

Don't bother getting a bag and straps. If you are going to be transporting your board on top of your car, you can do it for way cheaper than buying the 30$ straps from Dakine. If you have an SUV with bars on the roof already, I would go to the hard wear store and get those foam tube things, cut down the middle and zip tie them onto your roof bars, and it will pad your board enough. Then you can buy a few bungee cords to strap your board down.

Bags arent necessary at all- they can actually scratch your board more if theres any bit of sand trapped in the bag, it will scratch up your board.

Idk what the ocean temps are in Cali, but if you need a wetsuit i would go with a 3/2 and nothing higher as you will be too hot. You can get decently priced wetties on beckersurf.com - check out the clearance section, i got mine for just above $100 which is cheap. Otherwise if its too warm for a wettie, just some board shorts and a rash guard depending on your preferences.

Also, dont forget you'll need some wax for your board. Make sure you put on a really good base wax cause then you wont go through as much wax on a day to day basis, but once you start to get sand and dirt in the wax, then scrape it off and put a new coat on so that your board stays in good shape.

Oh yeah and if you are going to get a longboard I would definitely recommend getting a noserider. Once you get a good foundation and can stand up and surf some waves, its really fun to learn to nose ride. Just my .02

Hope this helps
Mar 23 2010 2:17PM
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skichicky3
Posts: 2593 - Karma: 64
oh yeah and sorry for the double post, but if you have any more specific questions feel free to send me a message...i'd be happy to help
Mar 23 2010 2:21PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
i would recommend a shorty for sure, and maybe a full, if you can find a good deal

p.s. OP, take a few trips out to the barrier island while you're there.  catalina is my favorite. 
also, santa barbara is great.  good mexican food.
Mar 23 2010 2:34PM
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
check eBay for a wetsuit, I got a barely used 3/2 full suit for 15 dollars. incredible, I would have thought it was never used if I didn't know. best impulse bid ever!
Mar 23 2010 3:00PM
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tom.ch
Posts: 102 - Karma: -15

i mean it wouldn't be impossible, just not as fun.  I sometimes take my shorty out for 3 ft waves but only if they are super clean and there is a nice off shore wind.  But as I said, i would just get something bigger to start with anyway, get your pop and stance down, cause that obviously become much harder when you start to get on short boards

Mar 23 2010 3:52PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51260 - Karma: 157,382
Isn't maryland/ Delaware area the skimboarding capital of the US or something?

Only time the southern east coast gets good waves is when the hurricanes come through. Then shit gets fun
Mar 23 2010 3:54PM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
I've seen 5 or six footers down there but unless your at a popular surf break they all seem to crash right onto the beach, which I guess is better for skim. I wanna cut out a skim board with our table router at work before this summer.
Mar 23 2010 4:07PM
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Tucks
Posts: 2120 - Karma: 161
Buy used equipment, especially a used board. Around 8 foot would be fine. Then once you become alright and know you like it buy some new stuff if you want. I am a pretty avid surfer and I still buy used boards because they are cheaper, still just a functional, and if I don't mesh with it I can sell it back for basically the same price I bought it for. It might be nice to have a wetsuit. In which case new is usually better, and a 3/2 will probably work fine.
Mar 23 2010 4:17PM
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cclan
Posts: 742 - Karma: 19
i learned on a 6 foot fish. and it was nice, same thickness as a big board to so it was an awesome mix between short and long but still stayin short, ya dig?
Mar 23 2010 4:34PM
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Deezy
Posts: 4580 - Karma: 1,004
listen to this guy, surfing is in his icon!
Mar 23 2010 4:36PM
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Thenowhereman42
Posts: 5682 - Karma: 65
Welcome to California man. IMO you should get a regular longboard instead of a floater. If you are going to be surfing fairly seriously (once every week or something), then you are going to progress past a foam board pretty fast. A longboard will not hold you back.

If you are really athletic you might even want to try a funboard, but I'm not really coordinated enough for that shit lol.
Mar 23 2010 5:03PM
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DutchhGutss
Posts: 896 - Karma: 124
Sounds really sweet bro! I love Cali and surfing is just so chill and fun, just the people and the placest to ride are so nice! Good luck, I'd go with a longboard, I dont know a real lot about surfing but look around the local shops you can prolly snag a used set-up for a cheap price!
Mar 23 2010 5:34PM
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starsky_hucks
Posts: 394 - Karma: 62

ay dont get a rubber board, everyone will laugh and make fun of you.. and theyr shite to surf on

depending on your size and weight get a 7"4 to 8 foot minimal

easy to lean on, but still capable of making proper turns and catching all kinds of waves..

Mar 27 2010 4:59AM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5675 - Karma: 4,268
I learned last summer, one of the better decisions I've made. It's so much fun and now I don't mind the end of our short NJ winter anymore. I learned on a 6'4'', but it has a decent amount of volume is isn't really a shortboard shape. I still don't know the proper terms to describe it's shape, but the widest point is more towards the front, has less rocker than my friends normal shaped short boards and is is thicker.

Go for used, I got mine used and it was in really good shape. Just go have fun, catching a wave is such a good feeling.


Mar 27 2010 10:37AM
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2814
Posts: 292 - Karma: 10
This is probably what I'm going to do. I'm going to go for about a week of lessons with the rubber board and then just buy a used/cheap board.


My only concern is falling. When I was in Hawaii I would fall and hit the coral reef, ALL THE TIME. I still have a few tiny scars on my shoulder from it.

Is it like this in Cali, with reef everywhere?
Mar 27 2010 10:43AM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
nope. you'll be fine.

Mar 27 2010 11:00AM
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charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 372
HM06 duh!
Mar 27 2010 11:43AM
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Crack.
Posts: 6020 - Karma: 86
Where did you go in Hawaii. I am taking a trip to Waikiki Beach in June and I am DEFINITELY doing surfing. I plan on taking up surfing as soon as I can once high school is over. It seems like such a cool sport to me.
Mar 27 2010 11:53AM
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JerseyGrl
Posts: 10 - Karma: 11

Hey I agree with everyone else that if you are going to learn how to surf a big board is the way to go, but a few things to keep in mind... It’s going to be very hard to get an 8 foot board inside a bus if you have to rely on public transport.

If you already surfed on a big board and can stay on the face of the wave you can probably transition to a smaller board pretty quickly.

I think an epoxy board would be better than foam... They are harder to ding and are more floaty which will make it easier to catch waves.

And if I were learning to surf I wouldn’t start out with a new board... It’s just gonna get trashed till you know how to handle it.

Learn the rules...

http://www.surfline.com/surfology/surfology_borl_index.cfm


and don’t buy an NSP

Mar 27 2010 7:01PM
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