The Real Beginner Surfers Tips

Page was updated on 01/08/2006

Welcome to this section of the Half Moon Bay Surfing Bookmarks  This page has been written from a perspective of a total new surfer who was totally lost from the start. If you came here learn how to be a poser I can even tell you how to be one!

Also, English is not my native language so you will see some spots of broken English below. Please "interpret" them as you read. If there are major grammar error spots on my web site, you are helping out me a lot by letting me know directly. I am doing my part to help you out, so your help is always appreciated.

Is Surfing Difficult to Learn?

Indeed! For most people, surfing is the most difficult sport you would ever participate in. Why? Because the very medium, the wave that you stand upon, always moves around. In skiing or skating, the board moves, but the ground usually does not (except when there is an earthquake or an avalanche).

What is This All About?

So far as I have figured this out, surfing is...

• About the strength and endurance: You need to paddle a lot, and after paddling a lot to get out to the ocean, you need to paddle again to catch some waves. If you are presently out-of-shape or never have done any other endurance exercises, this it the first hurdle you are going to experience. Unfortunately there is just no ways around this one, and the only way to succeed is practice, practice and more practice!  After you become buff with your arm muscles, you will need to get your hip and knee strength built up to make solid surfing turns. The best practice for surfing is go surfing, and fortunately with some initial investments in equipment, you can surf  pretty much year around in "NorCal!"
• About the balance: You need to balance on the board while paddling out, waiting for waves, and making turns or even some radical maneuvers (cut-backs, off-the-lip, and floaters come to mind). This is going to be the second and the key hurdle for you. Most surfers get to be a mediocre level surfer with less balancing skills, but your surfing will not advance to the next level without some excellent balancing skills. You can and you should learn this skill if you ever want to be a good surfer (note that that I did not say it is about twisting your torso).
• About the timing: From proper paddling strokes, when you decide to go over or under the waves, when to catch, when to execute the turns, it is all about knowing the timing of your execution. If you are thinking about your surfing in terms of timing, then you are now in the realm of being an intermediate surfer, and this is going to be a key factor in letting yourself having real fun or not.
• About the friendship: Last but not the least, whether you like it or not, you need to rely on many peoples' friendship for  you to succeed in surfing (don't overlook your non-surfing partners, friends, dads, moms, grandparents. Don't ever and never forget that they would be just as stoked as you are! They come to the beach, patiently waiting and watching you to take off, sew your board socks, take pictures, role videos, make and bring great picnic, help decorate your own bedroom with all surf theme stuff,  and negotiate with the Santa to sneak a new board under the tree in December. They are as stoked as you are even though they don't surf, OK? ).  But this friendship does not just stop there, you are going to become an intimate friend with the nature and the universe that surround you. As a friend, you have to go and take care of the nature, because ultimately you want it to take care of you! Share the waves, share the stokes, and be good to the nature so that a 100 and 1000 years from now, there will still be rooms for just as stoked groms as you are!

Sounds intriguing? Sounds fun? Let's go surfing!

So, What is Surfing Like?

If you look for "surfing" on any web search engine, people are talking more about "web surfing", it seemingly indicates that it is something relaxing and easy thing for anybody to do. But the real surfing is far from that. It requires all dimensions of what you are made of - from the seer physical strength, endurance, persistence, keen sense of the natural surrounding,  an ability to precisely calculate split-second decision to stay on the wave you picked.  No single wave is the same as before. As you learn the sport and pass through many of these obstacles, you will only come to realise that the depth of the sport will pull you further in to it. 

For a beginner (term a kook might apply) like you and me its 99.9% paddling, and a 1% standing if you are lucky. The first time out, you will be out of breath in a few strokes of paddling and your arms will be numb and sore for the rest of the week. A good 99% of people give up at this stage (thank god). But, if you don't stop here and keep at it, each time you go out,  you are building up your paddling muscles that will be needed for padding out to stay longer in the water. You will become ready for even bigger conditions and also become able to catch the waves when others are not catching.  Soon you find your shoulder and arm muscle mass and tone is visibly improving... an added benefit and it is rewarding.  And yes, you might stand up on your board for a few seconds. 

You got to paddle well at all conditions. Good paddling is really the number one key to good surfing. Not only you paddle to move forward in the water, the paddling speed is important for negotiating waves on your way out to the ocean. Many common beginner errors occur due to insufficient paddling speed and power.

•  Getting out, you actually need to have  quite a bit of momentum to go over the waves. Do not stop paddling in front of oncoming waves that will cause you to be deflected. If you have been deflected  before that means you are not going fast enough against the wave, or are being afraid of being crushed to cause the paddling to stop. Paddle hard just until you lift up on the fact of the wave, then push your upper body up at the same speed as the wave is building up. You can often get over the waves before they break and to do that you need to get up to the wave faces quicker.
•  Once you are ready for duck diving, you also need a lot of momentum.
•  You will need a couple of very strong strokes just prior to you standing up. If you do not do this, you will likely to pearl (fall forward) instead of taking off. 

Before you hit the water, though, you should first do an extensive stretching exercise. Stretching exercise before getting into the water has been very helpful to me as I used to have severe cramps while swimming. I have found out that Yoga type stretching technique where you apply stretch tension for a long period of time has been more helpful than rapid bouncing motion of stretching. Deep inhaling and exhaling is also helpful in building up the lung strength and capacity needed to work in the water. No wonder, Yoga seems to be recommended by many surfing experts, while they also recommend other supplementary endurance exercises like biking or swimming free style strokes, but the best practice for surfing is surfing itself.

While practicing, your body may become more tired than you actually think you are. So, get out the water once in a while and rest on the beach.  But your surfing practice does not stop there. Take a look at some good surfers catching waves or even paddling out. Observe the waves, put yourself in the waves breaking and imagine yourself surfing in it. Do you think you have caught the wave? Would you be able to find yourself in the take-off zone if you were there? Have you judged the wave enough that you could have turned to the correct direction? Learn who is catching, who is not, who is paddling well, why, where and who is getting longer rides. Then when you are rested, paddle out and imitate those good people you have just watched. 

One thing you want to try when first paddling out is to adjust your paddling speed and power by increasing it gradually. What usually happens in the beginning is that you would paddle too hard from the get-go, essentially wasting much of the power, tiring you all out.  This is like punching on a gas on your car, tire spins, smokes come out, but not moving very fast., or like your car stuck in mud or snow with tires spinning but not getting any traction. You may even want to kick start your board with your legs while in the shallows then jump on. When you are stopped, give it a good slow start. As the board catches the speed, gradually add more power to your paddling. If you are on a longer board, the board will start to plane and it will drastically increase the board speed with a very little additional power needed.

On your early days, the nature and your board will first seem to reject you, waves crashing and spitting you out of the wave like the coin reject button on a vending machine, and your board refusing you to be on top... it is almost like being in a Rodeo. But, like anything that come with learning something new, this is the initial lengthy hard period where you don't feel like you know what you are doing... For the first 3-4 sessions, you seem to be making no or a very little progress. But if trust your body and instincts, they are quietly organizing your entire self in the background ready to surf as you practice more. Then one day on one break, the skill will emerge from your subconscious.  So, even on the days that you don't feel like going, do not give it up, but try to go. Be determined and committed. Sure, you are going to drink a lot of salt water, gritting some sand in your teeth and spitting out sea weeds... or even some bruises and cuts. But just be patient, keep trying, it will come. Then when you get a beautiful long ride, you will be paddling back for more. This opens up the next door for the next step to learn. I think that this is the part that is making surfing really fun. Regardless of your age or shape, there seems to be no limit to the mastery of the sport, making you come back to surf better than the last time, and in that endeavor, it is pretty much the sport that you can enjoy for your entire life. 

What Type or Which Board to Get

Answer: Don't get any. Rent a long foam board for the first few times, or borrow a long board from your friends.

First, you should determine if surfing is a sport for you. Surfing requires quite a bit of commitment out of your life to become enjoyable (note that I did not say, "become good", that will take several years). Therefore you should rent for the first 6 to 12 sessions. It is a fact but probably at least 50%, and more likely 80% of new surfers won't continue surfing. On the other hands, there are men and women surfers who have been surfing 30 and 40 years, into their 70's and 80's their ages.

You should rent those blue or yellow "BZ" or "Doyle" foam practice boards (like I am riding at Cowells Beach in Santa Cruz here)  from any of the surf shops in the area when you are practicing. I have mistakenly talked into buying a 7.0 fun-gun, which after year of continuous learning, I have finally be able to ride on it. This is a common mistake many uninformed new surfers make. I have seen way too many people on weekend line-ups with very short boards just bobbing up and down in the shallows or waiting too far outside doing anything but surfing, or paddling like a combat soldier on a ground.  The main surfing is being on top the board, and being on top of the world,  so at this stage, you've got to focus on getting up on the board under all kinds of conditions.

So as a starter, you should not be start surfing on any of these boards in the next picture ( from left to right, a 7'6, 7'2, and 8'6). Hint: If you want to surf on a short board, they are easy to come by since there are many people like I was at the start but instead did not go on to surf, and gotten rid of the board and quit it altogether. Surf shops, eBay, and Craig's' list are full of these clean "used only once on a Sunday" boards going anywhere from less than $200 a board, where a decent new board would go for $550 a shot. 

So, again like almost all experts recommend, you should start with a long (and round) enough board. Here are other reasons why you should rent boards for the first several times out. So I will repeat one more time... The sooner you master the take off and riding skills at this stage, the sooner you will get to that short board you always wanted to ride and you will look good standing on it.

• Surfboards are designed seemingly to torture those who do not know how to deal with them. The boards are awkward to carry and handle. It requires you a bit of learning to handle a long object (unless you are in a construction business.)  During the learning phase, you will bang various parts of the board at all sorts of places as you carry them. If you bang your brand new fiberglass board (... ok, an epoxy SurtTech board...), it just is not going to make you very happy so practice your banging and dropping on those indestructible Doyle foam boards. They are also much less damaging to your skull and tooth when they hit you, and they will hit you (or someone else) in the water while practicing. By the way, the best way to carry a long practice board is to put the board on top of your head. With a proper balance, you only need to apply a bit of force to keep it in place as you walk. 
• Long foam boards will float easily that means you have a less resistance from the water when you are paddling. To demonstrate this point, just try to swim yourself to the lineup (I actually don't recommend you actually do this but just imagine it.)  Shorter the board, it will become more and more like swimming than paddling on the board. As I will state later, the easier you can paddle the more chance of you catching waves so you get more fun and you will learn faster. If your goal is to surf on 7 and 6 ft short boards, get at least the basics like a front-side and back-side wide turns on a longer board first. If you cannot do it there, then you probably won't on any boards you set for feet on. And yes, you can almost always sell your long board and trade in for a shorter one at your local surf shop (often with a change). Better yet, hang on to your long board (they are very difficult to come-by used) and add more boards to your collections. Most experts have a set of long and short boards and pick and choose them surfing on any conditions from small to large swells.

• Questions About Renting? Usually booties, gloves and hood are not rented. If you are going to be a surfer in our area, invest your money in those. They will last for a few years. Total investment is about $120 with tax. Going rate for rentals as of 2003 is about $10 to $20 a day. Bring your credit card and drivers license, they are needed for you to rent. If you are under 18 years of age,  parents of guardians must also sign the waiver. In Cowells, the closest place to rent is Club Ed's trailer right at the Cowells Beach near the pier entrance. Also there are several stores on the way to the boardwalk. In Pleasure Point area, the SC Surf Shop is closet to the beach. In Half Moon Bay and Pacifica, read the shops section on my home page.

  When you first stand up, you would want to go all the way to the beach (either intentionally or unintentionally since you would not know when or where to stop). Your board may be forced to "collide" with either the beach, rock or some other living objects (and hopefully not other inexperienced surfers and kids playing near the shore.) Again, if you have a brand new fiberglass board, this means that your new board will acquire several stress cracks or dents on the nose or other areas of the board. This does not look good. If you did do this with a foam board, board does not care neither do you.
• You don't want to wax the board for the first time out. That's another art and science you need to acquire over time. You are supposed to create sticky bumps on the board by applying wax on different directions. And if you do not do so adequately you will slip off the board. Most practice foam boards have textured surfaces that provide much better foot grips. One less thing to worry about means more practice you get. At this point of time, you are not interested in things like "too tight", "loose", or "speed" of the board. 
• You are going to break the fins. I have already broken two fins by simply dropping the board on the ground (sand) at a bad angle. This is another one of the areas you can easily damage and even a used set of FCS fins (that can be replaced by a screw) is a good $15 to $50 proposition each time you break. You would almost always need to buy them in a pair!  If you happen to pick a professional "glued in", or glassed in fins. you (your board is) are going to be out of commission for a week or two. Even in this area, surf repair shops are backed up by 1 to 2 weeks. Practice boards have very durable soft rubber fins that do not seem to easily break off nor cut you open when they brush against your skins. Imagine breaking a glassed-in fins on short boards!
• If you are really committed to the sport as a recreational surfer, you'd want to surf both long and short styles. On some breaks and conditions, a long boarding gets really fun, and on other conditions, short boarding is the only way to go, so learn to ride both and have fun choosing the boards and riding styles. Learning both styles will also make you a strong surfer too.
• You would probably laugh at me if I mention the word "Competition" on this page.  But in a couple of years many of you should be competing in a local event (and you should to support the surfing community and the good causes). Per the NSSA regulation long board must be at least 9 ft long in surfing competitions. When selecting a board, be sure to consider this regulation. I have learned the hard way that I cannot enter with my 8'6!

More Myths and Errors On Boards

•  Don't get suckered into buying a Rhino-Chaser! I have seen several people ended up with Big-Wave Gun type boards. These are slick, slender 8 to 10 ft boards. Sure they are long, but they are not for you. Many beginners think that because they are long, they are good. There are three bad things going. First, unfortunately, these boards are designed to be surfed on big 15 ft plus waves so they are not a good practice boards.  Secondly, these board look very slick with slender front and the back like a very long version of short boards, so many people like the looks and get them. Finally, there are many people who make the same mistake so there is an abundance of these types of board in the used market so they tend to be easier to come by and people are very eager to sucker you into buying it.
  
  Your first board should really be purchased from a surf shop. Visit three or so shops, tell them how long you have been surfing and see what they will recommend. You need to visit three because you just might run into some shop dude don't know what they are talking about.
   
•  You can become an expert with a foam board! Most new surfers think that they are going to become hot in just a couple of months. Think again. Surfing is so difficult that you won't become really good for years even if you surf every day! So don't believe anyone who tells you that you are going to grow out of a board, nor go into the sport with a high hope of getting an instant gratification. I have not seen any recreational surfers who do grow out of any of their boards in a few sessions. The reality is that a vast majority of people will have problems growing into a board even if you surf 2-3 days out of a week throughout the year. Actually most will become frustrated for not being able to surf on their first incorrectly chosen equipment and quit altogether with their boards going up in the Craig's list or Surfpulse for half the price (and us who surf regularly have an abundance of only-surfed-on-Sundays "new" used surfboards!).
  
  I for, one, have a frequent surfing mileage (go out at least 3 days per week throughout a year), I do have a 9'0 Doyle foamy in my quiver along with Donald Takayama, Randall French, and Pearson Arrow short boards, and you should (and I sill can) learn all the way up to intermediate surfing skills; like top and bottom turns, cutbacks, walking, hang-five and hang-ten... In fact if you cannot do those on an easy foam board, do you think you can really do them on a tippier high performance boards? After the first season, use it to go to crowded breaks like Cowells, or use it on puny summer fun breaks. Bring your friends and partners and lend the board. You will also have practically zero worries about ever visiting the surf shop again for ding repairs... now that means more time standing on the board!

This is the last time I repeat on this topic. Get a big long board first. Surf one season on it. You will starting be surfing on a short board in style next season. You never grow out of any board you buy!

How Do I Carry A Board?

First, if you are going to surf seriously and regularly, and you do not own a pickup truck or a long van, a roof rack is essential, and I am talking about not a soft rack but a hard rack. A soft rack is a good temporary solution, but like your wet suit, this is the area you really should not skimp on. People who thought you would be saving some money by getting a soft rack usually end up spending 50% more money by ending up buying a hard rack after a few trips. So don't skimp here, just get the hard rack. You can find them online these days that exactly fits your car. At this time of writing, this set up would cost you about $250 - $300. Better than paying $80 for the soft rack then end up getting the $250 hard rack, since you'd be ahead at least $30 ahead if you skip the soft rack ritual so many people get trapped into.

Also buy good tie-downs. If the tie downs make noise just twist the line a few times before securing the boards. I usually try to jerk the board a bit to make sure that the board is secured tight enough.

When you become a better surfer you can fit your 7'6 or shorter board inside your car (I am talking about Toyota Matrix or VW Golf size cars) if you are traveling alone. But even then you'd want to surf a long board when the condition is small, and if you want car pool with your friends, a rack if a must. As a surfer you will end up needing a solid rack.

Do you wear a wetsuit? In Nor-Cal, You should and you should get a good one.

For whatever the reasons, when the topic of surfing come up with other non-surfing people, this is one of the first questions I usually be asked. Yes, the water temperature around Half Moon Bay is typically in the 48 - 58 F range year around including in the dead of winters and the summer. Also, after surfing for a year or so, you will soon realize that surfing is a fall-winter-spring sport in our area, and not really the summer sport (it has something to do with when and where swells come from, I will cover this topic later on on this page).

So a wetsuit is your essential life support system especially for a starter where there is more time being spent inside the water. There might even be a chance you could get temporarily become unable to paddle back due to rip current + fatigue. Then an added confidence and comfort will let you rest and gain the strength back for you to get back.

Also, I've met several people who say "I don't surf here (in Nor Cal) because the water is too cold!" With the new technology in wetsuits, this should no longer be an excuse. With about $400 investment, you will get a technology that will allow you to surf all year! People do surf essentially anywhere in the world anytime of the year.

I have had many different types of wet suits but in the last few years the technology of the material and the structure has changed dramatically making it very comfortable, warm, and easier to get in and out of (but somehow, they dry slower). The one I am using now is made of super-stretch martial on the sleeves with a 4 mm thickness on the body and 3 mm on sleeves (a 4/3 configuration).  The zipper length on the back have been significantly shortened from older models, and also there is an inner sheet that go across the entire back (instead of flaps, they are called Bat Wings or Zen Zips etc.). These features make the suit warmer and zipping up quite easier. Also "blind stitched" panels provide additional comfort in that no harsh stitching areas rub against your skin. On "bat-wing" models with a neck pull-over, be sure to pull up the bat wing part as you put the suit on before you put your arms through the sleeves, then tilt your neck as far back as you can then pull over the neck ring, otherwise all of the buttons will un-do.

Your wetsuit must fit like your second skin and so it should not create any pocket of water inside. Once you get in the water, you cannot return it to the store, so try all different sizes, walk around, and also try paddling moves to make sure that  you can be surfing several hours comfortably. One special area that is important for you to stay warm is the collar closure area. Make sure that you have a tight closure around your neck, the back zipper is zipped all the way up or water will rush in through this area during paddling out the waves or wipe-outs making it almost like not wearing anything at all. If you are wearing booties, be sure that the your suit will go on top of the booties. Otherwise you are going to have two bag of water on your legs when you get out. Now that will make you look very much like a real kook.

Besides protecting you from cold, it will protect you from brushing with corrals, rocks, fins, sun burns, and stings from poisonous sea creatures. A local surf shop guy told me that you would half the number of stitches if you do get injured (we say "I got slashed, man!"). For example, you would walk away with a 5-stitch wound in a wetsuit, but the same accident would cost you 10 stitches if you just had a pair of board shorts on. An ER will set you back by anywhere from $300 to $600 in 2004 dollars and of course you must keep dry for at least a week!

These new wetsuit models costs about high $200's to low $300s. Your suit is your primary life-support system, so I advise that you do not cut very much corners on this equipment. There are very high end winter 6mm models that will go for a bit above $400, but 3/4 mm is quite adequate for all around use in Bay Area surfing, if you ask me. You can also wear a think winter knit or a neoplane-titanium lined  rash-guard.

In the winter, you should bundle yourself up with a 4-mm hood, a pair of gloves and booties. It is said that a significant amount of the body heat is lost from the head. All of these enhance your kook-look fashion but, then, do you really care? With a substantially added comfort and safety, you will stay in the water longer, and advance faster than those whose worries are only their fashion statements.

If you are going to go a lot, like every day, then you'd need two wet suits. Buy the second one in the second season after a year that you know you are going to take up the sport. This will let you get into a dry wet suit for each session, and if a damage occurs, you have a backup.

If you only have one, you can also dry them quicker by blowing a fan at a low setting. This will dry the suit completely before you get up next morning.

Once in the water, you are like a seal or dolphin, be like them and don't  be inhibited from "peeing" in the wetsuit (though some say this might attract sharks). Contrary to what other people say, if you tub rinse the suit in fresh water twice and hang dry it will not smell. Just hosing it down does not remove dirt and bacteria in the rubber cells. Also you can give a good thorough wash in a tub with a small capful of dish detergent or Woolite to wash out these elements as necessary, say once a month or week depending on how much you go out. There is also a product called McNett Myrazyme (http://www.mcnett.com/) that you can get from a Surf Shop, a SCUBA equipment store, or a large sporting good store like REI. This is an enzymatic product that decomposes the smelly elements trapped inside the suit. Just add a capful in the rinsing water and hang the suit dry. But if you ask me, good water rinsing with an occasional detergent wash is just as good. Whatever you do, you should rinse the suit in fresh water and hang it dry every time you go out, then the suit will last for longer time.

And here is how you should dry your booties (tip from a local surf shop guy). If they get stinky, soap wash it, or give it a shot of Lysol. Under no circumstances do not leave them wet in your car for several days. A good amount of microbiological research has been conducted by several of my friends using very realistic experimental conditions, and the results are very reproducible, I am sure that someone will soon know which gene in which bacteria are expressed as we understand these bacterial genomes, so, really, no further proof is needed.

What other stuff do they (not) bring?

It is entirely up to you but "regular" surfers seem to have or do the following things. These are potentially rather geeky details that true surfers would not discuss with you, but here goes. 

• A turtle-neck rash guard. A majority of people I talked get a neck rash around the collar closure area. Be sure to pull the neck collar all the way up before closing the collar flap. Also it provides additional warmth.
• If you still have rash issues in other areas of your body there is a product called Body Glide that you can put it on the area. Athletic swimmers as well as the member of our message board swears by it. It is a special wax stick you can rub onto areas you have concerns with.
• A plastic tub to store the "wet" wet suits and other wet equipment afterwards. Also use the tub to rinse the wet suit thoroughly. Get this at any hardware supply store. I have also seen many people stand inside to use it as a "change mat." Tub rinsing will almost guarantee that your wetsuit will not get stinky. Rinse twice.
• A jug of water. This becomes very handy when you get out to wilder surfing areas where there is no shower, and your booty or feet can use a good wash upon return to your car. The best format I have seen is a used cloths softener bottle with a spout. Some people put hot water before they take off on winter sessions. Wrap the whole thing in a towel and you get a warm towel plus hot rinsing water. A change mat - any used mat on your bathroom would be handy to change on gravel parking lots such as in Montara or Jetty, or San Onofre, or on a publics street in Santa Cruz. An "artificial-turf" type works the best as you can get on it with your muddy feet and come out clean.
• Wax (if you do have non-foam boards). This serves two purposes, one is the main purpose and also another is that many times other surfers would want to "bum" your wax, that can open up some parking lot conversations. For this area, most shops recommend you use Mr. Zog's Sex Wax Green or Sticky Bumps Blue (Cold).
• Big towels. Small ones won't do while you are getting in and out of wet suites. Many of you have seen me use an old worn-out bath robes stolen from my wife, which has been very helpful. Does not look like this will catch on anytime soon, I am OK by it. A trick to wrap a towel around your waist or chest is that the whole towel wraps around you and then tuck good 5-6 inches. Thick, pure cotton bath towels have more problems slipping than cheap drug-store beach towels with acryl and it holds better when the towel is a bit wet, so dry your hair with the towel first then do the change.
• Water proof and surfer proven sun screen. Get the kind that surf shops are selling. Drug store kinds, even though they say they are water-proof, seems to drip into eyes while surfing causing pains and irritations, something you don't want while you have other things to worry about.  The idea obviously here is to prevent your skin (face) from growing non standard skin cells. The damages can occur several years after prolonged exposures to the Sun. Apply it 20 minutes before you get in the water and let the ingredients absorbed into the top skin layer,  so put it on before you leave home. I leave a tube in a car and when I am stopped at a traffic light I put it on. Most folks around here seem to use Aloe Gator SPF Gel 40. This seems to provide the lasting protection and also give less eye irritation problems (but not perfectly so) than any that I have tried.
• Duct tape. People used to use silver kind but now they make transparent kinds. This is an essential emergency ding repair tool. If you get dinged up in your session, towel dry the ding, and put the tape on, surf on for the rest of the day if it is not a big gash, and then send it to your repair shop. The foam core inside your board is like a sponge, so the water will seep through from one cell to another if there is a source of water outside. So do not surf on forever with a tape on. Get it repaid as soon as possible, and don't be those who keep the tape on for a whole season!
• I started to use special surfing type ear-plugs called Doc's Pro Plug, which is available from most surf stores around here. Chances are that when you paddle out or you wipe out you get smashed by powerful breaking waves, and if you swing your head to the side just right at the moment (happens without thinking), the water will hit directly in your ear. This can be painful ruining the rest of your day or may cause a week long painful inflammation of the ear drums.  In addition, if you are going to surf for a longer term, unwanted bone growth, called surfers/swimmers' ear can be prevented. I know a couple of people who needed their ear canals bored out by a drill. Pay $20 now, or $2000 plus pain and suffering later and a month of no surfing.  These are silicone flaps that plugs into your ears with small holes allowing sounds to pass through. It is important to hear other people yelling at you (calling your attention you are about to collide) and also listening to the sound and direction of breaking waves (that means either to stop paddling or ready to be eaten by the falling water). Like anything these are something that experts say you don't need, but I happen to feel that there is a lot of element out there that can hurt you in the way experts would no longer do.
• While worrying about the time is probably the least thing surfers should have in their minds, if you do need to wear a watch (like in before-the-work sessions), invest in a $40 - $50, 50 m waterproof with a silicone rubber belt. Do not get the metal belt kind. You are going to be wearing it over your wet suit, so you need to be able to adjust the fit quickly. The Tide display watches are fun and useful, I recommend it if you can afford it, but you will most likely going to lose those watches so I highly recommend that you stay away from the Rolex. I never wear the Rolex unless I am going to my next Mt. Everest expedition or on my 20,000 ft balloon trip challenge around the world or go some hunting expedition in Africa.  On weekend days where time is no limit, don't wear one, I would just keep surfing until the sun sets.

Avoid These Hazardous Situations and Learn The Etiquette

As a beginner or even an intermediate surfer, you need to avoid these situations or places. Learn to identify them and always be aware of them. It will take some time for you to become fully aware, so be prepared.

•  Outside high traffic zones. If you are in a spot where a lot of expert surfers going across left and right, then you should not be there as a beginner. You can only take off straight, you will not see them coming, and you do not know how to kick out of the take off and you will collide.
•  Shorebreaks are very dangerous and seems to be the top cause of surfing injuries. Shorebreaks are the waves break right at the edge of the water, they can be very powerful. Before going into the water, watch the shores to make sure that you either have or don't have shorebreaks. If you have them, never surf all the way to the shore, or you will be pounded right onto the shore. If you are entering the water, watch and time the entry, or avoid the spot altogether and consider another entry or even another beach. If you are exiting the water, stay back, get off the board and wait for a good timing to get out. At the shorebreak zones, just before the wave breaks, you will most likely to experience a very high backwash current that will knock you and pull under. While it is not really accurate, people often call this the "undertow". If you are caught in this, take a deep breath, just let it take you under or dive under and relax under water until the break is over. If the breaking wave is coming right at you and you are being pulled under and you cannot move in any other directions, you may want to consider ditching your board, duck yourself under.  If you try to hang onto the board, you might injure yourself. As a beginner surfer, you should really not be frequenting the beaches that have this condition. Around in Half Moon Bay area, Montara, and all Half Moon Bay State beaches have this problem especially in the winter when the swells are large.
• Shallow or very low tide condition, (knee to hip deep) plus a close-out break going over chest high right at the spot: You can get pounded under the heavy surf and will be lucky if you just got knocked out. You might go down head in, and break or injure your neck. In general as a beginner should not take off into a closing out waves. If only a few experts are taking off, then waves are generally too fast for most people.
•  Inside High traffic zones: If there are people in front of you towards the beach, paddle left or right to avoid colliding with them. Also you will be doing a favor to other surfers by you not being positioned in such a way to obstruct the surfers outside. It is so frustrating when I am at a good peak and there are bunch of people inside just in front of me.
•  Hidden rocks. Usually there are rocks under the water in most beaches and you won't see them because they are submerged. Be careful walking in and  out and when it is deep enough, paddle in or out on your board. If the waves are not going too hard, put the board on the water and walk in or out. Also wear the booties as a protection. And do not ride all the way to the shore... It is tempting, but don't. You do not want to jump off into a rock, and also do not want to ding or stress your board.
•  Currents: By the beach there will always be some sort of currents and even if you are not doing anything you are being carried in the current. Be well aware of where you are relative to other fixed objects on land and also other surfers. As a beginner, do not venture too far outside as you might not be able to paddle back. Also you may be carried into zones that you do not want to be, such as high break zones. Correct your positions frequently.
•  Loosing the Board: Make sure that your leashes are security fastened. Be always with your board so that even if you got carried outside you can paddle back.
•  High Side or Offshore Wind Condition: Wind will carry you to unexpected places. Especially when the wind is offshore (blowing from the beach toward the Pacific) you will be carried outside so watch out.
•  Can't Find Your Board: Your board is now at a very dangerous position. It can be up in the air, or it can be behind you. Either ways, you can be smacked on your head or face in about a couple of seconds. No matter where you are, if the board is in the water only approach it with you towards the ocean and your board towards the shore. I really suggest you wear a helmet in the beginning stage. Learn to stay under the water after a wipe out for 5 seconds or so.
•  Hang On To Your Own Board! Try to hug and hang on to your board "no matter what." Do not endanger other surfers. If you are in a situation where you cannot hang onto your board, you are in a power zone that's beyond your current ability. Paddle to the shore, and find a mellower spot. Bailing is only acceptable when there are absolutely no other surfers around!
•  Poor water quality condition or contaminated water.  Read more about this on Surfrider San Mateo Chapter's Web Site.

This Hawai'ian Life Guard Site has lots of good information about the ocean safety.

Please Study This Surfing Etiquette Brochure Read and study this Surf Safety Brochure (Adobe Acrobat Format) prepared by the Surf Safety Alliance in Ventura County. Printed brochures can be available. Please contact Surf Safety Alliance at surfsafetyalliance@yahoo.com Like most things in surfing, it is a grass roots effort so please help them out by giving them some donation.

What About Waves, Swells and Tides?

If you have never surfed before, you probably would not have realized that surfing is pretty much a "big ocean" sport. For us, we need the Pacific. You cannot usually do it in Sacramento Delta or Lake Tahoe  (but it is sometimes possible in the Great Lakes). A bit of knowledge about the waves are on order for you to participate in the sport more like experts.

Surfable waves happen on shores facing an open ocean. This is the reason why surfing is associated with California, Hawaii, or Australia where such geography exists. Now imagine for a moment boat scene in a movie. Why is the boat rocking all the time? This is primarily due to ocean swells.

(Good) Swells are usually generated from big storm (low pressure) systems out in the big ocean with strong winds blowing a consistent direction for several days. You probably have seen films of ships in a big storm with agitated seas. If the storm stays in a area for several days, some parts of these rough waves get directed, combined and gain enough energy to travel outwards from the storm area. But, unlike the river flow where water is physically moving from the top of a mountain to the ocean, in ocean waves water does not travel from a storm to the shores. Instead, the pure form of energy in the form of up and down motion travels at some speed as swells.  Closer to a storm, the waves within it are rough and random but as you get further away enough chops from it build up into swells that survive and reach our beaches thousands of miles from it. As the wave travels, smaller choppier waves die down quickly closer to the storms (or later combine with other smaller waves to make bigger ones) and this allows clean smooth big swells to arrive at our shores. When this energy reaches the shore, there is no longer a place for the energy to escape except to go higher upwards,  then when it gets high enough the top surface of the water begins break up forward. We paddle in from these the wave faces as they are just sufficiently built up, and almost ready to be crashing down creating a steep slope. 

Swells are measured in terms of period and height. Period is the time between one and next peak of the swell (in the open ocean) pass through a fixed point such as a buoy. In the picture here, one period is the time between the swell peak 2 passes through where the peak 1 originally was. Swell height is measured from the level ocean surface to the top of the swell peak. So imagine a buoy in the middle of an ocean a there is are pure 15 second 6 ft swells set coming. The buoy will gradually float up to the top ridge of the swell for 5 ft, about shoulder high as the first swell passes by, then it gradually goes down then 15 seconds later you see the same motion. 

In reality, as you can see in the picture here, not all the swells are coming at the exactly the regular interval, at the same height, nor from the exactly the same direction so buoy reports indicate the average or certain percentile of most recorded periods and heights. Also usually both South and North swells are mixed in.  In this picture, the average swell period would be the average time for the swells 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4. In this picture, the swells are coming in uniformly from the west, and also you can tell that there is no local wind swells (chops). 

This is because you can see that other than the major swells, water is relatively flat between the swells. If there is a lot of wind swells going on, the sea would look rough and from this vantage point, the wave patterns will look like a "weaving, or cross hatch" pattern.  I would say that this is a good smooth condition with about chest to head high (it looks deceptively small from a 100-ft cliff). If the swells get much bigger than this at this location at this direction, it will "close out" as you can see that the swell line is coming all the way across the beach. When a close out occurs, the waves will crash the entire length of the beach all at the same time, and that won't be fun to get out nor surf. In fact this beach has been in the closed out  condition for several days before I took this picture. Now you are looking at the left-over energy from an earlier big swell conditions. 

When a storm is cooking far away, the first swells that escape have higher energy and have faster speed (also they have longer periods), then slower less powerful (but often more appreciated by beginners and intermediate surfers) ones arrive later. Depending on the distance of the storm from the shore, this change can occur in a matter of day or even half a day, so when a condition is "big" and good for experts in the morning, towards the end of the day the condition might all change to "small" allowing us to go out. Unless there are several storms going on at the same time when there is a big day, there will be a small day, then a flat day. Then another set of waves arrive from another storm, making the beach suddenly full of high waves.  

When storms or even just high winds occur very close to our shores or if you are inside the storm, we get waves that are really choppy and do not help much in the way of surfing, these are called wind swells. Wind swells usually have shorter swell periods like 6-8 seconds, and they do not pump as much water so breaks tend to be smaller. So good surfable waves are usually from very far away places 12 seconds or longer periods and from places like such as Alaska, Date Lines, and the South Pacific.

Do not overlook the swell period indicated from buoy or surf reports. The reason is that the break height and where the break occurs is greatly influenced by the wavelength, and in general when the depth of the bottom reaches 5% of the wavelength, that's when the water will start to push upwards. This is relatively independent of the swell height. What you need to remember here is that when the period gets longer the 5% depth will obviously gets deeper and most shores get deeper as you go out, the waves will start breaking further out.

The term "Swell size" is not the same as the wave face size which can differ greatly depending on the bottom of the beach area, the swell height,  the swell period, local wind speed, directions and the tide. More on this topic below.

Wind is also extremely important. When wind is blowing from the shore to the ocean, the condition is called "offshore" and this usually "hold up" the waves longer so surfers love the offshore condition. When the wind is blowing from the ocean to the shore, the condition is called "onshore" and this tend to blow off the top of the wave causing the waves to be smaller.

You will also hear about something called Set Waves, or simply "Sets."  In most surfing situations, set waves are the ones that surfers like to catch. If you are looking at a surfing beach, you will often see many waves coming but once in a while (in 3 to 10 minutes) there is a period where waves gets much bigger than the other times. These waves are the result of set waves. Set waves are created because not all swells are created at the same spot or at the exact same period. All these swells contain different wave periods, sometimes they get combined at the peaks making the wave much bigger. In physics this is called “interference” or "beat" when more than one waves are present on a same medium.

The illustration below gives you a very simple case to demonstrate this. Suppose that there are two waves that are coming into the area that you are surfing. One is at 2 ft at 15 seconds and another at 2 ft at 22 seconds. If there is one without the other then you would experience overall 2 ft of swells, but when both come in to the area at same time, both waves combine together and create 3 and 4 ft waves. In real situation, there are many many more waves from various directions (and phases) combine together so the final height and the shape of the sets are much more complex than the illustration below. Another thing you should notice though, even if the swell heights at the buoys are saying average 2 ft, you could get double or even higher sets, because these measurements will take off the bottom and top numbers to average, so you should always be watching out for the sets when you are out in the ocean. You might paddle out what seems to be a calm period only to find out you an overhead monster comes up suddenly! If you are unsure, don't paddle out as soon as you arrive at the beach, but watch for good 10 minutes if there won't be huge set periods.

Tides

Tide changes contributes very significantly to the surf quality and in some breaks it is a closely guarded secret by local surfers. During a course of a day, the ocean height goes up and down as much as 7-10 ft. As I stated, the break occurs because of the depth, if the depth changes so will be where the waves start to break. Depending on the geography some locations are better surfed at lower tides, and some other locations work better for surfing when the tide is medium to high.

Tide changes occur due to the position of the moon and to a lesser extent, gravitational influences from other planets and the Sun. In the Pacific ocean, we normally get two high and low tides per day. Surfers usually talk about the tides in terms of the following,

•  Minus Tide: The low tide is negative height than the 0 ft sea level.
•  Low Tide: 0 to 2 ft
•  Average sea level: Average of high and low tide levels. It is around 3 ft around in our area.
•  Medium Tide: 2 to 4 ft
•  High Tide: 4 ft and above.

In addition we use the term "incoming" or "outgoing".

The travel section of Sufrline.COM provides detailed information on the best tide and the swell directions for most of the breaks in California. Be sure to check it out, and then you need to invest some of your own time visiting each break and take a note. There are also guide books that tell you more in detail about how the wind and tide works.

If you are totally unfamiliar with the area, don't know anybody and don't know any information hit the period when the tide is going from low to medium in an incoming shift. This way, you won't miss good low tide (if the spot works for low). In fact, that's mainly you would end up doing as tide won't stay the same for hours (normally).

This is a very gross generalization to the point of not worth mentioning but,

•  Beach breaks normally work best in medium incoming tides. Low tide is usually worst.
•  Reef supported bottoms work best in lower tides (like in Santa Cruz).

So, to summarize all this, If you are looking for "clean" well formed gentle waves for beginner surfers, look for the later arriving lower energy group than the first "big stuff". So, if you find that one day it is too big for you to surf, then wait half a day or until the next day and you might find the conditions more suitable for your skill level. Waves generated in storms in Alaska, "Down and Under" or Southern Pacific oceans take many days of travel to hit our beaches, so you can be prepared for many days in advance.

Please read what I have written a few times, go out to the beach and try to digest what I wrote.

When you are ready to learn more about the surf and the surf forecasting technique, visit the http://www.stormsurf.com web site. This one of the most authoritative surf wave forecast sites!

Also, you can use my Surf Condition Quick Tools to see the local swell information almost in real-time!

Also, you should not go out when Tsunami warning is out. Tsunami travels at speeds upwards of 700 mph, instead of about 10 to 25 mph for the regular swells.  At this speed even the fastest Jet Skis won't be able to catch up with you to tow in. Paddling into it is completely out of the question.

Using My HMB Surf Condition Quick Tools

These are the links I use several times a day to do a Web version of Surf Check and I have selected the most essential tools. Here is how I use it.

When I get up in the morning, I check the Now section which are mostly web cam sites and see if waves are actually there. The SurfPulse in Ocean Beach tells generally we are getting waves. If this one look vibrant then Pacifica and Montara will be good. But the Jetty can still be flat.

I also check the local land wind speed looking at the AWS sensor at downtown HMB. The buoy wind readings will almost always much higher. The shore wind speed will be somewhere between the land and the HMB buoy speed.

To see what waves are out there in near the shore, we need to go and take a look at the buoy readings. For surfing the swell direction is very important as Montara and Linda Mar will require good NW to W swells, and the Jetty will require good W to SW swells to break good. But not all buoys can detected this information, and only near-by ones are Pint Reyes and also Monterey buoys. The Scripps map that is pulled in from the site is one of the best in terms quickly figure this out.

The left picture from NOAA and Scripps Institute is showing "current" North and Central California swell conditions, and this is, by far, one of the best charts to quickly tell what is going on near our shores.

• The color of the ocean is showing the swell height. Purple to blue is more flat, green to yellow is pretty big and red is really big 40-50 ft swells. Often the entire map is one color but that means that the swell heights are even in this map section.

• The buoy reading indicates the period and the swell size reading.

• Red arrows are Wind directions (not swell directions)

• Blue arrows and hollow arrows on latitude lines (hard to see) are swell directions.

For more details, you can click on the picture and you can interactively visit each of the buoy that is mentioned.

One of the best buoys is the Point Reyes provided by CDIP and this tells you the energy and directions of the swells coming. Generally when we get lots of the waves with the period shorter than 6 seconds, you will see a choppy condition at the shore. This just means be prepared, and verify with the web cam sites.

You should also check the National Weather Service site and check the weather. There is a detailed weather discussion section that will usually tells the general wind trend. This is important because on-shore wind directions are detrimental to surfing as the wind will blow off the top of breaks not allowing them to become big enough. On the other hands the offshore and sideshore directions can help form better shape waves.

The STORMSURF Pacific Nor Cal Quick Cast is a valuable site that provide you with the projection for this and next week information based on global atmospheric conditions and estimated calculation of swell arrival. All the hard work is done for you. But if you are not satisfied with it, or if they are on vacation, then you need to use their own Power Tools to figure all this out yourself.

I try to provide my interpretations of what is going on in our area in our Yahoo Group (join) so check that out as well.

You can estimate the swell traveling speed by multiplying the swell period in seconds with 1.5 (resulting in nautical miles per hour). I have provided a quick reference table for two "outer" buoys in our area. You can estimate the swell arrival using this table. Note, however, that the table is based on the direct distance only. It would work perfectly if the swell directions is straight on, but otherwise you need quite a bit of adjustments and computation. Luckily for NW and W swells, usually you can use both buoys listed to come up with a rough estimate of swell arrival time.

Surfing Seasons

When is a good time to practice?

Answer: In the morning when there is no wind, less people and also shoot for medium incoming tide  if you can. Look for wave size that is 2-3 ft to start with.

In the Bay Area, especially in the summer months the wind picks up really high during the afternoon (starting around noon and get really high around 2 - 3 p.m.). High wind is good for Windsurfing but not for beginner or even most surfing. Since the summer wind usually blows from the ocean towards the land (onshore condition), that is considered a not good condition by many. This onshore condition occurs in the summer because of a very high temperature gradient that exists between the coast side and the inland area. Anyone driven from San Francisco to Tahoe in summer experienced that San Francisco is in the mid 50's when Sacramento is in the 90's or even 100s. Not very many places in the world have this kind of gradient to cause high wind condition, in fact in Livermore's Altamont Pass there are windmills take advantage of it. When the wind is blowing hard, the wind makes the wave to blow off the top making it crashing sooner or otherwise not in a good shape to surf. In addition it creates local chops and wind-swells making it really hard paddle out to the ocean.

This seems to be why many people choose to go in the morning when the wind is lower. Also in the morning, the beaches are much less crowded. The "TXT" version of surf report on Pacific Wave Rider Hourly Report  tells you the local sunrise and sunset times. Give it 20 - 30 minutes after that and you are surfing completely in the daylight condition (fog and cloud excluding).

Surfing in a less crowded condition means that there is a much less chance of colliding or getting in the way of other folks. Many books and article tells you about the number one surfing etiquette of "not dropping in" which is to mean that you should not start padding when other people are ready to stand up and you do not get in the way of them. As a beginner, you do not even know if you are doing this to other surfers. You will definitely will run into this situation and being yelled at so be prepared, and if this happens just apologize and go on, but when you are learning, avoid getting into the group of other "good" surfers until you are more confident in control of your board.

Each beach has its own characteristics and nothing can really be said for sure, because the bottom shape changes continuously especially on sandy beach like we have in San Mateo county.  But in general beach breaks tend to break softer on medium to high tides. Look in my home page and you will notice that there are two low tide periods on the Pacific ocean, one is usually lower than the other. Surfing prediction is a very difficult task, and it is a problem finding an optimized point on a 7th dimension equations among Wind, Swell height, period, directions, tide, bottom shape.

Watch the breaking pattern for good 5 -10 minutes before you start paddling and find the location that suit your ability.

If you are surfing in Linda Mar as a new surfer, try surfing to the "south" end of the beach closer to the (boat) houses. Waves tend to be gentler. If you are in the Jetty in HMB, do not try to go too close to the jetty side. There are a lot of rocks underneath and also waves can pick up very high suddenly (a mini version of what happens at the "The Wedge" in Newport Beach Pier). Watch the breaking pattern for good 5 -10 minutes before you start paddling and find the location that suit your ability. Paddle out from the area with the least breaking activity (deeper spots, officially called a channel). These spots tend to have out-going rip tides giving you a "free" ride out (which can be scarily and often can be dangerous if there is a high surf condition going 5 mph faster than any Olympic swimmers can handle).

Don't worry so much about picking days when the surf forecasts are saying "fair" conditions unless the waves are poor or closed but when swells are really big.  First of all surf forecasts are based on computer models that cannot accurately determine the waves. Also the term "fair" seem to apply mainly to intermediate to advanced folks. Any days that the forecast are saying "fair" condition with low wind with wave faces 2-3 ft will be good days for us. You may have some problems when faces are bigger than 4, 5 ft or above especially when you are trying to paddle out. High swell condition may be one disadvantage of having a big board when you are not fit enough. But then I have seen people with longer board having no problems getting out. So some skills are involved here as well. When the condition indicates a "closed out" this means that the conditions are really poor with waves all coming in fully across the entire beach and waves crashing all at once giving you no room to get out, and surf in straight. So this is bad for pretty much everyone across the skill sets.

As with any form of forecasts, forecasts are not 100% accurate and also wave conditions change by the hour.  So you do often need to possibly "waste" your time going all the way out to the beach to only find out the condition is not good. I have certainly had excellent practices when the forecasts are saying "1-2 ft" poor condition situations. This comes with the territory. You just have to swallow it and have an alternative plan handy. But as wind and tide changes the condition changes within the same day, so just because it was poor in the AM does not mean it is poor all day. If you get a chance check back in 3 to 6 hours or so. 

Also pay attention to the direction of North and South swells from the forecasts and relate your experience with the directions. Essentially, there are two main sources of wave energy on the Pacific. One is coming from Alaska or further north from us and another is coming from further South of us such as Mexico. However, the North component can move sufficiently South causing completely westerly swells. After a while you will find out that the Tide Chart, Sun Rise and Sun Set times, Wind direction and strength reported will be invaluable in picking the best time and location to practice your surfing skills. It is typically said that during the spring and summer months the South swells work better and during the fall and winter months, the North swells work better. There certainly will be straight West wave days too.

Some words of caution. It is said that shark attacks are recorded more during dawn and dusk hours. It is also said that chance of you getting injured or killed driving to and from surfing spots are significantly higher then the chance of sharks finding you.

You already know that you need to have a leash and wet suit. I also highly recommend you get as much protection as you can afford, including a Gath Helmet , a pair of gloves and booties. Many experts would tell you don't need gloves or booties or whatever, and I agree they do not. But while you are learning, you would run into all sorts of hazards like landing on rocks, fins or pars of board brushing against various parts of your body and other surfers as you execute your wipeouts. You will get several minor bruises during this phase and hopefully you don't get a cutting wound. The protective stuffs are relatively inexpensive to get and will last for quite some time, compared to several hundred $s of co-payments (if you have an insurance) after a visit to a medical center. Damages and injuries also can happen from other people colliding you or cutting in to your line. If you had a helmet on and did not get your head sliced, you'd be very happy of having made the $120 investment in the Gath helmet and looking a bit dorky. It is your choice, look cool or be safe and stay in the water a lot longer!

Back to tides and currents, you should make sure to look at some stationary objects such as houses, buildings, trees, Taco Bell, or rocks in front, left and right of you so that you know how far you have been drifted by currents and winds. Paddle a little bit from time to time to stay roughly in the same area unless you know you are changing the spot. Typically there is a moderate side-shore current near the beach and you would drift left or right over time. For example, one time I paddled out near the Taco Bell (in Linda Mar, of course) and sitting in the line up, and the next thing I knew I was in front of the lone Cypress Tree near the Crespi intersection.

Another very important safety tip not usually written anywhere is this. Under any circumstances do not let your board positioned in front of you so the board is sandwiched  between Hawaii and your precious body. Even a relatively small crushing break can not only knock you over, it can hit your nose, teeth, face or other parts of your body causing great pain or injury if it hits you in a bad spot. If you see that you board is right in front of you and you are looking at the horizon, quickly move the board behind you, duck under and swim away from it or at least to the side of you. Be especially careful after you wipe out. If you do not know where your board is, stay under for a bit. Also never look away from the ocean. A big swell can come anytime, or comes one after another. I have been knocked out a few times by this. This applies even when you are picking up a floating board at the shore. Approach it from the "back" or it will jump and bite you.

Now is a good time to take your video or photo while you are learning. You will never be able to do a repeat performance of  yourself  how awkward you were looking back. Something to show to your friends or TV crew after you become a part of a pro surfing team.

Where should I practice?

Best advise: Don't go completely on your own, but go to somewhere at least some people are around. Also I personally suggest that don't go with your "hot" short board friends either. Teaching surfing and being a "good" surfer often do not seem to mix. Your friend can become frustrated with you and won't go out again with you. They would not set a foot in a beginner break, nor have a clue how to help you get started from your stand-point.  Instead, take a professional lesson or two, preferably in Santa Cruz where the wave is much easier to ride than anywhere near HMB.  You can ride on a board for 20 or even 30 seconds on your first day out at Cowells beach SC and by doing this, you'd be saving at least 4-20 days (possibly more) of your own time if you were to do this totally on your own (like I did). Get better at surfing, catch every surf-able swell,  and surprise your friends who would be waiting 20 minutes for a good wave on their 6'4s. 

I have taken out several people to SC with a class and almost all of them get a taste of padding out, in and standing on the same day. Once you get a taste of this then you are at a point that you can self practice.

If HMB/ Pacifica are the only options you have, then try the south side of Linda Mar on a low day (1, 2, 3 ft wave faces with no winds and low  to medium tide) early in the morning or 2 hours before the sun set, or try the Half Moon Bay jetty. 

How do I Paddle Out, and In?

Paddling is actually one of the most important skills for you in surfing. Obviously, you need to get out to where the waves are, then once you are there you have to paddle to catch the waves. 

Most importantly, your legs should be together on the back of the board and make sure that your body is perfectly centered both forward/back and left/right. For now, do not try to bend your knees up like experts are doing. Your head should be up and back arched up. This is a counter-intuitive pose. You would think that if you go completely flat on the board with your chin resting on the board, you can get much better stability, but that is not the case when you are navigating over moving waves. By raising your back up, you are focusing the center of weight near the belly button, and also the upper body allows you to quickly compensate for any rocking of the board. In addition, this posture will allow you to use larger number of muscled on your body into paddling power. This is even more important with shorter boards where your body should contact a minimum amount of water. Lying on the center is a bit tricky. Even on a board that is taller than you, just a half inch of sliding up or down will cause a great difference in the board balance. The best way to find out if you are perfectly centered on the board is to paddle a few strokes on a calm water and then stop, let the board carry you.  If your board keeps moving forward then you are perfectly centered with a minimum resistance. It stops right away, then you are laying off-center. If your front (the nose) of the board is sinking, just slide back an inch. If the front of the board is over 2 inches above water then you are too far back, move your body a bit forward. Also check if you are moving towards left or right. That means you are off balance laterally (left and right). You can quickly adjust the position by grabbing the front rails of the board, stretch you body fully straight, then use you hands to let you body slide up and down. Making your body straight is important because your hip may get off center without you realizing it. Most people do not have a perfect straight posture (and surfing will straighten that out for you.) Once you find your center, then find a marker on your board. On my 8'6, my eyes are looking 45 degrees down just where it says "Arrow Surfboards" right under the Arrow logo.

Paddling motion is a bit difficult for me to explain but again, make sure that your back is arched up. Do not stroke too much or fast especially upon starting up, instead, go slowly at first. The board will catch the speed then gradually increase the paddling power to match the speed of the board. You can bend your elbows, especially when your hands are right next your shoulders. This allows you to exert more power. Your fingers should loosely cup but not too tightly. It is now a well known fluid dynamics fact from Olympics athletes and expert surfers that if you open the space between you fingers slightly you have a more effective paddling surface (surface area) than they are completely closed and cupped. Once a hand is in the water,  push the water all the way to the back at a consistent power (resistance).  Note that entire arm is used for paddling not just the fingers. Once your hand is all the way in the back, raise the arm just above the water. Raising the hand much above the water would waste your energy. The key here is that while the paddling arm is in the water, you push the water with a consistent speed (and it feels more applying a constant force through the stroke.) If the arm speed is uneven with respect to the movement of the board, you may actually be "breaking" the speed further wasting the energy. If the water is making some noise while paddling, you might be over-powering the stroke, meaning that you are paddling faster than your current speed. This is also a waste of energy. I suggest that a completely calm days are good day for you to go out and paddle the entire length of a beach in a relaxed pace. 

When you are ready to go to the "outside", you will find that many people are lined up (or waiting) in the area where the waves peak out. As a starter, you would not want to be in there to mess them up, try a bit far away from the peak called the shoulder area. Also take a note of which direction the waves are breaking (like a curtain going down but usually from left to right, or right to left). You want to ride so that the closing curtain is going down behind, almost chasing you. The picture below is called a "left-right" break because a surfer taking off right at the peak can either steer to the left or right to continue riding as the crashing curtain of waves will go left and right from the peak that has just formed. More often waves will peak only at one spot then break only in one direction. Left and rights are relative to you facing the beach, so looking from the beach, left and rights are flipped. If you have problem with this orientation, I suggest that you do not become a radiologist reading X-ray films. If you are a radiologist already and have this problem, please see me in my office right away when you get in.

To go over the waves as you paddle out, find the center point (front to back) and hold the rails at that position (that is the key) then raise your head and arch back up from the board until your arms are straight. Shift your weight more towards the front as you go over. Good people know how to kick the board forward at that point. Do not hold the front of the board unless you are duck diving (which is an advanced maneuver).

Once you master the paddling it is also important to quickly turn around your board 180 degrees. Try this while your eyes are always looking at the incoming wave. It is important and not easy, especially while maintaining a perfect paddling position and paddling like crazy to catch the wave. 

Back to paddling, remember the same paddling posture to catch the waves. Often you see a perfect padding out but completely broken paddling style with your legs wide open and your body off-centered. Watch out! A male seal will mount on you if you are paddling like that (I did not come up with this but one of my surf instructors did.) But now that I said it, you remember next time you go out, right?

Turtling

Since you are practicing on a long board, there is one challenge you will need to accept. That is going under a big break. The most essential skill you need to master getting through a big wave breaking in front  of you is to "turtle" the board. Some people call this the "Eskimo Roll." This is going to be a bit difficult to explain, but essentially do this. 

When a big wave is about to crash right in front of you, paddle towards the wave and almost right at the moment when the wave is breaking and spewing white splashes, turn the board upside down and stick the front of the board through the face pulling the front of the board down or level if you can. You are hanging on the bit front part of the rails of the board's rails with your death grip and your body is totally under water underneath the turned board. Hang on to the edges (rails) of the board very tight as you will experience a strong force. There is some chance that the board will catch the wave and you will be tumbling forward. Don't let the board go if there are people around you.   The timing is very important and I cannot exactly explain it, so try to practice this movement under relatively small sets. If you can stand on the bottom with the water at shoulder high, and a chest to shoulder high waves are breaking that will be a good spot to practice this move. Be careful of people around you, other oncoming surfers (they will be turning into your path further right or left of you so look further) as you may get deflected off, tumble and washed back out towards the beach. It is best to practice when nobody is close to you so that just in case, you can release the board (this is called Bailing out and it is an emergency only step. Around here, learn always hang on to your board.)

If you are thrown forward, you may be held down for 5-10 or so seconds. Do not panic, just hold the breath, and try to be confident and be calm that it will be over in just a few more seconds. Stay under a bit longer. Look around you, and go for the brighter side. When you come up the surface, look around first, since there may be another set going to crush right on you (unfortunately you may still be right at the break line). If another one is there, take a quick breath and dive under. 

Note also that if you are being kept smashed constantly, congratulations, you found a strong break zone this is where you want to be to take-off but not to paddle out. Return to the beach, re-check your entry point, and walk over to where it is breaking less and paddle out.

Still Ready to Duck Dive. Learn How To Push Through First.

Everyone has pretty much seen more advanced surfers diving through under the waves with an ease and getting outside quickly. However, this is a fairly advanced technique, and for most people this is going to start to happen in the second season of surfing. As I learned how to do this, I have found out that there is more important skill that needs to be mastered first, that is the "Push Through" technique. The reason I am suggesting you learn this first are the following;

•  There are a lot of similarity in Pushing Through and Duck Diving. In push-through, you do not actually go under the water but above it.
•  In Duck Diving, the timing plays a very important key in succeeding or not. Mastering push through will also teach this timing.
•  You do need to use both techniques in your surfing career. Duck diving will waste energy so if you would want to use it as the last weapon for getting out.

So how do you do it. Again, it is a bit difficult to explain but do these steps.  First in your house, practice these motions, and then on a very flat calm day while you wait for waves.

•  Gently push your upper body up in the "Cobra" position, your hand should be grabbing the rails right under your shoulder. Do it gently, otherwise the front of the board will sink.
• First, learn to put your good knee (the one with the leash) in the middle of the board right on top of the stringer. Your toe should be touching as far back of the board as possible. On a shorter board, your toe should be right at the edge of the tail.
•  Remember, if the knee and toe is not right on the center, the board will likely to flip over.
•  Lift the other leg up high gentry as the white water passes through.
•  Now your body should be like a bridge over a water and white water can flow between under your body and the board. Only 3 spots are touching the board.

Now you are ready. Try to do this on about a hip high white water. There will be plenty of those in our area.

•  Make sure that there is enough momentum so keep paddling into the white water.
•  As the white water approaches, the water should lift up a bit, adjusting to the raise of the water, gradually and gently do the push up as you set up your leg in the back.
•  As you go through the top of the wave, lift your other leg. Don't do this too hard otherwise the rear of the board will start to sink.
•  When the front of the board sticks to the other side of the wave, start sifting your weight towards the front part of the board so that you are now pushing the board down, feeling like going down to the other side of the wave, as it allow the white water to pass through.

The skill require timing and weight shifting requires lots of practice, so be patient, keep at it.

If you are being deflected, you are not going fast enough. This might take a bit of muscle building to do. In general when you see an oncoming waves, you need to paddle faster and harder so that if you are lucky you can climb it up before it breaks, and if not you have a good momentum to get through using Push Through or Duck Diving.

 Ready to Duck Dive?  (Intermediate Skills)

First, if you cannot properly Push Through the white water, read the previous section and master that skill first.

 You can see how I do it in QuickTime. Not a good example, but you get some idea!

If you are going to surf a lot in North San Mateo beach breaks, then sooner or later you'd want to learn how to "duck dive" under. You cannot do this yet as a beginner because you'd be on a floating long board, but once you can confidently catch lots of waves and also take off on an angle then you might be ready for a shorter board. A tri-fin Hybrid "fun" with a length of  7'5 range with a 19-20 inch width might be a bit too floaty but a good transition board. Styles shorter and narrower than this will make it much easier to duck but make it incredibly difficult to paddle out.  If you can borrow a short board from your friend (swap it) for a bit to see if you are ready. If you can confidently paddle on these boards then you have a enough swimming muscles to go on. If not, do not attempt it. Build your muscles and skills for 3-4 more months and try again. 

This site is pretty much right-on as for showing you how to duck dive. Please read it before you read my accounts below.

• Duck Diving Tips at http://www.wavelust.com/tips.html#duck has an animation of how it is done. Few other tips there as well.

The essence of this technique is that you sink the front and tail of the board. It is not about shooting to the bottom of the ocean. When the wave is going above you the board should be horizontal and ready to shoot upwards.

The key thing to add is that when you are ready to push the tail, you must shift your body weight to the tail of the board. You do this by shifting your butt towards the back of the board at the right timing.  That means your knee will bend and the toe will get a lot of your body weight. You ask which timing, right? You have to find this out yourself. Some people say that use the falling water to help you push it down. While it is going to look incredibly dorky, you can try the entire motion on a flat water. If you cannot do it there, forget about doing it live.

If you are being deflected then it is likely that you are not sinking the front of the board early enough. Start sinking the front of the board 3-4 seconds before the wave face arrives at your spot. Raise the front of the body with your arms grabbing a bit further forward positions high, but unlike the Push Through, you quickly raise the body to create a reaction power to get the front of the board sinked. Yes, it will take 3-4 seconds. Pros can do them in shorter times but then they got a lot of muscle and sinker boards. For you and me, we usually got more floaty hybrids, and they take that much more time and work to sink.

If you are constantly "sucked out" from the tail then congratulations you are 50% of the way there, the front sink is working but you are not pushing the tail enough or not at the right time. Work on the timing and speed. Again key here on the tail sink is not how well you force it down, but how well you shift your weight back. It really goes to say that weight shifting and timing is so important in anything to do with surfing. This timing is so difficult to master that I still do mess it up about 20% of the time. 

How can I catch the waves?

First, if you ask this question to even the most seasoned professionals, the answer is something like "You just feel it." So, no set of words have accurately been able to describe how to take off on the waves. Having said that I have gone from not being able to take off at all to being able to take off on at least 50% of the waves I have chosen (at this time, they are limited up to head-high wave faces), so I will do my best shot at it. If you think you can add to this, write to me at just.surf@culturewave.net and if that's good I will include your tips here, and also will be acknowledged.

Second, you will find that learning how to surf in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay pauses a serious disadvantage compared to Santa Cruz or So Cal. Here, you are mostly working with beach breaks and problems with them around here are that they come in fast and crash down and then dissipate quickly. Plus you don't know which direction the wave is breaking. This is mainly due to the bottom of the beach being inclined relatively steeply and also they are mostly built upon sands, which shifts a lot. If you go, for example, to Cowells Beach in Santa Cruz, where the bottom is supported by a relatively flat rock reef,  you can walk out several hundred yards and you can still touch the bottom due to its rock reef structure. Around in HMB and Pacifica, this means that you have to gain momentum quicker and/or take off faster. Good news, if you know how to surf around here, you are pretty good.

But on these junky days or conditions, there will be a plenty of whitewater stuff that you can learn how to stand on your board, and you should practice on the whitewater stuff first. Just stand on the bottom with your board pointed toward the beach, kick yourself, get on and enjoy the ride. Learn to tilt the board left and right and see how the board turns. Once you are up on the board you do the same shift of the balance to change the directions. Do this for as many times. The practice standing up until you can 90% stand on the board and get going without losing a balance. This practice will pay off, so don't be shy, keep practicing.

Once you are "out" and catching bigger waves, there are two main frustrations that can occur. One is that the wave go right under you. Another is that you can feel that at many times, you are paddling to catch the waves, your tail picks up and next thing you know, your board sticks straight down the water, then you make several tumbles as if you are inside one of the front loading washing machine operating at a full cycle. If this happens to you, try to hang on to the board, then just hold the breath, and relax for a moment for the energy to dissipate. Then find your way up to catch the breath (yes, I agree it is easier said than done!) I have panicked here many times and swallowed big gulp of water instead of air. Next time in a pool, practice swimming under the water. You may sometimes be treated to a free 8-15 ft dive to the bottom of the sea with your board pulling you down). 

Catching the timing and speed is probably one of the most difficult aspects of learning how to surf, and I am certainly from a long way of mastering this and also a correct taking off technique (so if I ever understand this I will sure to write more about it.) 

One key in a successful take off is that you are moving fast enough and be exactly at the top of the wave just when it is starting to steep up so that you can drop down into the wave face. This timing is very difficult to learn. But when done right, it feels like you are about to drop off from a lip at the top of a hill on skiing; there is enough steepness so that the gravity will pull you down fast while the wave is trying to catch you as it pushes forward. Look behind you as you paddle in, this is very important in getting the catch timing correctly.  If the waves are not steeping up at where you are going to be, quit paddling, save the energy. After that check to see if it have broken 5-6 feet in front. If it does, you are too far out. Paddle in a tad and wait for the next chance.  When your board has caught the wave, you will feel a bit like someone just pushed the board from behind you (many books say the "tail has lifted"). It is exactly at that point you must keep padding for a two more very strong strokes before standing up. Then stand up. Don't be afraid of dropping almost straight down into the face, just stand up there (very scary first)  then you and the board are dropping down together in the same gravity field without much weight on the board, then the wave and your board will hold you up just as it comes to the bottom of the wave. Note that the wave is sweeping forward while you are doing this. So by sanding up early enough, the sweeping wave is actually holding you up, though you feel like you are dropping. Good luck! Once you stand up, in a moment, you will start to feel a tremendous pressure on your sole. It is possible to lean toward one side of the board (but you got to be standing right at the center of the board), then you can start to make a sweeping turn (forehand or backhand turns). Also, at that moment of the drop down, you are nearly weightless so you can flick up on board so much easier than that time your surfing teacher asked you to do the flick up practice on the ground.  If you get there, it is a remarkable feel.   Note that you will pearl (tumble forward) many many and many times, but don't get that in your way. Try to stand up earlier and get in surf control!