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I've never surfed on a board before. I've boogie boarded in a river, surfed lots in a kayak on the river and a bit in the ocean, stake boarded, snowboarded.... So, how hard is this going to be to learn? Am I going to suck really bad or will I have some fun? I'm going to be in Sayulita in the first 2 weeks of November and I have no idea how big the waves will be. I've heard there is a long board left break and a short board right break. Anyone been there? Any first time surfer jong tips?
You'll suck and have fun. Nothing you have done will prepare you for everything that precedes riding the wave. In many ways, riding the wave is the easy part while getting to you feet is the hard part while learning.
Try a longboard first.
Learning to surf is a bit like learning to ski as it takes a while (years) to develop style and technique. It's easy to actually boogie board waves the first time you go out and actually get tubed, an alternative if the surf is really good and you want to rip a little. You'll be a kook for a while, but everyone goes through that stage, I remember when Billy Hamilton moved to Kauai and I used to see him with Laird when he was only six at this place called Wai Koko's teaching him how to stand up on a board. Everybody goes through the trials of learning.
Da reef starts hea and goes all da way dere.
When da wave breaks hea, don't be dere or you gonna get DRILLED
yup, you'll suck and you'll have fun. i've done plenty of sports and I swear surfing has the toughest learning curve of them all (but i love it).
most folks, with a large enough longboard, can stand in the whitewater by the first day. get the largest board you can find.
if you're lucky you might catch a green wave or two by the end of your trip, but don't count on it....theres a lot to learn between the first time you stand up in the whitewater and the first time you successfully catch a breaking wave on the outside.
if you have the opportunity to get to a swimming pool before your trip...go! you're arms will get worked like you won't believe, so getting them conditioned for all the paddling you're gonna do will help ya have some endurance on your trip.
three bits of advice....
when you see a surfer on a breaking wave, and you're on the inside (closer to shore) you need to move towards where the wave is breaking (the whitewater)...the fella surfing the wave will be expecting you to get the hell out of their way, and getting you and your board over to the soup and away from the clean face of the wave is the proper thing to do.
don't let go of your board....a 9' board on a 9' leash that is getting pulled towards shore by a wave means that anyone within twenty feet behind ya could get nailed by your board should you let it go....hang on to it, unless you're absolutely certain no one could get hit.
finally...when you're ready to try paddling for a green wave. if you're not catching it and the nose of your board is way up in the air like the horn on a narwhal whale, you're too far back on the board and you'll never catch the wave. keep moving further and further up on the board until when you're paddling for the wave the nose of your board gets buried and you 'pearl'...going into the washing machine off the front end of your board. you wanna be lying on the sweet spot of your board, just far enough forward that as the wave approaches it is lifting and pushing the tail of your board into the wave, but don't be so far forward that you sink the nose.
have fun!
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Bud is right on the mark. You will suck. You will be humbled. At times you will be intimidated. No other sport you have done will carry over to help you. The learning curve is lengthly. But it will be fun and you will become addicted. At some point things will work out and you will be in the right place, you'll pop up right in the pocket and shred. You will remember that wave for a long time.
Sayulita has everything a newb surfer needs. Left, right and beach break. It can be crowded with other newbs and kids playing and all manner of chaos but it is not as bad as some spots and on the days you will be psyched to surf you will mostly just be bumping into other people like yourself. I am not very good at all and I had a great time last winter in Sayulita and will be back in December.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beaver
On days when the waves are good the place is populated by a bunch of Mexican groms who rip and you will struggle to get waves.
Props for giving it a go, and pay no attention the peeps that think they rip. Unless you're a super exception, must learn the ocean/surf at a very young age. Nonetheless, admirable, and have a blast and if possible, check out the break before you paddle out and avoid any type of crowd. How old are you, if you don't mind?
when you see a surfer on a breaking wave, and you're on the inside (closer to shore) you need to move towards where the wave is breaking (the whitewater)...the fella surfing the wave will be expecting you to get the hell out of their way, and getting you and your board over to the soup and away from the clean face of the wave is the proper thing to do.