Nearly every time I’m at the beach, I’ll see a particular kind of surfer doing the hard yards….
…..I feel for them because I can sense their confusion and at times frustration.
I can see it in their eyes as they watch more experienced surfers glide across wave after wave, apparently without effort.
These people have generally started learning to surf later in life, often live away from the beach and have busy professional lives. Yet some part of them really wants to get good at surfing.
But, at this moment, they are immersed in the beginner phase and are doubting themselves, wondering if maybe they lack the necessary ‘talent’ to get to a higher level.
If you’re one of these surfers, I hope this article will help you make a break through and realise you are more ‘on track’ than you think. Hang in there!
Going it alone
There’s no escaping the fact that learning to surf requires a good amount of effort and commitment, especially if you want to transform yourself from a whitewater warrior to a competent ‘intermediate’.
In the somewhat sheltered environment of a surf lesson, you start off making steady progress, but, this is partly because your coach makes many of the critical decisions for you. They provide a suitable board and wetsuit, read the weather forecast to set the best lesson time, assess the beach upon arrival and then take you to the most suitable and safe area.
As long as the instructions are of a good quality, you can expect to stand up, enjoy some long rides and when ready, paddle further out the back to where the unbroken waves are. Your coach may even paddle out with you to provide moral support and vital advice on positioning and timing as you attempt to catch your first ‘green’ waves.
But the moment of truth and deciding factor on whether or not you will become a competent surfer happens after your surf lessons have been completed.
This phase of learning to surf involves going through the beginner level to the point where you are successfully riding unbroken waves nearly every time you surf and generally growing addicted to the whole surfing lifestyle.
Unfortunately, many would be surfers don’t make it through this phase so I thought I’d identify a few key actions that you can take to boost your progress and understand what’s to come.
Tick them off and the odds are that one day soon you will feel like a surfer. Not a newbie, but a knowledgeable surfer that can make the most of good waves at a range of surf spots in New Zealand or around the globe.
1. Understand the process of learning to surf and have realistic expectations
Anyone that’s been on the beginner’s surf course at UP Surf Coaching will know that I outline the process of becoming a surfer on day one. I do this because many beginners do things that slow their progress or they have unrealistic expectations that lead to an unnecessary feeling of failure.
A key thing to keep in mind is that when you first attempt surfing out the back as opposed to in the shore-break, your wave count will go right down and that is OK, it’s normal. Don’t be discouraged.
In the whitewater you can expect to catch around 50 waves within one session and that is why the whitewater is the best place to perfect your pop up technique and stance initially. But once out the back hunting your first green waves without a coach to help you position yourself, you may only catch 1 or 2 waves in a session.
Many beginners seem to feel bad about that, especially if they see other surfers catching plenty of waves. But if you’ve increased your paddle fitness, been observant and learnt about where the waves break and enjoyed even one nice ride, I’d call that a very successful surf for a novice.
So, the process for learning to surf goes like this:
- start in the whitewater and don’t leave it until your pop up and stance are rock solid
- start catching small green wave ‘reforms’ in the shorebreak, or out the back if the swell is tiny, learn to surf across them using your rails
- learn how to read a surf forecast and get clear on the best types of waves for beginners and how to predict when they will happen and where
- learn how to read a surf spot, where the waves break, where they don’t and where to paddle out, plus learn the techniques used to paddle out efficiently
- paddle out the back and start catching slightly bigger green waves – be very observant and work on positioning, try to catch waves as early as possible so they aren’t too steep
- stick at it and you will soon improve your fitness, your wave count will increase steadily, as will your actual wave-riding skills – and from here on in it’s a lot more fun
2. Learn how to find the right kind of waves for you
There is no point just driving out to the beach to see how the waves are. No good surfers do that, they always know what the weather is doing. Also, just going along when your experienced surfer friends think it’s good, is a very bad idea.
You need to go when the waves are good for your level.
So firstly, you need to know what type of waves are good for learning to surf (as detailed here), then you need to learn how to predict when they will occur. Any free surf forecasting website will allow you to do this for your local surf spots. If you need more info on the spots in your area, get this awesome guidebook to surfing in New Zealand. It has them all, even a few secrets they probably shouldn’t have given away!
If you regularly surf the right kind of waves and slowly increase the level of challenge, you will progress much faster than if you jump in the deep end in big, steep, fast or messy waves. All they will teach you is fear, frustration and bad technique.
3. Keep the momentum going
Quite a few surfers that I’ve coached have a story something like this:
I had my first lesson 8 years ago, then I tried myself a few times but I didn’t catch many waves, then I had another lesson 3 years ago on the Gold Coast and one last year in Bali that I really enjoyed, but each time it takes me a while to get back into it.
Well, if you really want to break through to the next level of surfing, you need to keep at it steadily and give yourself a real chance. At an absolute minimum, I would suggest surfing once a fortnight at the beginning level. You could do less but you run the risk of just getting back to where you started the previous session.
The main reasons you need to surf this regularly are:
- to build and maintain the paddling fitness required (very different to running/gym fitness)
- to spend enough time in the ocean that you can start to make sense of the ever changing wave conditions and the many different surf spots with their different personalities
4. Get your own surfboard and a decent wetsuit
This is quite a defining moment and it shows you are 100% committed to learning to surf well. It probably should come before the above section because realistically, if you don’t have your own gear you are never going to get in the water enough to progress.
Finding a beginner surfboard
You don’t need to spend a lot on your first board as you might outgrow it within 6 months if you surf a lot. Secondhand surfboards for beginners can be best found on Trade me, and if you keep an eye out you should be able to find something in good condition for around the $400 mark.
If that is a stretch for your budget, keep in mind that beginner surfboards hold their value well. As long as you look after them you can often get around the same price when you sell.
Make sure you get a board that suits you. It’s better to get something too big than too small. The construction doesn’t matter too much, it could be fibreglass (like most boards), epoxy or moulded plastic, but I would steer clear of foam boards except for the top of the range models.
The cheaper foam boards flex too much and often have fins that are too small. They will hold your surfing back.
It’s important to get a shape that is suitable for novice surfers. This is why I often tell people to keep an eye out for the brands NSP and TORQ. They aren’t perfect but they put out the kind of shapes you want when starting out.
They come up quite often on Trade me so setup some alerts on “nsp” and “torq” or “beginner surfboard” and you’ll get an email once something comes up for sale.
Finding a wetsuit
In New Zealand these are a must, all year round.
On average, I would say surfers stay out for 1.5 – 2 hours per session, and to progress you’ll need to put in the time too.
To build the momentum we talked about above, you want to be getting out there during the winter. The alternative is to be a ‘summer surfer’, but each year you’ll have to learn to surf from scratch again and re-develop the skills that have lapsed over the winter months.
Realistically, 6 months of the year you will want to be in a 4/3mm thick wetsuit so that the cold isn’t even an issue. Yes, 3/2mm suits are cheaper but you will feel it come July and August. It also pays to make sure it’s sealed and isn’t the bottom of the range model.
Spend around $350, look after it and you’ll get 2 or possibly 3 seasons of warmth.
5. Go on a surf trip to a world class beginner spot
You’ve probably heard of some of the world class surf spots like Pipeline in Hawaii, Teahupo’o in Tahiti, Uluwatu in Bali, or J-Bay in South Africa.
What you may not realise is that there are also world class beginner spots around the globe too. They make learning to surf easier and even more enjoyable.
So what makes a world class beginner surf spot? Here’s my definition:
- A spot that has an easy paddle out due to a channel. This means you don’t need to waste energy punching through endless whitewater waves to get out to where the green waves break. You simply paddle around the side. These type of spots are often reef breaks (don’t let that put you off, they can be 100% safe).
- A defined peak that is easy to read and breaks well both ways. You can then spot the waves coming easily and be in the right place every time. You have the option to go left or right and develop skill evenly on your forehand and backhand.
- A wave that spills rather than throws. This gives you more time to get to your feet and work on turning. It’s kind of like a slower motion wave.
- A wave that is long. Some spots you only have time to get up before the wave shuts down and you’re back in the whitewater. But a world class spot keeps peeling forever and allows you to practice linking toe-side and heel-side turns…it’s much more fun.
- A spot that is extremely consistent at a particular time of year i.e. glassy conditions and the perfect size swell day after day. You can then get familiar with the spot, build your confidence and get the repetition you need to enhance your skills.
The benefit of visiting such a place, beyond the obvious stoke and good time factor, is that you will build skills that you can then use once back home. Yes, your local spot may not be as user friendly, but you might find it now seems easier than before your trip. Your wave reading may have improved, likewise your pop-up technique.
A few weeks per year in a place like this can be a great way to catch up if your usual routine has only limited surf time. You could fit in 5 hours of water time per day – multiply that over a week and you will be making serious headway to the Intermediate level, where the reward/effort ratio is much more favourable.
See you out the back
Keep at it, surf smarter not harder and you will graduate from the shore-break to the line-up.
If any questions or doubts come up, flick me an email and I’ll be happy to offer advice.
Good Luck!
By the way, I’ve started running group surf trips to some of those world class beginner spots in Indonesia and also in New Zealand
You can view details of all the trips here
Just what I needed to hear man, thank you! I am slap bang in the middle of utter frustration as I seem to be taking one step forward and two steps back each time.
Like you say in your piece, there are others out there who just seem to catch a wave every 5 mins like clockwork and still manage to paddle back past me to the where the best spot is like they had a fu**ing propeller under their board! Ha ha.
Just keep at it Jon and try not to compare yourself – those people catching all the waves may have surfed thousands more times than you! The more you’re out there, the better you’ll get at positioning yourself, there is no magic to it, they’re just being observant and probably have good paddle fitness
Thanks for this, I’m at the crazy in-between stage can catch a small green wave but dipping my toes in a bigger wave has knocked me back a little. So thanks for this advice. Going to stick with it though.
All good, yeah start with the small ones and ease into it! The shape of the wave plays a big part as well as the size, a gradual incline beach rather than a steep one will give you more time to get up and make the drop, enjoy
Thanks man, I’m sticking with it through thick and thin! No surrender, no retreat.
Just started been two months ,but I have about a solid week and roughly 20hours in. I go with a friend who more experienced than I. He tells me to go out further in to begin.I keep telling him I think I should catch whitewater.I am extremely unstable I can barely pop-up.When I get the chance to even begin to kneel up the wave is already gone.But going to keep at it. I will be a surfer.
Hey Omar, yeah surfing friends will often take you straight out the back but it’s worth getting the basics right in the whitewater (as long as you’re board is big enough as shortboards and thin longboards aren’t designed to work on whitewaters). I recommend you get clear on your pop up technique on land as that really helps. Enjoy
so nice! this is the information I’ve been looking for for a while! so helpful, and encouraging, thank you!
Hi. I just read the article on the right time. I am a bit frustrated due to starting over again each time I get some ocean time. I don‘t live close to the ocean so my only time is holidays to improve. I would like to know if you can name some world class beginner spots. I have in mind old‘s man in Bali? Or maybe you also know some spots in Europe or Marokko to go to? Thanks in advance and really appreciate the article!
Thank you for this! This is exactly the explanation and encouragement I needed! Having a total “maybe its not for me” moment, now ill go outand keep pushing!
Great article! Surfing has always been a sport I wanted to do well. I failed miserably every time I tried. Coming from a competitive extreme sports background, it was very frustrating! Two years ago, I took a lesson with a brilliant coach…and I have been all in dedicated since. As a 40 yr old Mom…I didn’t have the shoulder strength from back in the day waterskiing/wakeboarding. Realizing that I would never be able to surf if I couldn’t paddle…I started hitting the pool every night! But swimming is not the same as paddling…so I got a small foamie board and use the swim bungy to latch it to the side of the pool…and paddle for 30-45 minutes. Bottom line: Surfing is the most difficult sport I’ve tried…and I am still fighting to move beyond “novice.” Thank you for taking the time to write this article and for the encouragement!
Yeah I agree, it’s the most difficult sport I’ve tried too, but at least it’s fun no matter what level you’re at! And in my job I’ve met plenty of late starters….in 40s and 50s that have got themselves to a pretty good level, it just takes some dedication
There is so much good information in here all around. All aspects covered. This answers sooo many questions. Awesome article. Thank you.
The right article at the right time, just starting to lose self-confidence. So many needed info, thank you so much-:)))
No worries! Everyone has to put in the effort to progress, keep at it and enjoy just being in the water, the rest is a bonus!
Hi!
Great article. What about beginner boards for children? My son is 8 years old and is taking whitewash perfectly on a 7′ foam board. What should I get him if he wants to go to the next level and catch green waves?
How do you know when they should start using a short board?
Cheers Eli! Good question…when he’s starting out in the green waves the foam board will still be fine for a while. I often surf them and you can still turn them easily. It’s also better to learn turning on a bigger board as it forces you to use correct technique, otherwise the thing won’t move. Once he can pop up (before the wave breaks) and surf across green waves regularly and turn with control, that would be a good time to get a shortboard, just don’t get anything too short and narrow at first
Thanks so much for this. I have found most surf instruction frustrating because I consider things in the article basic concepts and they are never taught, even in “intermediate” level lessons. As a seasoned athlete (skiier, equestrian and rower), I don’t want to pay for a “feel good” lesson; I want to learn something. I’ll def be paddling out for more, and hopefully improve!
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Great article. I have surfing on-off for 10 years (currently 40 years old) and live in a country with no waves, so surfing has been limited to holidays. And the frustration is exactly what i am going through for some years. Currently in Japan and had 6 sessions of which of 3 really bad, 3 good. All came to the conditions ( choppy, too big swell) and / or too small board selection.
This article gave much more motivation going forward and for tomorrows session!
Still riding the green wave is one of tye best feelings in a world!!!
Thanks for the feedback, motivates me to add some new articles! Have fun surfing in Japan, I lived and surfed in the south for a few years, amazing waves and coastline.
This is SO helpful, encouraging, practical, all of it. Thank you!
Thanks for the comment Tara, hope you’ve been getting some waves in.
Hey mate, great article! Reading this from Tofino BC, Canada and it really hits home for a mountain/ 2 surf trips a year kinda guy like myself.
Glad you found it useful Gavin, let me know if you come down our way!
Hi, I’m from London, UK currently in Durban, South Africa purely to learn to catch green waves. It looks so easy and the waves are great… for other people and today just drinking a beer I’m thinking what the hell am I doing. So it was so great to read that I’m not alone and I look forward to trying again tomorrow!
Yeah it always takes a while to get the green waves sorted, try not to compare yourself to others that make it look easy, they would have put in the hours to get to where they are now!
Fantastic article, thanks for the encouragement. Wish id have read this three years ago. Ive felt like giving up s few times (started at 41 not 44 and a half). There has neen progress but not enough but i have had too many gaps in the surfing. Tske on board everything you have said. Its a massive help and i want to lnow about those beginner durf camps please.
Good to hear Mathew, just keep an eye on my website or sign up to the newsletter and you’ll be updated about the 2020 trips as soon as I set the dates. Cheers
I have been learning to surf for around three years now. I live away from the beach, started later in life and somedays get beyond frustration. Im still in the white water, i have caught a few green waves but they scare the sh#t out of me, and i freeze instead of popping up :(. I now go out the back and wait for the big wave that every now and then breaks out past where the good surfers are and i catch them into shore. Its good for confidence and is another intermediate step towards the green waves.
BTW, after reading hundreds of surfing articles, this is as good as any article i have read for beginner surfers. It puts what we are going through into perspective. Someone should invent something that helps city based people how to learn to surf on land. a winch that pulls your surfboard along the ground so you can get used to popping up while the board is moving.
Thanks for this article, i just keep on reading it 🙂
Hey Angus, thanks for the feedback, if you’re freezing because of fear you can always try some easier/smaller days or find some mellower spots. I always tell beginners that they will improve much faster if they understand what wave types to look for and then get good at reading the surf forecasts so they can find those kind of conditions, aka fat, spilling or soft waves:
As for the pop up machine, something that helps a lot is putting an old board on the carpet with a yoga matt/foam roller under the fins to simulate the downward motion of a takeoff, then practice and always make sure you decide whether you are going right or left before you do, because the movement is different each way. The board won’t be moving but it still helps build the “muscle memory”
Love reading this
I live in Gisborne New Zealand and we have great surf spots for beginners
I’m a 52 year old beginner never surfed before but love it I’ve been surfing for a month and surfing has bought my fitness to another level and I love It . It’s still autumn at the moment and the water is getting colder. I put at least 2 hours a day and today for the first time 2 hours later I tried a couple of green waves and managed to ride one.
I’m going to continue to ride white water tho for now
I Still need more practice on technique and board control
Baby steps but loving it
I’m buying a thicker wetsuit tho the water is getting alot colder but
Yep so thanks for the that I know good things take time and commitment and all efforts will pay off
Hey Fee good to hear you’re so keen. Yeah I love surfing down in Gizzy too, awesome place to learn and improve. Keep it up!
I needed this article.
Hey just wondering how to figure out when is the best time of year to go to a world class beginner spot.
Thanks for the advice.
D-man, the best time of year will vary from one location to the next so you’ll just have to do some research by looking at surf spot websites or guide books. For example, most of Indonesia has a season from April – Sept when they get consistent swells and favourable wind directions nearly every day. Magic Seaweed has pretty good info for most regions.
Thanks so much! I needed to hear this. I’ve only surfed for the first time last year and twice altogether, but was quite disheartened with myself not being able to even pop up at first.
Coming back to my mundane 9-5 life, I’m sat here with more determination and motivation than ever before. I cannot get it out of my head for starters.
I have decided to study more about the waters and go out surfing as regularly as I can manage.
Fall down seven times, stand up eight …
Yeah no need to be disheartened at all, like anything surfing can look easy when you watch others but you have got to realise those people you’re watching have often put in thousands of hours. In 2 surfs if you’ve even managed to catch a wave that is fine, if you’ve stood up it’s a bonus. Keep at it, have fun and enjoy the learning process
Just what I needed to read after yet another frustrating day here in San Diego. My background is 20+ years of windsurfing in San Francisco and having moved recently to San Diego, I’ve had to give that up due to the lack of reasonable winds (SF spoiled me). And for me I *need* a water sport. Hence trying surfing. But at age 54, it has been completely frustrating. And having been used to windsurfing at blazing speed under the Golden Gate Bridge, it has been an utterly humbling experience. So my patience for learning is even shorter than I suspect most other adult newbies. But I think if I heed your words above, I may just get this someday. Just wish there was someone up here who showed the same kind of knowledge and empathy you clearly do for us middle age folks.
How do you know when to change boards to a smaller board? My wife, who surfs better than me thinks I tried to transition to a short board too early. I can catch unbroken waves, but San Diego waves are kind of terrible and close out quickly. I always seem to be behind the whitewash and am getting frustrated my progression seemed to have halted. Did I make a mistake and go too quickly to a short board?
Hey Michael, it’s pretty hard to answer questions like this without seeing you surf but in general most people go to a small board to soon. I think it’s best to stay on a big board (as in plenty of volume vs your body size) until you have developed a smooth pop-up, good stance and the ability to consistently surf across unbroken rights and lefts as well as performing cutbacks and rail to rail turns. And also in a range of conditions. If someones pop-up is awkward or they bog rails during turns etc on a big board, all that will get worse on the smaller board and bad technique or style will be the result. So if you have any of those issues, try going back to the bigger board. The only real limitations with them are once the waves get really hollow or when you are starting to go for more advanced turns and carves in the pocket. And obviously they are harder to duckdive too! be wary of surfboard marketing hype!
Amazing article!!! Have you written a list of the world’s top beginner spots? Any suggestions? Thank you 🙂
Some things are best kept secret. f you do some online searching you’ll find them!!
Great article mate! Really motivating. Thanks for that. Cheers!
Was landlocked for years with very sporadic surf attempts (although super stoked) and just moved to Jacksonville Beach, FL. at 38. Finally close to a beach!!! I have a 8’6” minimal and a 8′ softie, not to mention an 11 year old son that can pop up in his sleep. The timing, and remembering to look where I want to go when popping up rather than at my board, has been a struggle but time to get dedicated, stoke level, super high!!!
Hey Josh, good to hear, so much better once you’re living by the waves. Yeah look where you want to go, paddle until the nose starts heading down the wave face and lean on the rail and you’ll be away!
I’m so glad I’ve just read this article, thank you. I’m the guy you have described, I’m 53, live an hour from the beach, have a demanding career, wife, house, kids etc and to add to that I’m currently battling cancer and ultrasounds have just told me I have arthritis in my ankles, knees, hips, lower back, shoulders, neck and sternum. But I’m determined to get past this very early beginner stage and am loving my time in the water. I think I’m officially the world’s slowest learner (and worst surfer) and am still struggling to pop up in the white water, but I’ll be out the back paddling for those waves one day. To me it’s all about the journey.
hey BigD, thanks for that message, hope your journey is going well!
Epic bro just what I need to teach my bro
Sweet, good to hear bro
Awesome – great timing! I had my first lessons recently, got my board and went back again last weekend but didn’t get out. It got really busy and I didn’t have the confidence.
This article was perfect and I’m definitely getting out this weekend!
Glad it helped Claire, just get on to forecasting and you’ll be able to pick the easy days to get out back. It gets easier and easier
I am a boogie boarder who loves to ride the white water. I just got a wetsuit, I live in Los Angeles, and COVID has made me take to the beach at least once a week. Can I rent a beginners surf board and learn by riding the white water? Can’t I just ride the foam for the rest of my life, lol?
Hi Beth, yeah you can rent a board and learn in the whitewater or ride that forever! The unbroken waves are way more fun though so it’s worth giving them a go when it’s tiny
What’s the best way to practice your paddle fitness when you’re away from the beach? For example, I have access to a pool. Are there any exercises that prove to be particularly helpful in building my strength before I hit the waves aside from actually just going out there?
Also, just for fun do you know of any good books to read about surfing ♀️?
I’m no expert on swim training Sarah, but if I was away from the ocean and wanted to keep my paddling fitness up by swimming I’d probably alternate long distances with shorter sprints because every surf session involves both. In an average surf here I probably paddle a few kilometres and if I get caught inside I might be sprint paddling for a minute with duckdives every 15 seconds which is basically like a bench press. So swimming a couple of kms slow and steady, throwing in a sprint lap every 5 laps or so might be a good plan.
I don’t read many surf books but Barbarian Days is a good one I read lately.
Such a good article. I started in 2019 in Fuerteventura, caught many whitewaters in 1 week. Second Trip to france, without Surf school, Zero waves and injury caused by paddling against the current Like an Idiot.
Third Trip to Portugal. 1 week in a school, catched my First Green, second week alone at Ariffana Beach, catched many greens.
Then I Changed to my First hardtop, a fish 5.8 with 35 Liter. Going to spain, nearly No catched waves. Now in France, catched 1, and even 3 days to Go.
So its a hard way to Go. I’m 35 and living in Germany. But never give Up. 😀
Definitely have to Work on my Paddle Fitness Back Home.
But Surfing catched my Soul, so we will go to Portugal next year for 6 month with our Kids and hopefully will come Back as “intermediate” Surfers.
Good article. Good Motivation. Thx
Hey Tobi, yeah that’s how it often goes, the conditions are different everywhere you go and day to day, so sometimes you go well, other times not so much! 5’8 is a pretty short board too so if it continues to be difficult to get waves then try something longer. It doesn’t matter how much volume you have, it could be 60 litres and the shortness will still mean it won’t paddle as easily as a longer board. All the best, you’ll progress heaps in Portugal!