How To Surf
Surfing is a great way to enjoy yourself at the beach, but precautions must be made. Steps 1 Get a surfboard and wet suit if possible by buying or even renting it. There's nothing that can turn you off surfing quicker than icy cold water or losing your bikini while you're surfing. Your first board should be a foam board; fiber glass ones can hurt people if you lose control of them. Longboards, 8 feet or more, are a must when learning.Try to get the cheapest board possible. It doesn't matter if you got it at a garage sale or it's all scratched and dented. As long as it looks usable, then you should go for it and save your money for a better board later. Good deals are usually available on used boards. 2 Go to a surf spot for beginners. Ask your local surf shop, or surfers at advanced surf breaks where beginners should surf. They will be happy to point you to an appropriate spot. As a beginner in an advanced or intermediate surf spot, you could be a danger to yourself and others. 3 Practice lying on the board on the sand. Make sure you're not next to the waves or they'll wash you down. 4 Lie belly-down on the board so that your body is lined up straight down the middle of the board. You should have a couple of inches between your feet and the back end of the board. 5 Put your board down on the sand and practice the paddling motion and getting up before you head out on the water. 6 To get up, you lie in the middle of the board, with your hands on either side of you near your chest. In one quick, explosive motion, push your body up with your arms and bring your feet to where your waist used to be. Depending on which foot comes naturally in front, you'll be either a "regular" or "goofyfoot." Regular means that your left foot is in front, goofyfoot means your right foot is. 7 You can practice standing up in your basement, in your room, in your yard, on the beach, etc. 8 When you're ready to go out in the waves, walk your board out until you're about waist- or chest-deep, then lie on your stomach on the board and paddle (using your arms the same way as when you swim freestyle) straight into the waves. Do not get going sideways even a little bit or the waves will knock you over. Stay perpendicular to the oncoming waves. 9 Turn the board (and yourself) around by paddling hard on the side that you want to turn away from. So, if you want to turn to your right, paddle hard with your left hand on your left side. Remember to keep your body straight and far back on the board. (Depending on how well you balance you could also try sitting on the board. To do this, slide yourself up from the lying position to a lower part on the board, with your feet dangling over the sides of your board. Keep your hands in front of you, smack dab in the middle of the board to keep your balance. To turn yourself, paddle your ankles/feet/calves in circles to go either way). 10 Now the waves are coming from behind you. Don't let them take you by surprise! That could be very dangerous. Turn your head and watch for them. Sitting up on your board will help you keep better track of the waves. When you see one about to break start paddling. You want to try to get the wave before it breaks, so you have time to get up on the board. 11 When you get the feel for the speed of the wave and it begins to break, go through the motions that you practiced on the sand. Crouch slowly and stand quickly. You will probably slide off, but do not be deterred. You will eventually get it. Try standing on your knees for the first few tries to get the feel for it. 12 Keep practicing. This could take anywhere from a few hours to a couple weeks to get the hang of. If you really can't get the hang of it, get some surf lessons or go to a surf camp. There's no shame in improvement or getting help. 13 It will take some time to find your center of balance for paddling and sitting, but it will come eventually. Obviously, if you're too far forward on the board, the nose, or front tip, will sink. But, if you're too far back, you can't paddle as well. Make sure that before you're even thinking of surfing, that you are proficient in swimming. FrontKick Productions, www.rebootcampretreat.com. Design YOUR personalized ReBoot Camp today! Lose fat while traveling the world. Fitness Guru Michael Andreula guarantees results! www.ckotrainer.com www.michaelandreula.com Learn How To Surf Learning how to surf can be a life changing experience. Surfers enjoy the rush of dropping into a glassy wave, flying along the wave face, more often than not in some of the most exotic and exiting places on earth. If that sounds appealing read our learn to surf guide below which will provide all of the basics you'll need to know before taking your first surf lesson or hiring your first surfboard. If you learn how to surf correctly you'll progress much more rapidly from a surf school beginner to becoming a real surfer. If you've seen our essential surf equipment guide page, you should have a good idea on which surfboard is ideal to learn to surf on and we will hopefully have given you the initial understanding on what is the right sized soft board, pop out or mal surfboard with which to take your first steps into becoming a surfer. Choose the Right SpotSurf breaks vary enormously and if you try to learn at the wrong one it can slow down the learning process no end, possibly get you hurt and label you as a nuisance to other surfers. The answer is to forget reef breaks (surf breaking over, rock, coral etc) and heavy, hollow beach breaks and pick a beach with an easy, spilling, mushy break wave in the 2-4ft range. It may not be glamorous but it will be the best place to start. Also try and find a spot with no crowds- battling with hundreds of other beginners and more experienced surfers is not the way to go. If you have a little space it will be easier to learn. PaddlingYou have your new surfboard under your arm and you've chosen a mushy, uncrowded spot for a surf, it's now time to paddle out! Paddling is an essential surfing skill so lots of practice at this will bring its rewards. Start in small waves and if possible paddle out when there is a lull in the waves. It's best to walk your board out until you are in waist deep water, then lay your body on the deck of your surfboard. On a shortboard keep your weight centred on the middle of the board and on a longboard position yourself so the nose is around 1inch out of the water. The trick is to find the optimum trim position for the board which will provide least resistance when paddling. Once you feel the board gliding through the water with ease you'll have found the ideal trim, so remember your position and stick with it. Start to paddle using a crawl stroke with your arms, using cupped hands to increase the pull. If you hit bumpy water or "chop", lift your chest slightly and lessen your weight on the board so the nose and rails don't go under. Once you have learnt to balance your right and left sides, head, and legs, paddle your board out to the lineup you're on the way! Duck DivingDuck-diving is a technique to allow you to pass under breaking waves when paddling out, rather than getting hammered by each breaking wave. Duck-diving applies to shortboards which are smaller and lighter, for longboards there are a number of techniques used to achieve the same result. To duck-dive a shortboard, try to have as much paddling speed as possible when approaching the wave. At about two feet before making contact with the white water, grab both rails (edges of the surfboard) halfway between the nose and midpoint of your board. Push all your upper body weight onto your hands and arms until you feel the nose begin to go under. Point your head down and let your body follow. Once your body is just below the surface, bend your front leg and use that knee to push the tail under the wave. Your momentum should thrust you under the quickly passing wave and only require you to be under water for a short time. As the wave passes let the flotation of your board lift you to the surface. Now you have the skill to paddle to the lineup or to the next wave and duck under it. For paddling out on a longboard there are a few ways of tackling the breaking waves: The slice and duck, Eskimo roll, push-ups and the shoot and scoot. On smaller waves the push-up technique is probably best. Just push up your chest and the wave will pass under your body and over the board. The shoot and scoot method is where you sit at the back of your board and sink the tail, grabbing the rails around the centre of the board so it raises above the oncoming wave. Don't grab the surfboard at the nose or allow the nose to raise too much as you'll flip the board. The Eskimo roll is the old school method of getting out back. It's simply a matter of grabbing the board and rolling it over so that the wave passes over the top of you. This is maybe not the most effective method as there is a chance you can get drilled by the wave and pushed further back to shore. The final method is the slice and duck which is executed by pushing down on one side of the surfboard so that it slices/sinks into the water, at the same time push down on the deck so that the board nose ducks under the water in the same way as a duck dive. Catching a WaveTo begin with, rather than paddling straight out the back into the line up, it's best to catch a few broken whitewater waves in shallower water. You should have your ideal trim/paddling position at this stage, so point your board directly towards the beach and as the whitewater approaches paddle towards shore. The wave should pick you up and push you forward which is an unmistakable feeling, however if your board pearls or nosedives you have set off positioned too far forward on the board, likewise if the wave passes under you are positioned too far back on the board. It's fun to catch and ride a few to the beach whilst still laying down to get the feeling of the wave, after that it's time to stand up which we will go onto in the next section. Once you have the hang of catching white water it's time to use those paddling skills and get out into the lineup to catch the unbroken waves which is what surfing is all about. Once in the lineup, past where the waves are breaking, sit up and straddle your board (you might want to practice the art of sitting on your board as it takes a little time to find your balance). Always face out to sea until you are ready to catch a wave. Practice swinging the nose of the board left or right so that you can easily turn around to catch an oncoming wave. Pick a wave that has not broken and be sure to sit far enough out among the sloping swells, not where the waves are standing up straight. As a wave approaches, turn the nose of your board toward the beach, lay down and begin paddling. As you feel the wave lift you and your board, paddle as hard as you can and lean your weight forward. The natural tendency is to lean back to keep the nose from going under water, but that will only slow your momentum which in not conducive to wave-catching. Lean forward but raise your chest so that your weight is just above the centre of the board. You should now be sliding down into the trough of the wave. The first phase of surfing will entail that you wait until you are in the flat water in front of the wave before you stand up. However, the ideal is to begin standing just as you feel the pull of the wave. Now you are ready to work on standing. Standing Up Standing up on a surfboard can look very easy but once you place that surfboard on a moving, pitching, surge of swirling water where you must simultaneously leap from a prone position while weighting and unweighting left, right, front, and back just to keep from diving face forward, you'll soon realise a lot of practice will be needed! The place to start to stand is on the beach. Firstly you will need to know which foot will feel most natural to you in the forward position. The left foot forward is called natural stance and the right foot forward is a goofy foot stance. The way to find out which way you swing (!) is to stand up straight, close your eyes and ask a friend to gently nudge you forward, the foot that goes out first to steady yourself is your leading foot! The motion from prone to standing is called the pop-up, which is basically a quick push up to your feet. Lie the board on the sand (watch the fins) and do a push-up, once your arms are at full extension, pull both knees toward your stomach and hop to your feet. If you practice this regularly it will help when in the water. The next step is to get out there and do it. It will be best to start in the whitewater: Step 1---Paddle for a wave and just as you feel the momentum of the surfboard flow faster than your paddling speed, you are ready to hop up. Step 2---With your hands firmly grasping each rail push up quickly. Step 3---Simultaneously, extend your arms completely and pull your knees quickly up to your chest. Be sure to keep your weight centred with just a little slant forward. Step 4---Place your feet firmly on your board, one foot near the tail and one foot just above the midpoint of the board. Step 5---Don't stand up completely erect. Keep a low centre of gravity by crouching down and focusing your weight on the midpoint of the board. Keep your arms out, your eyes looking forward and balance. Angle on a Wave Once you've mastered paddling and standing, it's time to climb to the next level of waveriding. The real aim of any surfer is to angle along on the open face of the wave parallel with the beach, getting the longest possible ride with the greatest amount of speed. You should decide which direction (right or left) you will ride as you begin paddling for an oncoming wave. Understanding and predicting wave behaviour will come with time, but how you approach your drop-in will depend on the type of wave you are riding. If you are surfing a mushy, sloping wave, then you may want to start angling to the right of left even while you paddle which is a more effective use of the wave's energy and helps you to stay ahead of the whitewater. However, on a more critical/hollow wave, a surfer must follow his/her dropline to the flat trough of the wave in order to avoid digging a rail or nose and thus falling during the drop. The technique of turning the surfboard is relatively simple. While keeping a low centre of gravity with legs bent at the knees, lightly lean your weight in the direction you choose and towards the wave face. This will push the rail into the water and create a keel effect, cutting into the water and directing the board in the direction you choose. On a longboard the principle is the same but you will need to use the rear section of your board to turn, if you lean whilst too far forward the rail will dig and its end of ride. Follow these tips and you should soon be up and riding your first wave and life will never be the same again! Enjoy. History of Surfing Index
There is evidence of the presence of surfing for over 500 years in the islands of Polynesia . The English explorer James Cook reached the islands Hawaiiin 1778 . Moreover in northern Peru , local cultures left traces that show men going up waves. The Huacos are ceramic preincaicas and one of them clearly shows a man on a tree or something similar in attitude of surfing a wave. This would indicate that it all began in South America , but it was the Polynesians in their constant trips between islands which, some centuries later, the custom of sliding lead waves to places like Hawaii. Upon contact, the indigenous cultures were suppressed and surfing boom went on to lose. James Cook was later killed by natives. In the twentieth century the surf was recovered, and the interest of tourists and U.S. military in Hawaii , and the fame of the Olympic Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku , surfing began to become popular on the coasts of California and Australia , creating a subculture germ in the environments in which they practiced, then spreading to other countries. This happened in the 50/60. Then the tables were large solid wood objects and the surf was a simple practice. Later it was becoming more difficult because of the audacity of pioneers like Oscar Rodriguez , patriarch of modern surfing big waves. There was also an evolution in the stunts and movements, while research into new designs and materials that allow other expressions tables. Currently surfing competition is primarily based on:
Variants and techniques of surfing and boardWithin the surf "table", or surf itself, there are two basic categories depending on the size and type of table :
Variant of kitesurfing in the Atlantic coast , in Mar de Ajo . There are a number of basic moves in surfing, which are:
In the image can be seen as parts of the wave the hollow , the wall , the lip breaking on the tube , and the surfer next to enter it. View inside the tube of a wave. The difficulty of the waves and maneuvers on it are evaluated in the surfing world championship .In the image of surfer Bethany Hamilton . Surfer on the beach Punta Carnero Ecuador The difficulty of the game lies in both the speed and the size and shape of the waves . The waves suitable for surfing navigated style are those evolving and developing break wall and the foam progressively towards the right or left. If the waves breaking on a rock surface and shallow will be more suitable for the practice of bodyboarding. To identify suitable conditions for surfing, using the description of various elements or parts of the wave :
The size of the waves is measured in surf culture depending on where we are:
Champions Tour ASP (since 1983) Kelly Slater , 11 time world surfing champion .
Surfing is a sport booming in Latin America, and especially in countries like Peru , Puerto Rico and Brazil , followed by Argentina , Uruguay , Venezuela , Chile , and to a lesser extent: Ecuador , Mexico , Costa Rica , Panama, etc.. Peru hosted the Second Surfing Championship ( ISF ) in 1965, which emphasized the popular beach of Punta Rocas Peruvian. This was champion Peruvian Felipe Pomar . In Peru is a popular sport, with its good waves throughout the national coastline, the main figure of the Peruvian surf is world champion Sofia Mulanovich . In Puerto Rico, is a surfer off the coast of Rincon and Aguadilla, also on the island of Culebra. The formation of waves (especially in the area of Rincón) is quite similar to the waves in Hawaii. In Venezuela, this sport is practiced mainly in the coasts of the Caribbean Sea , which are very favorable natural conditions (wide range of beaches, good waves and pleasant climate all year), especially inMargarita Island and states Vargas , Aragua and Sucre . In Argentina the surf goes from being an exclusive sport and casual to be massively practiced in the summer season, where most elected Argentine beaches for surfing are Mar del Plata , Miramar , Necocheaand Balneario El Condor , Lowering Picoto and the breakwater . Condor Spa is just 30 km from the city of Viedma, capital of black river. Picoto drop is about 2 km from the condor spa. The Breakwater is a beach located in the province of Black River , 45 km from the city of Viedma . This beach activities such as fishing and sports like surfing and bodyboarding . The size of the waves is not constant but reach more than three meters sudestada days. More than 15 years that began with surfing on these shores but never exceed twenty tables at sea, that these sports are starting to become more popular among the inhabitants of the region-Patagones Viedma, and very rare After coming surfers from other places to enjoy the waves. Mar del Plata, Miramar and Necochea are the areas that receive from storm waves from the south. The point that marks the beginning of this zone is the good waves out at sea current silver, geographic location, and one of the most exposed to the coast, at that point the breaking point east, thence south the beaches are rotated to point in nearly south Necochea. Between these two points there is about 150 km, so look for a suitable break in the wind is a journey that can be performed on the day. In winter after a sudestada waves can reach 2.5 meters face. In Chile, due to the low temperature of the sea, the surf is practiced mostly from the VIII region north and Easter Island. A good choice for surfers of central Chile is the town of Pichilemu, where the last time surfing has become a popular sport. However, the sport-growing mass in the country-is practiced mostly in the north of Chile, Arica consolidating as large venue thanks to its climate. For example the "International Championship of Surf Arica Big Ox" and WCT "Rip Curl Pro Search Arica Chile". The best months for surfing in Chile are winter, as storms are common in the south of the country, produce large waves that hit the northern coast a few days later. []Current TrendIn the XXI century the surf has greatly increased its rate of progression, and especially in the surf today is taking the extreme: air, big waves, maneuvers generally variants of surfing ( stand up paddle ), waves mutants, competitions.
How To Surf: Surf History Surf Surfista en Cayucos, California (EE.UU.). El surf es un deporte que consiste en deslizarse en una ola de pie sobre una tabla.
Se tiene constancia de la presencia del surf desde hace más de 500 años en las islas de Polinesia. El explorador inglés James Cook llegó a las islasHawái en 1778. Por otro lado en el Norte de Perú, las culturas locales dejaron trazas que muestran a hombres remontando olas. Los Huacos son cerámicas preincaicasy en uno de ellos se muestra claramente a un hombre sobre un madero o algo similar en actitud de deslizarse sobre una ola. Esto indicaría que todo comenzó en América del Sur, pero fueron los Polinesios en sus constantes travesías entre islas los que, algunos siglos más tarde, llevarían la costumbre de deslizar olas hasta lugares como Hawái. Con el contacto, las culturas autóctonas fueron reprimidas y el surf pasó a perder auge. James Cook fue luego asesinado por los nativos. En el Siglo XX el surf se recuperó, y con el interés de turistas y militares estadounidenses en Hawái, y la fama del hawaiano olímpico Duke Kahanamoku, el surf empezó a hacerse popular en las costas de California y Australia, creando el germen de una subcultura en los ambientes en que se practicaba, extendiéndose luego a otros países. Esto ocurría en los años 50 / 60. Entonces las tablas eran grandes objetos de madera maciza y el surf era una práctica sencilla. Más tarde fue volviéndose más difícil gracias a la audacia de pioneros como Óscar Rodríguez, patriarca del surf moderno de olas grandes. También hubo una evolución en las acrobacias y movimientos, al tiempo que una investigación en nuevos diseños y materiales de tablas que permitieran otras expresiones. Actualmente el surf de competición esta fundamentalmente basado en:
Variantes y técnicas del surf con tablaDentro del surf "de tabla", o surf propiamente dicho, hay dos categorías básicas dependiendo al tamaño y tipo de tabla:
Variante de kitesurfing en la costa atlántica, en Mar de Ajó. Hay una serie de movimientos básicos en el surf, que son los siguientes:
En la imagen pueden apreciarse partes de la ola como el hueco, la pared, el labio rompiendo sobre el tubo, y al surfista próximo a entrar en éste. Vista del interior del tubo de una ola. La dificultad de las olas y las maniobras sobre ella son evaluables en el campeonato del mundo de surf. En la imagen la surfista Bethany Hamilton. Surfista en la playa Punta Carnero Ecuador La dificultad de este deporte radica, tanto en la velocidad, como en el tamaño y la forma de las olas. Las olas adecuadas para ser navegadas al estilo del surf son aquellas que evolucionan y rompen desarrollando la pared y la espuma progresivamente hacia la derecha o hacia la izquierda. Si las olas rompen sobre una superficie de roca, y con poca profundidad serán más adecuadas para la práctica del bodyboard. Para identificar las condiciones adecuadas para la práctica del surf, se utiliza la descripción de diversos elementos o partes de la ola:
El tamaño de las olas en surf se mide dependiendo de la cultura donde nos encontremos:
Campeones del ASP Tour (desde 1983) Kelly Slater, 11 vecescampeón del mundo de surf.
En Perú es un deporte muy practicado, gracias a sus buenas olas en todo el litoral nacional, la principal figura del surf peruano es la campeona mundial Sofía Mulanovich. En Puerto Rico, se practica el surf en las costas de Rincón y Aguadilla, también en la isla de Culebra. La formación de las olas (especialmente en el área de Rincón) es bastante parecida a las olas en Hawái. En Venezuela, se practica este deporte sobre todo en las costas del Mar Caribe, cuyas condiciones naturales son muy favorables (gran diversidad de playas, buen oleaje y clima agradable casi todo el año), sobre todo en la Isla de Margarita y los estados Vargas, Aragua y Sucre. En Argentina el surf pasa de ser un deporte exclusivo y ocasional a ser masivamente practicado, en la temporada de verano, donde las playas argentinas más elegidas para la práctica de surf son Mar del Plata, Miramar, Necochea y el Balneario El Cóndor, Bajada de Picoto y el Espigon. Balneario El Cóndor queda a solo 30 km de la ciudad de viedma, capital de río negro. Bajada de Picoto se encuentra a unos 2 km de balneario el cóndor. El Espigón es una playa ubicada en la provincia de Río Negro, a 45 km de la ciudad de Viedma. En esta playa se realizan actividades como la pesca y deportes como el surf y elbodyboard. El tamaño de las olas no es constante pero llegan a sobrepasar los tres metros en días de sudestada. Hace más de 15 años que se comenzó con la práctica del surf en estas costas pero nunca se sobrepasan de veinte tablas en el mar, por que estos deportes están empezando a hacerse más populares entre los habitantes de la comarca Viedma-Patagones, y muy rara vez llegan surfers de otros lugares a disfrutar de las olas. Mar del Plata, Miramar y Necochea son las zonas que más olas reciben de las marejadas del sur. El punto que marca el comienzo de esta zona de buenas olas es el cabo Corriente en mar del plata, lugar geográfico, y uno de los puntos más expuestos de la costa, en ese punto las rompientes apuntan al este, desde ahí hacia el sur las playas van rotando hasta en Necochea apuntar prácticamente al Sur. Entre estos 2 puntos hay aproximadamente 150 km, por lo que buscar una rompiente con el viento adecuado es un viaje que se puede realizar en el día. En invierno luego de una sudestada las olas pueden llegar a los 2,5 metros de cara. En Chile, debido a la baja temperatura del mar, el surf se practica mayoritariamente desde la VIII región al norte, así como en Isla de Pascua. Una buena opción para los surfistas de centro de Chile es la localidad de Pichilemu, donde el último tiempo el surf se ha hecho un deporte muy popular. Sin embargo, este deporte -cada vez más masivo dentro del país- se practica mayormente en el norte de Chile, consolidando a Arica como gran sede gracias a sus condiciones climáticas. Por ejemplo el "Campeonato Internacional de Surf Arica Big Buey" y el WCT "Rip Curl Pro Search Arica Chile". Los mejores meses para la práctica del surf en Chile son los de invierno, ya que las tormentas que son frecuentes en el sur del país, producen grandes olas que azotan al norte del litoral algunos días más tarde. Tendencia actualEn el siglo XXI el surf ha aumentado mucho su ritmo de progresión, y actualmente todo en el surf se está llevando al extremo: aéreos, olas grandes, maniobras en general, variantes del surf (stand up paddle), olas mutantes, competiciones. Véase también
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