Learning how to surf can be both a daunting and an addicting goal. There are so many elements that go into a successful ride and to have a 100% success rate just isn’t possible, but we wanted to share our list of the top 10 mistakes to avoid to improve your chances of a successful ride and for a good time while surfing.

1. Grabbing the surfboards rails during a pop up.

This is a common mistake in surfing. When paddling out through the surf it is crucial to grab your rails as you paddle through white water and waves otherwise you will slide off your board. However, once a surfer makes it into the line up it is important to remember that we want to avoid grabbing our rails. The act of grabbing your surfboard’s rails during a pop up is physically and mentally disadvantageous to you. Physically, it is an uncomfortable way to start your pop up and isn’t the strongest position to be in. This puts a lot of strain on your wrists and the risk of having a hand slip of the rail is much greater. Mentally, the act of grabbing the rails can lead to folks not wanting to let go. This could mean hesitation when preforming a pop up which ruins the correct timing or can lead to people simply never even attempting to get to their feet. When preforming a pop up it is crucial that you plant your hands flat on the board and attempt your pop up from a place of strength and stability.

2. Looking down at your feet while on a wave.

Surfing is mesmerizing. Which is especially true for when you first start out. It is very common for beginner to even intermediate surfers to have great wave choice, great timing catching the wave, and a good pop up; to only fall because they are staring at their feet. It is so tempting to do. You want to check the positioning of your feet, but we want to avoid this at all costs. We want to look forward or even possibly down the line. Wherever you look is where you are going to go on the wave. So if you’re looking down…

3. Applying too much pressure to the tail with your back foot.

This is another common mistake and one that is understandable. What is the worst feeling as a surfer? Nose diving or pearling! My stomach sinks just thinking about it. What tends to happen is beginner surfers have a few nose dives due to poor wave choice or timing paddling for the wave and so when they finally pick the correct wave they pop up and apply way too much pressure to their back foot. This is the equivalent of stepping on the brakes and they lose the wave. This over correction due to fear of nose diving will lead to short rides. We want our students to be in the habit of having 60% of their weight on their front foot. Commit to your drop in and wave and ensure maximum speed by stepping on the accelerator aka your front foot. 

4. Riding too small of a surfboard.

This is a pretty obvious one, but we see it way too often. First time surfers often buy or rent board that are way too small for them. Volume is your friend. Get a big bulky longboard so you can catch plenty of waves and have a stable platform to learn on. Avoid shortboards at all costs!

5. Not bending your knees!

A simple yet crucial part of wave riding. All too often people do all the hard work to successfully catch and ride a wave only to keel over on to their back because they’re standing straight up. Keep your center of gravity nice and low for your whole ride. Don’t get too casual. Bending the knees will be the difference between a one second ride and a ten second ride. Stay low!

6. Not wearing sunscreen.

Seems a little silly, but we’ve seen people not able to surf for a second day because they got way too sunburnt on their first day. The reflection off the water can make the sun deadly. Invest in some good zinc based sunscreen so you can spend more time surfing!

7. Getting in over your head.

You will be far more successful in the beginning part of your surf journey in appropriate waves. There’s nothing wrong with small waves, in fact they are much better suited for learning and getting repetition. Avoid the hype of big swells or feeling the need to be at the best spot on the beach.

8. Leaving surfboards wax up in the sun.

Although surfboards don’t technically get sunburnt, leaving a board with the wax facing up in the sun is a recipe for a gooey disaster. Your wax is very sensitive to heat so be careful leaving it in the car or in the sun. The wax will melt and create a mess and even if you cool it in the water that wax is most likely ruined and will flake off. Try to keep your equipment in the shade.

9. Not using your legs.

It can be common to see someone paddling in 5 inches of water. It’s a great way to waste all your energy. Use the sandbars and your legs to your advantage. Walk your board out until you are about waist deep and then wait for a good window to jump on your surfboard and paddle the remaining distance out. Paddling is a killer. You want to practice it and build stamina, but you should be doing that catching waves and not paddling when you could easily be walking. 

10. Not having fun.

Yes, a pretty cheesy 10th mistake, but it’s true. Surfing is supposed to be a fun activity. Don’t take surfing or yourself too seriously. Go have fun, try to improve each session, and make some friends. Don’t be discouraged if you have some bad sessions with no waves caught. It happens, try to bounce back and remember it only takes one good ride to make it all worth it. 

Bonus: Not getting in the water. When have you ever gotten in the ocean and regretted it? Don’t be the people nitpicking conditions. Just go for it! If you enjoyed this bonus tip be sure to read our full post on the matter

Hopefully some of this info is useful to you. A few corny ones in there and maybe a few seemingly obvious and simple ones as well. If you’re able to master the simple ones, your surfing will drastically improve. Have fun out there!