How To Surf

Surf Fitness to the Core

The history of surfing dates back to several thousands of years, although its beginnings remain unclear until today. The Ancient Polynesians have been found to have indulged in this exciting sport, although it was more of an art form and a cultural activity that helped settle disputes among neighbouring tribes, and was also a deciding factor as to who remained the fittest to rule their tribe.

Today, surfing has become a leading tourism industry especially in Gold Coast, Australia. The major events are well advertised and have ignited enthusiasm internationally from all corners of the world, where before it was limited only to Hawaii and California in North America and down in Australia. Now, more and more surfing destinations have been discovered that have helped catapult this less known water sport into a major event the whole year round.

And because the surfing industry has already been professionalized, gone are the days when the sport was relegated to beach bums or beachcombers only. Professional surfers include a strict regimen of exercises and the champions even go to lengths of bringing along their fitness instructors during tournaments leaving no stones unturned when it comes to surf fitness.

One of the most important strength building that a surfer must develop outside of legs and arms is the core balance. The core muscles include the mid-back, lower back, abdomen, hips and buttocks. If these muscles are well toned, a surfer can be assured of a strong posture and body alignment regardless of the many twists and turns of the body and he or she becomes less prone to injury. So if you’re heading to Gold Coast, learn to surf by being fit to the core.

Surf Coaching in Gold Coast Offers You the Best

What is so unique about Australia is that it pushes its citizens to engage in one or more outdoor activities, that is why their athletes often excel in almost all types of sports especially during international competitions. An example of this is the active participation of the Queensland Government Department of Communities (QGDC) that gives all out support to get their citizens actively involved in sport and recreation. In the city of Gold Coast which is situated in the southern part of Queensland, the exciting sport of surfing is a major tourism industry in that area.

It is not surprising that the number one ranking for both men and women in the field of international surfing professionals are currently held by Australians, Taj Burrow and Stephanie Gilmore respectively. And because surfing is a serious business in this continent down under, it offers the best in surf coaching as well. Not only will you learn the rudiments of becoming a surfing pro, you will be coached on the importance of adhering to the surfing safety rules.

Gold Coast is the home of the Association of Surfing Professionals where the annual ASP World Title qualifiers are held annually before the world tour moves outside of home. You can be assured that Gold Coast surf coaches maintain the highest standard in their methods of teaching. Most if not all of the coaches are professional surfers and may have been winners in national and international surfing competitions. That is why if you want to be the best in the field, learn from the best surfing experts themselves.

Learning the Basics of How to Surf on the Beaches of Gold Coast

Surfing can look easy and a lot of fun. The fun part is absolutely true but is it easy? Definitely not! Some kids who live near surfing locations may learn the sport naturally and informally, but there is nothing like learning the rudiments and the abc’s through formal training before confronting those rolling waves and surf breaks. Safety rules are often neglected when you don’t have the proper training and this is often the cause of surfing accidents.

Learning how to surf can’t be any better than in the beaches of Gold Coast. There are several Gold Coast surf schools along its famous coastlines, managed and serviced by highly qualified surf instructors. And because surfing is a way of life in this part of Australia, providing income to the city through its surfing tourism, they put a premium to safety rules and services.

The surfing beaches in the Gold Coast are one of the best in the world where you can learn as a beginner and graduate to become an accomplished surfer yourself. They have beaches that have good sand banks that slow down an otherwise strong sweep of waves that makes it ideal for beginners. Then as you improve and move a few levels up, you can begin to conquer the famous point breaks that Gold Coast surfing beaches are known for.

It is also important to learn some surfing lingo such as kook which means a beginner or somebody who is not a good surfer (yet) so you will easily understand the instructions given you when learning how to surf.

Learn to Surf as a Starter

Have you always wanted to be a surfer? Check out the Gold Coast surfing lessons if things are not quite falling into place. First and foremost, you need to assess your prowess as a swimmer and how much distance you can cover. Don’t go for the surfboard if you had paddled around the sea with rubber rings. Every sport involves a certain amount of risk and you should be willing to take it if you want to excel at the Gold Coast surf lessons. With the sea being more unpredictable than the tennis court or football ground, it helps to remember always that you have to be a competent surfer.

Don’t paddle out at the Gold Coast surfing lessons more than what you can handle with your surfboard. Your leg rope could break any time and you might just have a great time by paddling back to the beach for a long swim. If you want tips as a beginner, it is best to enroll with the Gold Coast surf schools where the primary requirement is to be physically fit. A good surfer does paddling, riding and carving effortlessly, although the reality is that all of it requires a huge amount of effort, for which you need physical fitness.

A key element stressed in the Gold Coast surfing lessons is safety. Never surf alone. After all, something may go wrong even on the occasion of the smallest wave. Hence, you should always have someone to help you out in case there’s trouble.

How To Surfing – Fitness and Confidence

Two of the most important aspects to surfing are your confidence in the water and your surfing fitness. If you are confident, you will throw yourself at the waves, getting into everything that you want to. If you are fit, you will paddle easily, fast and without fatigue. Conversely, if you lose your confidence, you will sit back, hesitate and in the surf, this will cause what you are avoiding – the wipe-out. If you have lost your water fitness too, you will struggle. Paddling past the breakers will be difficult, as will be paddling into the waves.

Fitness and confidence go hand in hand. If you are fit, you know you are strong enough to paddle past and back into waves. When you are fit, you know you will survive even the worst wipe-out, so you do not fear them. When you are fit, you know you can swim back to shore if your legrope snaps. All this builds confidence. When you lose your fitness, you start fearing the ocean and your confidence slips. This then causes scary wipe-outs, further feeding your fear and keeping you out of the water. This then impacts your fitness – it is a downward spiral.

When you are learning to surf, it is important to foster, nourish and protect your confidence. You probably will not have surf specific fitness yet, so how do you do this? A number of things are important.

1. Firstly, go and get a surfing lesson. Understanding the basics of the required surf skills will give you something to think about, something to practise. An active mind does not have the time to lose confidence.
2. Secondly, give consideration to the conditions you practise in. Never go into waves that are too big for you – they will only punish you, scare the hell out of you and maybe even injure you. You really must protect your surfing stoke in those early periods.
3. Third – look into surfing fitness. Here is a great product which really can help.: Surfing Fitness Product
4. Finally, make sure every session is fun. If you are not having fun, review what went wrong and fix it.