Surfing is an excellent sport, both physically and mentally. Beginners are not the only ones who make surfing errors. On takeoff, pros have nosedived while failing to consider the wave’s slope. Surfers frequently lose focus while riding waves and wipe out, failing to notice that a second wave is approaching quickly behind them, followed by a third wave. Most seasoned surfers have discovered their beginner blunders after spending hours in the water. A surfer gains experience through trial and error. Let’s discuss some common mistakes by the beginners:
Fails to warm up or stretch
Most people have experienced the circumstance where you arrive at the beach and immediately become impatient to enter the sea due to the good waves and ideal wave size for your surfing ability. It is understandable, but you must avoid a scare or damage in the worst situation. So, it is crucial to warm up and stretch before catching any waves. The first lesson you would learn in the Porto surf school is about the importance of warm-up before surfing. You risk significant injuries if you don’t warm up before a tough sport like surfing. Don’t disregard it, and do the warm-up and stretching properly.
Wrong selection of board
The impulse to ride the wrong board is a mistake that novice and intermediate surfers frequently make. It is correct to say that surfers often attempt to ride boards that are too tiny for their skill level. Maybe they see professional surfers using shortboards and believe getting a similar board will give them similar skills. All new surfers begin their training using longboards. The transition to a proper longboard occurs once a surfer has mastered popping up, paddling, and riding down the line. Only after perfecting their ability to turn and produce speed should a surfer start to decrease their board. A surfer should ride a mid-length board after a longboard, followed by a fish or groveler.
Dragging the board
From the previous point, you might understand the importance of a surfboard. In addition to giving off the impression that you are inexperienced, dragging your board down the sand may harm it. The small stones will scrape the board’s nose or tail if it is being pulled along in the sand by those parts. It is not cool to pull aboard, especially if you are renting one. Like how you would carry a book or a skateboard, keep your board under your arm. Take a friend’s help if the board is too heavy for you to have alone, and you can carry your boards at once.
Not properly laid out
Surfers must place themselves properly to prevent pearling their boards and paddles. Drag will be created, and your paddling speed will be too slow if you lean back too far on your surfboard. On the other side, if you lean too far forward when standing on your surfboard, you will nosedive. Each surfboard is unique from the others. The ideal technique to locate the ‘sweet spot,’ as surfers refer, is to position your body so that your surfboard is level with the water. It may take some practice, but if you get the hang of it, you can paddle more efficiently. And avoid having a lot of salt water up each nostril when you nose dive.
Erroneous surf spot
Due to the culture, surfing, and wines, Portugal shines as a popular country worldwide. You can join a surf camp Portugal to find the right surf spot. For the best possibility of catching waves while remaining safe, the instructor will specify where to go when you take surf training. When you go out without a teacher, what do you do? Because beginner surfers frequently lack the skills necessary, you must be able to read the conditions for yourself. Do your research, and there are a tonne of internet articles and movies that can teach you the skills you need.
Winding it up:
It is crucial when learning to surf to be able to spot and fix these typical errors. Warm up before surfing, and avoid pushing yourself too hard if your body can’t handle it. Surfing requires a lot of strength, balance, and endurance. You will be riding waves outside in no time if you practise frequently and take your time.
